Exodus 4 (God Empowers & Instructs Moses / Moses Makes Excuses / Zipporah & The Foreskin Incident)

Let's pray Our father we thank you for yet another opportunity for Fellowship and time in your word and may we be mindful of what you say may we be teachable. And I just asked that you would give us Understanding so that we would make proper application.

I asked all these things in Jesus name. Amen. All right. Exodus chapter 4.

Moses’ Objections and God’s Signs

They will not believe me or listen to my voice suppose they say.

The Lord has not appeared to you. What is that in your hand. A rod.

Cuts it on the ground. So he cast it on the ground and it became a serpent. And Moses fled from it. And the Lord said to Moses reach out your hand And take it by the tail. Each studies have and caught it And it became a rod in his hand.

Thus they may believe the Lord God of their fathers the God of Abraham Isaac and the God of Jacob has appeared to you.

Now put your hand in your bosom. And Moses put his hand in his bosom. When he took it out the whole his hand was leprous. So he put his hand in his bosom again. It was restored like his other flesh.

Then it will be if they do not believe you nor heed the message of the first son. But they may believe the message of the latter side. And it shall be if they do not believe even these two sides. Or listen to your voice That you shall take water from And pour it on the dry land.

The water which you take from the river Will become blood on the dry land.

I am not. Neither before nor since you have spoken to your servants, but I am slow of speech. And.

Who has made man's mother or who makes the mute the deaf the seeing or the blind have not I. Now therefore good and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you should say.

Please Send by the hand of whomever else You may send.

So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses.

It's not air and believe like your brother. I know he can speak well. He is also coming up to me. When he sees you he will be glad in his heart. Now you should speak to him and put the words in his mouth.

And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and I will teach you what you should do. So he should be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you and you shall be to him As God.

And you shall take this rod in your hand with which you shall do the sign.

Moses, Aaron, and the Rod of God

This went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, please let me go.

And return to my brethren who are in Egypt.

Go in peace Now the Lord said to Moses in Midian.

Go return to Egypt For all the men who sought your life.

Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey and he returned. Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

And the Lord said to Moses When you go back to Egypt see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.

Then you should say to Pharaoh Thus says the Lord Israel is my son my firstborn. So I say to you let my son go. That he may serve me. But if you refuse to let him go Indeed, I will kill your son your firstborn.

And it came to pass on the way at the encampment that the Lord met him and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses feet.

Surely you are a husband of blood to me. So he let him go.

Because of the circumcision. And the Lord said to Aaron go into the wilderness to meet Moses.

So he went and met him on the mountain of God and kissed him. So Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord who had sent him and all the signs which he had commanded him. Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel and Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses.

And he did the signs in the sight of the people so the people believed. And when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and that he had looked on their affliction Then they bowed their heads and worshiped.

Miracles as Authentication of God’s Word

Alright, so when we ended chapter 3 we ended with Moses at the burning bush. And of course He's still there. So God is commissioning Moses to go and demand of Pharaoh. We know the phrase, you know, let my people go and in verse 22 We read then you shall say to Pharaoh thus says the Lord Israel is my son my firstborn.

So I say to you let my son go that he may serve me. But if you refuse to let him go indeed, I will kill your son your firstborn. So this is a serious business. This is a showdown that you know, the likes the world has never seen before but before we get to that We're gonna see that Moses is going to protest.

This commissioning he's gonna have all sorts of reasons and excuses of why God should send somebody else now the thing to remember or the first thing that we see in this chapter is an excuse that he gives or a Possible objection.

It's kind of obvious. I don't know that we can fault Moses look at verse 1. He says but suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice. Suppose they say the Lord has not appeared to you. Now. Do you think that's a valid?

Valid concern that he has. I Think so, I think it's very reasonable. I mean, what's Moses gonna tell the people, you know, I was out in the wilderness. Talking to this bush that was on fire and God was in the bush talking to me like Yeah.

Yeah, what kind of bush is this Moses, but? Obviously, he's worried about this. I think that's Legitimate so that that might not go over so well. So Moses has this concern and you remember in the last chapter He asked well, if I go who am I supposed to say is sending me?

You know, what's your name? And in the last chapter He says when I come to the children of Israel and say to them the God of your fathers has sent me. And they say to me what is his name? What shall I say to them and you remember from last week?

We covered the name of God. I am Jehovah and Yahweh and and all of that. So Moses has God's first name or is his name. I don't love God has his last name scratch that part. But that doesn't exactly prove That God appeared to him just because he has this name doesn't prove that God appeared.

