Chapter 2

Please read Exodus, chapter 4.

When he killed an Egyptian mischievous Moses had made a monumental mistake.

Acts 7:25 “Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not.”

No, his own people were not mistaken. God was not pleased with Moses’ thinking. Instead of having been buried in the sand that Egyptian should have come home that night. Moses’ heart may have been well willing but his head was too hot. Many years looking after sheep may cool him down, and make him useful for God’s plan for his life. Looking after the people of God would be more trying than looking after sheep. It would require a cool head. God was going to show him what He could do.

Exodus 4:2 ‘Then the Lord said to him ‘What is that in your hand?’ ‘A staff’ he replied. The Lord said ‘Throw it on the ground’.

What? The hand of the shepherd would be weak, if not useless without the staff. But the hand of God, not the hand of Moses, would lead His people out of Egypt.

“Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it.”

The snake was a cursed animal (Genesis 3:14). Can a snake sneak God out of His control? Unthinkable! What did God tell Moses to do?

Exodus 4:4 “Then the Lord said to him: ‘Reach out your hand and take it by the tail’. So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand.”

Grab the snake by its tail! Give it every opportunity to swing up and bite you. Anywhere. Do you see Moses, bending over as if he had a sore back? Stretching out his arm to go for the snake? Years alone with God in the desert had been useful. Taught him to totally rely not on Egypt’s education or on shepherd experience, but to have confidence in God and to do as He told him. The snake turned back into a staff in his hand. What now did Moses have in his hand? A staff, yes, but now a staff ordained by God! God would now use it and lead the people of God, the staff being in the hand of Moses.

Exodus 4:5 “ ‘This’, said the Lord, ‘is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers - the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob - has appeared to you.’ “ Exodus 4:6 “ Then the Lord said ‘Put your hand inside your cloak’. So Moses put his hand into his cloak and when he took it out, it was leprous, like snow.’

‘Now put it back into your cloak’ He said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh.”

The hand became leprous, through and through. For God’s purpose as useless as the hand of the murderer. But God cleansed and healed it, so that He then could use it. Are you not surprised by the glorious goodness and grace of that great God, the God of the Bible? Will you hand over your life to Him? Make it available for Him to use?

Exodus 4:10 “Moses said to the Lord ‘O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant, I am slow of speech and tongue”.

Once upon a time he had been ‘powerful in speech and action”. Now he feels slow of speech and tongue. Now his God will tell Moses whose power will carry out the job.

Exodus 4:11,12 “The Lord said to him ‘Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go, I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.’ “

There we hear the God of the Bible! He speaks! In positive, profound, perfect patience and grace! ‘I THE LORD!’ Hear Him speak away all human weaknesses and failings and confront them with His own absolute sufficiency. Did not God show that sufficiency with the staff and the snake, with a leprous and a healthy hand? All that still was not enough for the man Moses.

Exodus 4:13,14 “But Moses said ‘O Lord, please send someone else to do it’. Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses . . . “

But the Lord being the Lord did not leave it at that and brought Moses’ brother on to the scene. Aaron would do the speaking but Moses was to take his staff in his hand and perform miraculous signs with it. Moses was so very human. The eternal God of unlimited power had endeavoured to encourage him with His unfailing promise: ’I WILL BE WITH YOU’. And Moses answered ‘Please go with someone else’.

Aaron, also a mere human being, to the mind of Moses, would be more suitable. But, as we will see later, it was Aaron who led the people of God into the worship of an idol, a golden calf.

Exodus 4:20 “So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took THE STAFF OF GOD in his hand”

Once Moses had thrown that staff on the ground and it became a snake. Then he took the snake by its tail and it became a staff. From that day onward it was the staff of God.

Did you ever hear about young Tommy? He just had his seventh birthday and amongst his presents was a beautiful, shiny gold coin. To keep his eye on it he dropped it into a bottle. But then he wanted to treasure it in his hands. His hand slid into the bottle; he grabbed the coin and to his horror could not get

his hand out. All his dreams about the coin were shattered. His hand was tight in the neck of the bottle. Dad came home. Told him to open his hand. Then it would come out. Yes, but Daddy, I will loose my coin. Of course, he never did. But he had to let go and his hand came free and he still had his coin. When Moses threw down his staff it became the staff of God. You too will be gladly surprised when you hand over your lot and life into the hands of the eternal God. You will begin to see what He can do with it, not primarily for your sake, but for the sake of His own glory.

Exodus 4:21 “The Lord said to Moses, ‘When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I HAVE GIVEN YOU THE POWER TO DO.”

For Moses it had been such a long and difficult road. Difficult yes. But all that was now in the past. In the depth of his heart he had listened to God. Had heard it: ‘I have given you the power to do’.

There will be a Divine difference, when the human heart listens to the God of the Bible and obeys Him.

Exodus 4:27 “The Lord said to Aaron ‘Go into the desert to meet Moses’. So he met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him’. “

Never forget, when, at the Cross of Jesus, you hand over your lot and life into the hands of God, you become like a newborn child in His family circle. You will need love, counsel and guidance all the way while you do the walk and talk of a child of God. Please, do trust Him and pray that He will send to you a person who is secure and mature in the life of faith and a walk with God. There will be much to learn about and from the God, Who is in the sphere of eternity, from Him Who does not belong to this world of time, sorrow and sinfulness. You will need strong fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ.

Exodus 4:29,30,31 “Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, and they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshipped.”