E
X O D U S
CHAP. IV.
This
chapter, I. Continues and concludes God's discourse with Moses at the bush
concerning this great affair of bringing
Israel
out of
Egypt
. 1. Moses objects the people's
unbelief (ver. 1), and God answers that objection by giving him a power to
work miracles, (1.) To turn his rod into a serpent, and then into a rod again,
ver. 2-5. (2.) To make his hand leprous, and then whole again, ver. 6-8. (3.)
To turn the water into blood, ver. 9. 2. Moses objects his own slowness of
speech (ver. 10), and begs to be excused (ver. 13); but God answers this
objection, (1.) By promising him his presence, ver. 11, 12. (2.) By joining
Aaron in commission with him, ver. 14-16. (3.) By putting an honour upon the
very staff in his hand, ver. 17. II. It begins Moses's execution of his
commission. 1. He obtains leave of his father-in-law to return into
Egypt
, ver. 18. 2. He receives
further instructions and encouragements from God, ver. 19, 21-23. 3. He
hastens his departure, and takes his family with him, ver. 20. 4. He meets
with some difficulty in the way about the circumcising of his son, ver. 24-26.
5. He has the satisfaction of meeting his brother Aaron, ver. 27, 28. 6. He
produces his commission before the elders of
Israel
, to their great joy, ver.
29-31. And thus the wheels were set a going towards that great deliverance.
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The
Objections of Moses Overruled.
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B.
C. 1491.
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1 And Moses answered and
said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for
they will say, The LORD
hath not appeared unto thee. 2 And the LORD
said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it
became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. 4 And the LORD
said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put
forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: 5
That they may believe that the LORD
God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob, hath appeared unto thee. 6 And the LORD
said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his
hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was
leprous as snow. 7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom
again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his
bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.
8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to
the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter
sign. 9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also
these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the
water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water
which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.
It was a very great honour that Moses was called to when God commissioned him
to bring Israel out of Egypt; yet he is with difficulty persuaded to accept
the commission, and does it at last with great reluctance, which we should
rather impute to a humble diffidence of himself and his own sufficiency than
to any unbelieving distrust of God and his word and power. Note, Those whom
God designs for preferment he clothes with humility; the most fit for service
are the least forward.
I. Moses objects that in all probability the people would not hearken to
his voice (v. 1), that is, they would not take his bare word,
unless he showed them some sign, which he had not been yet instructed to do.
This objection cannot be justified, because it contradicts what God had said (ch.
iii. 18), They shall hearken to thy voice. If God says, They will,
does it become Moses to say, They will not? Surely he means,
"Perhaps they will not at first, or some of them will not." If there
should be some gainsayers among them who would question his commission, how
should he deal with them? And what course should he take to convince them? He
remembered how they had once rejected him, and feared it would be so again.
Note, 1. Present discouragements often arise from former disappointments. 2.
Wise and good men have sometimes a worse opinion of people than they deserve.
Moses said (v. 1), They will not believe me; and yet he was
happily mistaken, for it is said (v. 31), The people believed;
but then the signs which God appointed in answer to this objection were first
wrought in their sight.
II. God empowers him to work miracles, directs him to three particularly, two
of which were now immediately wrought for his own satisfaction. Note, True
miracles are the most convincing external proofs of a divine mission attested
by them. Therefore our Saviour often appealed to his works (as John v. 36),
and Nicodemus owns himself convinced by them, John iii. 2. And here Moses,
having a special commission given him as a judge and lawgiver to Israel, has
this seal affixed to his commission, and comes supported by these credentials.
1. The rod in his hand is made the subject of a miracle, a double miracle: it
is but thrown out of his hand and it becomes a serpent; he resumes it and it
becomes a rod again, v. 2-4. Now, (1.) Here was a divine power
manifested in the change itself, that a dry stick should be turned into a
living serpent, a lively one, so formidable a one that Moses himself, on whom,
it should seem, it turned in some threatening manner, fled from before it,
though we may suppose, in that desert, serpents were no strange things to him;
but what was produced miraculously was always the best and strongest of the
kind, as the water turned to wine: and, then, that this living serpent should
be turned into a dry stick again, this was the Lord's doing. (2.) Here was an
honour put upon Moses, that this change was wrought upon his throwing it down
and taking it up, without any spell, or charm, or incantation: his being
empowered thus to act under God, out of the common course of nature and
providence, was a demonstration of his authority, under God, to settle a new
dispensation of the kingdom of grace. We cannot imagine that the God of truth
would delegate such a power as this to an impostor. (3.) There was a
significancy in the miracle itself. Pharaoh had turned the rod of Israel into
a serpent, representing them as dangerous (ch. i. 10), causing their
belly to cleave to the dust, and seeking their ruin; but now they should be
turned into a rod again: or, thus Pharaoh had turned the rod of government
into the serpent of oppression, from which Moses had himself fled into Midian;
but by the agency of Moses the scene was altered again. (4.) There was a
direct tendency in it to convince the children of Israel that Moses was indeed
sent of God to do what he did, v. 5. Miracles were for signs to those
that believed not, 1 Cor. xiv. 22.