And don't miss this because this is one of the most important things for a Christian to understand. God gave Moses the ability to work miracles to authenticate what Moses was saying to the people so this is the whole purpose of Miracles not to put on a show.

Not even just to heal or help people which that's obviously part of it as well. But in the Bible whether it's the Old Testament or in the New Testament Miracles were done in order to confirm the words or the message of the miracle worker.

So anyone can say anything right and you don't necessarily believe what they have to say. But if somebody comes and tells you God spoke to me He said this and they can raise the dead or part the Red Sea or do something like that.

Obviously, that's someone you would listen to. We are not going to do that. Some people of course, you know still do and If you ever I've only seen it on TV. You've probably seen this as well. But a lot of them their hands are Crippled and Deformed or many have died.

So no, we're not going to do that. And if you do we're kicking you out. Any bring any poisonous snakes? That's that isn't gonna fly. But let's face it. Anybody can make any claim. They want God spoke to me God told me this.

God told me to tell you that you need to do this. So does God want his people does he want us to be naive and just believe what ever anybody says God forbid. Which is why God gives men The power to work miracles in order to prove that these men Moses here is the spokesman of God.

So this happened with Moses and Joshua it Happened with the prophets you think of Elijah and Elijah. What's God doing to you? He's confirming the law and the prophets the Old Testament scriptures and the New Testament.

He gives the power. Well, Jesus has it and then the Apostles. What's he doing? He's confirming the New Testament scriptures. So it's always to confirm the word that's the primary purpose of miracles. All right.

Moses’ Fear, Aaron’s Role, and the Meaning of a Prophet

Verse two. So the Lord said to Moses What is that in your hand? And he said a rod. And the Lord said cast it on the ground so he cast it on the ground and it became a serpent and Moses fled From it. How many of you are afraid of snakes?

Would you would you grab the snake by the tail. No if God told you to would you Say, okay. I do it in that case. I don't. I guess Moses wasn't too afraid of snakes, although he did flee. So but a little later on you'll remember that Moses is gonna work this miracle again before Pharaoh and his magicians to do what to prove that the God of Israel was the true God the only true God and not the gods of the Egyptians so Moses is given three signs and There's no Greek or Hebrew word.

Well Greek word for miracle. I know we're in the Old Testament, but it's always signs powers and wonders. Okay, so he's given a sign. These three signs to perform that the rod turns into the serpent the water that turns into blood and then the leprous Hand and at the end of the chapter Moses will will Perform these miracles in front of the people so that the people believe all right.

Interestingly enough this is a common thing for the Apostles and prophets to do to protest when God calls them, so we're gonna see Moses doing this. Do you remember any other? Prophets or apostles who protested gave reasons why they couldn't do what God called them to do.

Russ Isaiah, okay.

Yeah Yeah, he was a judge. Gideon had a little trouble at the start didn't you know he went to lay out the fleece, right?

Yeah, I think Jeremiah Jeremiah said what. I'm too young. I can't do this. Moses Starts out his first objection back in the last chapter. Well who am I? Okay, that's that's fair. I guess he's humble. Then he says who should I say sent me.

That's when God gives him his name and now. What if they don't believe me? Then he gives him the signs now. He comes out up until this point. Maybe we can understand where Moses is coming from but now I believe Moses is just giving An excuse.

Look at what he says in verse 10. Then Moses said to the Lord. Oh my lord. I am NOT eloquent neither before nor since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue. So the Lord said to him Who has made man's mouth or who makes the mute the deaf the seeing or the blind?

Have not I the Lord? Now therefore go and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say. But he said oh my lord Please send by the hand of whomever else you may send. Basically saying send anybody but me.

Russ. Okay.

Moses Started out Hebrew. So he must have learned how to speak Hebrew. Yep, but then he had to learn Egyptian. Okay, you take little children. Do that and sometimes they start a little slow. Because their mind is thinking how to say something in a different language.

Okay.

So this might be why he is slow. And it's a good, you know, that's a good theory. I don't actually believe that he was but if he was that would be a good. Yeah good reason. It's Reasonable. Yeah, I didn't think about that.

That's good. So, well it's the reason I don't think that this is legitimate there. This is a valid excuse is because Moses basically says send anyone anyone but me and then what do we read next? So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses.

And then in the video you heard the flame like start to roar at that. Yeah, I bet it was. The Lord doesn't really like it when people say no to him, it's just this this thing. So the question is did Moses actually have a problem speaking.

Was he eloquent? He says he's not eloquent. Well, you know, this is kind of a subjective thing a little bit. Moses says he's not. Some people have speculated that he had a problem with stuttering and stammering.

I don't think that's the case. Other commentators said that he just wasn't as skilled as he thought he should be given the task at hand, which That may be true. He may have felt that way but he says I'm slow of speech and slow of tongue now anytime we're reading from the Old Testament if we can do a cross-reference to what the New Testament says you always want to do that and You can interpret the Old Testament in light of what the New Testament tells us.

So here's a verse from acts 222 where Stephen is preaching and he's recounting the story of Israel. You know what Stephen says about this. Acts 722 it says and Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and in deeds so while Moses says I'm Not mighty or I can't speak.

Well, Stephen says he can and the Holy Spirit more importantly the Holy Spirit because Stephen Stephen's filled with the Spirit when he's preaching so I'm going with Stephen and the Holy Spirit, okay.

But this is common just like when God called Jonah right to preach to the city of Nineveh. He hops on a boat and heads in the opposite direction. King Saul when he was chosen by God to be king, what did he do?

Yeah, he went and hid amongst the baggage. So in the Bible this kind of thing really isn't uncommon. So now Moses is chosen by God and No, I can't do it. Here's here's the reasons why. Alright look at verse 14 so Moses says I can't do it.

God says, all right fine. It's not Aaron the Levite your brother. I know that he can speak well and Look, he is also coming out to meet you when he sees you He will be glad in his heart now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth and I will be With your mouth and with his mouth and I will teach you what you shall do so he shall be your spokesman to the people and he himself shall be as a mouth for you and you shall be to him as God.

It's been a long time I know I saw it but the Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston is Aaron speaking for Moses in that movie. I mean, is that accurate? I don't think it does a couple times maybe okay, but not not really not not all.

No. Yeah. Yeah, if he was doing most of the speaking Charlton Heston would have played the role of Aaron probably Jim you have a.

And he gave him an out. I say Brother I'll let him speak with he was saying to Moses. I really want you. Because I've chosen you. Okay, I came in that burning bush told you to take off your shoes. Have a snake.

You wouldn't have a leprous hand. I Think he think Moses an opportunity. Say, okay. Yeah, you're right. I'm wrong.

Yeah Moses is not getting out of it. That's that's the bottom line. Yeah, but this phrase is interesting and you shall be to him as God. So that may sound strange but consider what's happening here. This is a good opportunity for us to talk about what a prophet is and to define What a prophet is what a prophet does in Exodus 7 verse 1 The Lord says to Moses See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet.

So now Moses is like God and Aaron is the prophet. The Hebrew word Navi translated prophet means basically a spokesman one who speaks and Prophecy is either defined one of two ways. You sure most of you know, what are they?

So some if someone is prophesying they are either doing one of two things. Okay for telling the future events or just forth telling which we'd say is similar to preaching or the same preaching so a Prophet is basically a mouthpiece for God right a prophet is a preacher of God and in the very loose sense of the word anyone who preaches God's Word could be considered a Prophet, of course, we don't talk like that because that's way too confusing and it gives people the wrong idea.

So we simply don't don't use that phrase because in a more narrow sense. This is usually what people think when they think of a prophet that a prophet is an intermediary. Someone that God is speaking directly to.

So God you think of it this way God Speaks to the prophet the prophet takes God's Word and speaks to the people. So he's the go-between he's between God and in the people you can't Contrast that with a priest a priest is all also an intercessor or an intermediary.

Only the word goes in the opposite direction for the priest. So the people will have something to bring to God. They bring it to the priest and the priest brings it to God on behalf of the people. So with the priest it goes up with the prophet.

It's God's Word going down. Marcus. Right and Right. Yeah, when we say when a preacher today says thus saith the Lord he's getting it from the Bible, right? But in the Old Testament when he said thus saith the Lord he was getting it directly from God.

So that's the obvious Obvious difference. All right, any questions anything so far? All right, so when we consider the role of a prophet it makes sense that Aaron shall be The mouthpiece for Moses. He's he's like his prophet.

Therefore Moses is like God also in that same sense to Pharaoh. Moses is Like God, so this is a very unusual Arrangement and if you think about it Moses protests, well, I can't do this I'm not eloquent and God has Aaron do it for him in a sense that really raises Moses stature.

It's like Pharaoh. I'm not even gonna talk to you directly. I have someone to do that for me like Moses is appearing more important. His office is magnified. Because of this this arrangement Verse 17 the Lord tells him and you shall take this rod in your hand with which you shall do The signs and then in verse 20 the rod that Moses carries with him is called what?