2. His hand itself is next made the subject of a miracle. He puts it once into
his bosom, and takes it out leprous; he puts it again into the same place, and
takes it out well, v. 6, 7. This signified, (1.) That Moses, by the
power of God, should bring sore diseases upon Egypt, and that, at his prayer,
they should be removed. (2.) That whereas the Israelites in Egypt had become
leprous, polluted by sin, and almost consumed by oppression (a leper is as
one dead, Num. xii. 12), by being taken into the bosom of Moses they
should be cleansed and cured, and have all their grievances redressed. (3.)
That Moses was not to work miracles by his own power, nor for his own praise,
but by the power of God and for his glory; the leprous hand of Moses does
forever exclude boasting. Now it was supposed that, if the former sign did not
convince, this latter would. Note, God is willing more abundantly to show the
truth of his word, and is not sparing in his proofs; the multitude and variety
of the miracles corroborate the evidence.
3. He is directed, when he shall come to Egypt, to turn some of the water of
the river into blood, v. 9. This was done, at first, as a sign, but,
not gaining due credit with Pharaoh, the whole river was afterwards turned
into blood, and then it became a plague. He is ordered to work this miracle in
case they would not be convinced by the other two. Note, Unbelief shall be
left inexcusable, and convicted of a wilful obstinacy. As to the people of
Israel, God had said (ch. iii. 18), They shall hearken; yet he
appoints these miracles to be wrought for their conviction, for he that has
ordained the end has ordained the means.
10 And Moses said unto
the LORD,
O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast
spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow
tongue. 11 And the LORD
said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or
the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou
shalt say. 13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the
hand of him whom thou wilt send. 14 And the anger of the LORD
was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy
brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to
meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.
15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be
with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.
16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even
he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of
God. 17 And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou
shalt do signs.
Moses still continues backward to the service for which God had designed him,
even to a fault; for now we can no longer impute it to his humility and
modesty, but must own that here was too much of cowardice, slothfulness, and
unbelief in it. Observe here,
I. How Moses endeavours to excuse himself from the work.
1. He pleads that he was no good spokesman: O my Lord! I am not eloquent,
v. 10. He was a great philosopher, statesman, and divine, and yet no
orator; a man of a clear head, great thought, and solid judgment, but had not
a voluble tongue, or ready utterance, and therefore he thought himself unfit
to speak before great men about great affairs, and in danger of being run down
by the Egyptians. Observe, (1.) We must not judge of men by the readiness and
fluency of their discourse. Moses was mighty in word (Acts vii. 22),
and yet not eloquent: what he said was strong and nervous, and to the purpose,
and distilled as the dew (Deut. xxxii. 2), though he did not deliver himself
with that readiness, ease, and elegance, that some do, who have not the tenth
part of his sense. St. Paul's speech was contemptible, 2 Cor. x. 10. A great
deal of wisdom and true worth is concealed by a slow tongue. (2.) God is
pleased sometimes to make choice of those as his messengers who have fewest of
the advantages of art or nature, that his grace in them may appear the more
glorious. Christ's disciples were no orators, till the Spirit made them such.
2. When this plea was overruled, and all his excuses were answered, he begged
that God would send somebody else on this errand and leave him to keep sheep
in Midian (v. 13): "Send by any hand but mine; thou canst
certainly find one much more fit." Note, An unwilling mind will take up
with a sorry excuse rather than none, and is willing to devolve those services
upon others that have any thing of difficulty or danger in them.
II. How God condescends to answer all his excuses. Though the anger of the
Lord was kindled against him (v. 14), yet he continued to reason
with him, till he had overcome him. Note, Even self-diffidence, when it grows
into an extreme--when it either hinders us from duty or clogs us in duty, or
when it discourages our dependence upon the grace of God--is very displeasing
to him. God justly resents our backwardness to serve him, and has reason to
take it ill; for he is such a benefactor as is before-hand with us, and such a
rewarder as will not be behind-hand with us. Note further, God is justly
displeased with those whom yet he does not reject: he vouchsafes to reason the
case even with his froward children, and overcomes them, as he did Moses here,
with grace and kindness.
1. To balance the weakness of Moses, he here reminds him of his own power, v.
11. (1.) His power in that concerning which Moses made the objection: Who
has made man's mouth? Have not I the Lord? Moses knew that God made man,
but he must be reminded now that God made man's mouth. An eye to God as
Creator would help us over a great many of the difficulties which lie in the
way of our duty, Ps. cxxiv. 8. God, as the author of nature, has given us the
power and faculty of speaking; and from him, as the fountain of gifts and
graces, comes the faculty of speaking well, the mouth and wisdom (Luke
xxi. 15), the tongue of the learned (Isa. l. 4); he pours grace into
the lips, Ps. xlv. 2. (2.) His power in general over the other faculties.
Who but God makes the dumb and the deaf, the seeing and the blind? [1.]
The perfections of our faculties are his work, he makes the seeing; he
formed the eye (Ps. xciv. 9); he opens the understanding, the eye of the mind,
Luke xxiv. 45. [2.] Their imperfections are from him too; he makes the dumb,
and deaf, and blind. Is there any evil of this kind, and the
Lord has not done it? No doubt he has, and always in wisdom and righteousness,
and for his own glory, John ix. 3. Pharaoh and the Egyptians were made deaf
and blind spiritually, as Isa. vi. 9, 10. But God knew how to manage them, and
get himself honour upon them.
2. To encourage him in this great undertaking, he repeats the promise of his
presence, not only in general, I will be with thee (ch. iii.
12), but in particular, "I will be with thy mouth, so that the
imperfection in thy speech shall be no prejudice to thy message." It does
not appear that God did immediately remove the infirmity, whatever it was; but
he did that which was equivalent, he taught him what to say, and then let the
matter recommend itself: if others spoke more gracefully, none spoke more
powerfully. Note, Those whom God employs to speak for him ought to depend upon
him for instructions, and it shall be given them what they shall speak,
Matt. x. 19.
3. He joins Aaron in commission with him. He promises that Aaron shall meet
him opportunely, and that he will be glad to see him, they having not seen one
another (it is likely) for many years, v. 14. He directs him to make
use of Aaron as his spokesman, v. 16. God might have laid Moses wholly
aside, for his backwardness to be employed; but he considered his frame, and
ordered him an assistant. Observe, (1.) Two are better than one, Eccl. iv. 9.
God will have his two witnesses (Rev. xi. 3), that out of their mouths every
word may be established. (2.) Aaron was the brother of Moses, divine wisdom so
ordering it, that their natural affection one to another might strengthen
their union in the joint execution of their commission. Christ sent his
disciples two and two, and some of the couples were brothers. (3.) Aaron was
the elder brother, and yet he was willing to be employed under Moses in this
affair, because God would have it so. (4.) Aaron could speak well, and yet was
far inferior to Moses in wisdom. God dispenses his gifts variously to the
children of men, that we may see our need one of another, and each may
contribute something to the good of the body, 1 Cor. xii. 21. The tongue of
Aaron, with the head and heart of Moses, would make one completely fit for
this embassy. (5.) God promises, I will be with thy mouth, and with his
mouth. Even Aaron, that could speak well, yet could not speak to purpose
unless God was with his mouth; without the constant aids of divine grace the
best gifts will fail.
4. He bids him take the rod with him in his hand (v. 17), to intimate
that he must bring about his undertaking rather by acting than by speaking;
the signs he should work with this rod might abundantly supply the want of
eloquence; one miracle would do him better service than all the rhetoric in
the world. Take this rod, the rod he carried as a shepherd, that he
might not be ashamed of that mean condition out of which God called him. This
rod must be his staff of authority, and must be to him in stead both of sword
and sceptre.
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Moses
Returns in Egypt.
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B.
C. 1491.
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18 And Moses went and
returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray
thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether
they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace. 19 And
the LORD
said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead
which sought thy life. 20 And Moses took his wife and his sons,
and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took
the rod of God in his hand. 21 And the LORD
said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all
those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will
harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. 22 And thou
shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD,
Israel is my son, even my firstborn: 23 And I say
unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him
go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.
Here, I. Moses obtains leave of his father-in-law to return into Egypt, v.