The rod of God. Because it's the instrument that Moses works all his miracles. You know, I was thinking about this, you know how you know. Some church this is more common in Europe and the Middle East where churches and cathedrals will have relics.

Right. They have splinters of the cross supposedly, right and all these I've never heard any church that claimed to have the rod of Moses. I don't think that was a thing. So We got one downstairs, right.

I assume yeah, that's not it. Trust me. That's what I I found it and I painted it. So All right. So now God tells Moses That those who wanted to kill him back in Egypt They're dead. So it's safe to return back to Egypt.

So Moses goes to Jethro his father-in-law and He politely asked permission. I don't think he has to do this, but this is a courtesy to his father-in-law To return to Egypt and of course this would include Moses bringing his wife Jethro's daughter and what does Jethro say to Moses?

Go in peace. Look at verse 20 then Moses took his wife and his sons and Set them on a donkey and he returned to the land of Egypt and Moses took the rod of God in His hand and the Lord said to Moses when you go back to Egypt.

See that you do all these wonders or all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand, but I Will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh. Thus says the Lord Israel is my son my firstborn.

So I say to you let my son go that he may serve me. But if you refuse to let him go indeed, I will kill your son your firstborn so who wants to take a Stab at this. So what does it mean? Why is he calling what Israel my firstborn?

What does that mean? Yeah, I.

Need a hand high. All right, Dennis. They're his chosen people so he sees them higher than any other nation on the earth. Good.

Good. Right. And I heard you on the radio yesterday. Talking about what Colossians is it? Yes that Jesus is the firstborn over all creation. What does that mean. That he he's the first one created. That's what the Jehovah's Witnesses.

No firstborn is the one who holds the place of Preeminence. So that's what God is saying. Exactly right. That they are my people. I have chosen them over all the families of the earth.

Where he's firstborn from the dead.

Also, I Christ is also the first Lord.

He's the first one from the dead that lived eternally.

And the word was used with David as well And he was the seventh form right. It doesn't have to do with you know, right. Firstborn King.

He's gonna be the chief King. My son David was firstborn, too. Well, he really was.

Different. But this is why we need to take the Bible in context right compare Scripture with Scripture. I know we always say it keep saying it over and over again. But when you take a statement like that and just run with it, then you get into trouble.

God’s Sovereignty, Pharaoh’s Heart, and Human Responsibility

All right so far going through the book of Genesis and now into Exodus. We've talked a few times about God's sovereignty and Now we come to this statement from the Lord. I will harden Pharaoh's heart.

In Romans chapter 9 the Apostle Paul speaks of Moses and Pharaoh when he's trying to make a point about the sovereignty of God. Paul speaks of this overall subject. And he makes reference to this and this is a bigger topic than we have time to really get into.

I realized that. But in this question of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. Yes, number one. God is sovereign. We shouldn't be like some people are they try to find any little excuse to kind of Get around this.

So God is sovereign number two though man is Responsible. Man is a volitional creature. We all have the ability to make our own decisions. We call it free will I? Would say it's our will is not completely free because we're slaves to sin before we're saved.

But that's usually what we call it. So, why do I bring this up because what does it say. God is hardening Pharaoh's heart. So the people that hate the doctrine of God's sovereignty they react to this and they say that's not fair.

It's not fair for God to harden Pharaoh's heart. But what else if when we read the story, what are we going to see? Pharaoh is hardening his own heart. Yeah as well. And Never once do we see Pharaoh Wanting to do the right thing, but God just steps in and forces him to do the wrong thing.

You never see that. All right, Marcus.

And I think the best place now is right between the two though they aren't reconciled. Parallel truths I call them that don't ever intersect this side of heaven but I have been thinking about it some and I think that what goes on is is When we reject the Lord's leading.

We're using our free will to do that and he'll let us do that again and again. And then there comes a point where he says guess what? You can't change your mind now. This is the way it's going to be. It's because I mean God is omniscient.

He knows the end from the beginning. He knows it all so. Well, I don't get into election.

Well, so two parallel lines. Two parallel. Were you the one that came up with that? Okay. So If God's sovereignty is here and Man's responsibility is here. If you cut it right down the middle. I'm a little more on this side.

Just just for the review already know I'll convince you to get over on this side. All right now moving on we come to this very strange section and You're reading the story and it's kind of flowing and then all of a sudden you get to this part like wait.

What did I just read? God wants first of all God wants to kill Moses. What's happening here? All right. Look at verse 20 and it came to pass on the way at the encampment that the Lord met him and sought to kill him then Zipporah Moses wife took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and Cast it at Moses feet.

It says surely you are a husband of blood to me. So he that is God let Moses go. Then she said you are a husband of blood. Why does she say that? Because of the circumcision so two things going on here.

First God was about to kill Moses. Because he did not circumcise his son now if you remember Circumcision was the sign of the covenant that God gave to Abraham so to not have your son circumcised Was a very serious thing to say the least and remember what we said last time how the Old Testament really portrays God as Unapproachable and God is fearful.

He's a consuming fire. He's unapproachable. Well, that's just kind of more of the same here. So at times you see throughout the scripture, even though Moses is let go God doesn't kill him obviously. But we see this throughout the scripture where God will at times make an example out of someone.

So he doesn't want people having the idea that things just kind of a free-for-all and kind of you know, do whatever you feel like and God is You know God so Tolerant of everything. He's just going to kind of let everything slide.

You don't get that picture in the New Testament either. But certainly you don't get it in the Old Testament and lest anyone think that this is an Old Testament thing. Remember these two people called Ananias and Sapphira.

That's good, I mean I'm definitely gonna use that they were slain in the spirit. That's bad. So, why does God do this kind of thing well He's setting an example and Paul will tell the Corinthians 1st Corinthians 10, I think it is he says these things were written for our Admonition, so we learn something through all of this.

We see God's holiness. We see His is unapproachable nature and We need to know that we need to be aware of this because mankind let's face it mankind is prone. Especially these days to say well my God is a God of love.

So he kind of won't mind if I do whatever. Well, he is a God of love and a God of mercy. Because if he wasn't you'd be done by now I'd be done by that Moses would be done, but he does show mercy on Moses.

Yes. Great fear. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I think the common reaction today would be why I wouldn't want to be part of a church where there was great Fear or reverence for God fear and reverence. Yeah, yeah, we need more of that not less Jim.

They forgot. Right. But he's very merciful at the same time. So we see at the same time God's justice and holiness. It's on display. But so is his mercy because through his mercies remember we're not consumed and Moses is not Consumed.

Did you have something? Yeah.

I've always looked at Joe such In the same light. We're kind of like God used him. And I'm glad that doesn't happen to all of us. But I mean God used him in a very profound way to teach something to all of us.

It's just Terrifying. Yeah, but what amazing and that's when I think of Job I go Wow.

God used him for all of us, right? He went through it. So hopefully You and I won't have to. So that's the first thing God is kind of sending a message here. The second thing we see is that Moses and his wife didn't exactly Have a great marital situation or so it seems Zipporah you think well.

She she might have been upset that she had to leave her father's house and now go to Egypt and everything with God's calling upon Moses and his life that. She didn't really sign up for all of this. She never could have expected all of this and In chapter, I think 18 Moses is going to send her back to her father.

And you know some of this is speculation. I admit. But I think it's safe to say they had some problems. Whatever the issues were one thing. She definitely doesn't seem to care for is this act of circumcision.

Especially since Moses it was really on him to make sure that the child was circumcised. Moses fails. And then she has to do it in order to save Moses life. So she's probably a little. Well, she obviously is upset About this.

Yes. And you know as we said before the Bible what does it do. It paints People warts and all all the men of God or women of God it paints them warts and all. Moses isn't the first Man in the Bible that we're going to see has some marriage problems.

I won't be the last not the first not the last. King David Comes to mind you remember when he married Saul's daughter. The ark was being brought to Jerusalem and David danced before the Lord. You remember what?

His wife said oh how glorious was the king of Israel today uncovering himself in front of all the young maidens. She wasn't very happy and she basically told David, you know, you acted like a fool. You embarrassed yourself and then David says, yeah, you're just upset because God chose me and not your dad.

That was the end. So Moses was flawed. David was flawed. Zipporah was flawed. Next in verse 27 we read about Moses brother Aaron. We're gonna read about his flaws. Remember this little thing called the golden calf.

But I think the encouragement in all of this is that God can use flawed people. Amen. He yeah Marcus says God has to because that's really all he has to work. That's true. You can have angels do everything I suppose but all right.

Well, let's finish the chapter. Moses and Aaron reunite. Moses tells Aaron about everything that has happened. Verse 29. Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel and Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses and he did the signs in the sight of the people.

So the people believed and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and that he had looked upon their affliction then they bowed their heads and worshipped.