18. His father-in-law had been kind to him when he was a stranger, and
therefore he would not be so uncivil as to leave his family, nor so unjust as
to leave his service, without giving him notice. Note, The honour of being
admitted into communion with God, and of being employed for him, does not
exempt us from the duties of our relations and callings in this world. Moses
said nothing to his father-in-law (for aught that appears) of the glorious
manifestation of God to him; such favours we are to be thankful for to God,
but not to boast of before men.
II. He receives from God further encouragements and directions in his work.
After God had appeared to him in the bush to settle a correspondence, it
should seem, he often spoke to him, as there was occasion, with less
overwhelming solemnity. And, 1. He assures Moses that the coasts were clear.
Whatever new enemies he might make by his undertaking, his old enemies were all
dead, all that sought his life, v. 19. Perhaps some secret fear of
falling into their hands was at the bottom of Moses's backwardness to go to
Egypt, though he was not willing to own it, but pleaded unworthiness,
insufficiency, want of elocution, &c. Note, God knows all the temptations
his people lie under, and how to arm them against their secret fears, Ps.
cxlii. 3. 2. He orders him to do the miracles, not only before the elders of
Israel, but before Pharaoh, v. 21. There were some alive perhaps in the
court of Pharaoh who remembered Moses when he was the son of Pharaoh's
daughter, and had many a time called him a fool for deserting the honours of
that relation; but he is now sent back to court, clad with greater powers than
Pharaoh's daughter could have advanced him to, so that it might appear he was
no loser by his choice: this wonder-working rod did more adorn the hand of
Moses than the sceptre of Egypt could have done. Note, Those that look with
contempt upon worldly honours shall be recompensed with the honour that cometh
from God, which is the true honour. 3. That Pharaoh's obstinacy might be no
surprise nor discouragement to him, God tells him before that he would harden
his heart. Pharaoh had hardened his own heart against the groans and cries
of the oppressed Israelites, and shut up the bowels of his compassion from
them; and now God, in a way of righteous judgment, hardens his heart against
the conviction of the miracles, and the terror of the plagues. Note, Ministers
must expect with many to labour in vain: we must not think it strange if we
meet with those who will not be wrought upon by the strongest arguments and
fairest reasonings; yet our judgment is with the Lord. 4. Words are put into
his mouth with which to address Pharaoh, v. 22, 23. God had promised
him (v. 12), I will teach thee what thou shalt say; and here he
does teach him. (1.) He must deliver his message in the name of the great
Jehovah: Thus saith the Lord; this is the first time that
preface is used by any man which afterwards is used so frequently by all the
prophets: whether Pharaoh will hear, or whether he will forbear, Moses must
tell him, Thus saith the Lord. (2.) He must let Pharaoh know Israel's
relation to God, and God's concern for Israel. Is Israel a servant? is he a
home-born slave? Jer. ii. 14. "No, Israel is my son, my firstborn,
precious in my sight, honourable, and dear to me, not to be thus insulted
and abused." (3.) He must demand a discharge for them: "Let my
son go; not only my servant whom thou hast no right to detain, but my son
whose liberty and honour I am very jealous for. It is my son, my son that
serves me, and therefore must be spared, must be pleaded for," Mal. iii.
17. (4.) He must threaten Pharaoh with the death of the first-born of Egypt,
in case of a refusal: I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn. As men
deal with God's people, let them expect to be themselves dealt with; with the
froward he will wrestle.
III. Moses addresses himself to this expedition. When God had assured him (v.
19) that the men were dead who sought his life, immediately it follows (v.
20), he took his wife, and his sons, and set out for Egypt. Note,
Though corruption may object much against the services God calls us to, yet
grace will get the upper hand, and will be obedient to the heavenly vision.
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The
Circumcision of the Son of Moses.
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B.
C. 1491.
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24 And it came to pass by
the way in the inn, that the LORD
met him, and sought to kill him. 25 Then Zipporah took a sharp
stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet,
and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. 26 So he
let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the
circumcision. 27 And the LORD
said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him
in the mount of God, and kissed him. 28 And Moses told Aaron all
the words of the LORD
who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him. 29
And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children
of Israel: 30 And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD
had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.
31 And 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.
Moses is here going to Egypt, and we are told,
I. How God met him in anger, v. 24-26. This is a very difficult passage
of story; much has been written, and excellently written, to make it
intelligible; we will try to make it improving. Here is,
1. The sin of Moses, which was neglecting to circumcise his son. This was
probably the effect of his being unequally yoked with a Midianite, who was too
indulgent of her child, while Moses was too indulgent of her. Note, (1.) We
have need to watch carefully over our own hearts, lest fondness for any
relation prevail above our love to God, and take us off from our duty to him.
It is charged upon Eli that he honoured his sons more than God (1 Sam.
ii. 29); and see Matt. x. 37. (2.) Even good men are apt to cool in their zeal
for God and duty when they have long been deprived of the society of the
faithful: solitude has its advantages, but they seldom counterbalance the loss
of Christian communion.
2. God's displeasure against him. He met him, and, probably by a sword in an
angel's hand, sought to kill him. This was a great change; very lately God was
conversing with him, and lodging a trust in him, as a friend; and now he is
coming forth against him as an enemy. Note, (1.) Omissions are sins, and must
come into judgment, and particularly the contempt and neglect of the seals of
the covenant; for it is a sign that we undervalue the promises of the
covenant, and are displeased with the conditions of it. He that has made a
bargain, and is not willing to seal and ratify it, one may justly suspect,
neither likes it nor designs to stand to it. (2.) God takes notice of, and is
much displeased with, the sins of his own people. If they neglect their duty,
let them expect to hear of it by their consciences, and perhaps to feel from
it by cross providences: for this cause many are sick and weak, as some think
Moses was here.
3. The speedy performance of the duty for the neglect of which God had now a
controversy with him. His son must be circumcised; Moses is unable to
circumcise him; therefore, in this case of necessity, Zipporah does it,
whether with passionate words (expressing her dislike of the ordinance itself,
or at least the administration of it to so young a child, and in a journey),
as to me it seems, or with proper words--solemnly expressing the espousal of
the child to God by the covenant of circumcision (as some read it) or her
thankfulness to God for sparing her husband, giving him a new life, and
thereby giving her, as it were, a new marriage to him, upon her circumcising
her son (as others read it)--I cannot determine: but we learn, (1.) That when
God discovers to us what is amiss in our lives we must give all diligence to
amend it speedily, and particularly return to the duties we have neglected.
(2.) The putting away of our sins is indispensably necessary to the removal of
God's judgements. This is the voice of every rod, it calls to us to return to
him that smites us.
4. The release of Moses thereupon: So he let him go; the distemper went
off, the destroying angel withdrew, and all was well: only Zipporah cannot
forget the fright she was in, but will unreasonably call Moses a bloody
husband, because he obliged her to circumcise the child; and, upon this
occasion (it is probable), he sent them back to his father-in-law, that they
might not create him any further uneasiness. Note, (1.) When we return to God
in a way of duty he will return to us in a way of mercy; take away the cause,
and the effect will cease. (2.) We must resolve to bear it patiently, if our
zeal for God and his institutions be misinterpreted and discouraged by some
that should understand themselves, and us, and their duty, better, as David's
zeal was misinterpreted by Michal; but if this be to be vile, if this be to be
bloody, we must be yet more so. (3.) When we have any special service to do
for God we should remove as far from us as we can that which is likely to be
our hindrance. Let the dead bury their dead, but follow thou me.
II. How Aaron met him in love, v. 27, 28. 1. God sent Aaron to meet
him, and directed him where to find him, in the wilderness that lay towards
Midian. Note, The providence of God is to be acknowledged in the comfortable
meeting of relations and friends. 2. Aaron made so much haste, in obedience to
his God, and in love to his brother, that he met him in the mount of God,
the place where God had met with him. 3. They embraced one another with mutual
endearments. The more they saw of God's immediate direction in bringing them
together the more pleasant their interview was: they kissed, not only
in token of brotherly affection, and in remembrance of ancient acquaintance,
but as a pledge of their hearty concurrence in the work to which they were
jointly called. 4. Moses informed his brother of the commission he had
received, with all the instructions and credentials affixed to it, v.
28. Note, What we know of God we should communicate for the benefit of others;
and those that are fellow-servants to God in the same work should use a mutual
freedom, and endeavour rightly and fully to understand one another.
III. How the elders of Israel met him in faith and obedience. When Moses and
Aaron first opened their commission in Egypt, said what they were ordered to
say, and, to confirm it, did what they were ordered to do, they met with a
better reception than they promised themselves, v. 29-31. 1. The
Israelites gave credit to them: The people believed, as God had
foretold (ch. iii. 18), knowing that no man could do those works that
they did, unless God were with him. They gave glory to God: They bowed
their heads and worshipped, therein expressing not only their humble
thankfulness to God, who had raised them up and sent them a deliverer, but
also their cheerful readiness to observe orders, and pursue the methods of
their deliverance.
Contents
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