Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Exodus 4
Exodus 4:2-3The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” Then he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it.
God takes Moses's ordinary shepherd's staff and turns it into a serpent, showing that He can transform the common things in our lives into instruments of His extraordinary power.Exodus 4:11-12Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.
When Moses claims he can't speak well, God reminds him that He is the Creator of the mouth itself. This is a powerful declaration that God is sovereign over our weaknesses and will provide the ability to do what He calls us to do.Exodus 4:31And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.
This verse marks the successful completion of Moses's first task. The signs worked, the message was received, and the suffering people of Israel responded with belief and worship, validating God's plan.
Historical & Cultural Context
The Reluctant Prophet and the Patient God
Picking up immediately after God commissioned Moses from the burning bush in Exodus 3, this chapter finds Moses still at the mountain of God. His initial awe has given way to practical fears and deep-seated insecurity. He is no longer asking 'Who are you?' but 'Why me?' and 'What if they don't believe me?' This section is a raw dialogue where Moses's human frailty clashes with God's divine patience and power, setting the stage for the entire liberation narrative.
From the Mountain of God to the Heart of Egypt
Once God provides the signs and the partnership of Aaron, the scene shifts from dialogue to action. Moses leaves the security of his life in Midian, says goodbye to his father-in-law, and gathers his wife and sons for the perilous journey back to the land he fled forty years earlier. He carries with him his family and the 'staff of God' - a symbol of his new identity and the divine authority behind his mission. This journey is the first concrete step of obedience, moving from argument to assignment.
Moses's Objections and God's Answers
At the foot of Mount Horeb, Moses stands before the presence of God, overwhelmed by the task of liberating Israel. The conversation that unfolds in Exodus 4 is a series of escalating excuses met by divine reassurances. God systematically dismantles Moses's fears, not by dismissing them, but by demonstrating His power and providing for every perceived weakness.
Three Signs of Authority (Exodus 4:1-9)
1 Then Moses answered, "But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, 'The Lord did not appear to you.'"
2 The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.”
3 Then he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it.
4 But the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail” - so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand -
5 "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."
6 The Lord said furthermore to him, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” So he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, his hand was leprous like snow.
7 Then he said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh.
8 Then the Lord said to Moses, "If they will not believe you or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign.
9 But if they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground."
Commentary:
God gives Moses three miraculous signs to prove his divine calling to the Israelites.
Related Verse Analysis
The Provision of a Spokesman (Exodus 4:10-17)
10 But Moses said to the Lord, "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue."
11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?
12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.
13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”
14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, "Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
15 You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and will teach you both what to do.
16 He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him.
17 And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”
Commentary:
Moses claims he is a poor speaker, so God appoints his brother Aaron to be his mouthpiece.
The Journey Begins with a Warning (Exodus 4:18-23)
18 Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."
19 And the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.”
20 So Moses took his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand.
21 The Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.
22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son,
23 and I say to you, "Let my son go that he may serve me." If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.'"
Commentary:
Moses sets out for Egypt and receives God's message for Pharaoh, including a warning of his hardened heart.
Related Verse Analysis
A Bridegroom of Blood (Exodus 4:24-26)
24 At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death.
25 Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it and said, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me."
26 So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.
Commentary:
In a strange encounter, Zipporah saves Moses from God's wrath by circumcising their son, fulfilling a covenant duty.
The People Believe (Exodus 4:27-31)
27 The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.
28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which he had sent him to speak, and all the signs that he had commanded him to do.
29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel.
30 Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to 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 people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.
Commentary:
Moses and Aaron present God's message and signs to the Israelites, who believe and worship God.
God's Power in Human Weakness
God Equips the Called
This chapter is a masterclass in how God works with, and through, human inadequacy. Moses feels unqualified, but God responds to each excuse not with a replacement, but with empowerment - signs, promises, and a partner. It reveals that God's primary requirement is not pre-existing talent but a willingness to be used.
The Purpose of Signs and Wonders
The miracles in this chapter are not random displays of power. They are purposeful signs meant to authenticate the messenger and build faith in the audience. The staff, the leprosy, and the blood all point to God's authority over the natural world and life itself, validating Moses's claim to speak for the Creator.
The Seriousness of Covenant Obedience
The strange and intense episode with Zipporah and the circumcision highlights a crucial theme. To be a leader of God's covenant people, one must first be a faithful member. This event shows that obedience to God's commands is not optional, especially for those He entrusts with great responsibility.
From Excuses to Obedience
Exodus 4 shows that God meets your feelings of inadequacy with patience and provision. Instead of dismissing your fears, He reminds you that He is the source of all ability, as He told Moses, 'Who has made man's mouth?... Is it not I, the Lord?' (Exodus 4:11). He promises His presence and provides the resources and people you need to succeed.
Your 'staff' is whatever feels ordinary and familiar in your life - your job, your skills, your relationships, your resources. Just as God asked Moses, 'What is that in your hand?' (Exodus 4:2), He asks you to surrender the common things you possess. In His hands, your ordinary abilities can become instruments for His extraordinary work.
The shocking event where God confronts Moses (Exodus 4:24-26) teaches that your private faithfulness is the foundation for your public effectiveness. Before Moses could call a nation to covenant obedience, he had to be obedient in his own household. It reminds you that your integrity and personal walk with God are not separate from the mission He has for you. They are essential to it.
God's Power for His Purpose
Exodus 4 powerfully illustrates that God's call on a person's life is accompanied by His divine provision. He does not choose people based on their strength or eloquence, but on their availability to be used by Him. The chapter's message is that human weakness is the perfect canvas for displaying divine strength. God patiently meets every fear and excuse with a demonstration of His sovereign power, inviting us to trust His ability more than we doubt our own.
What This Means for Us Today
The story of Moses is an invitation to lay down our excuses. God is fully aware of our limitations, yet He calls us anyway, promising His presence and His power. Exodus 4 challenges us to look at what is in our hands and trust that, when surrendered to God, it is more than enough to accomplish His will.
- What excuse are you currently offering God for not stepping into something He may be calling you to do?
- Who is an 'Aaron' in your life that God has provided to help and encourage you?
- What ordinary 'staff' in your life can you surrender to God for His extraordinary purposes?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
Connections Across Scripture
The prophet Jeremiah also expresses feelings of inadequacy when called by God, saying he is too young and cannot speak.
Gideon, called to deliver Israel, objects based on his family's low status, and God reassures him with the promise, 'But I will be with you.'
The Apostle Paul echoes the theme of this chapter, explaining that God's power is made perfect in weakness.
Glossary
Discussion Questions
- Moses gave God a list of excuses for why he couldn't lead Israel. Which of his fears - rejection, inadequacy, or lack of skill - do you most relate to in your own life?
- God's anger was kindled at Moses's final objection in verse 14, yet He still provided Aaron as a helper. What does this mix of anger and grace teach us about God's character?
- The signs God gave Moses (staff to snake, leprosy, water to blood) were meant to build the Israelites' faith. In what ways have you seen God provide confirmation or signs to strengthen your own faith during a difficult time?
Glossary
places
Midian
A region in the northwestern Arabian Peninsula where Moses lived as a shepherd for 40 years after fleeing Egypt.
Egypt
The powerful ancient kingdom where the Israelites were enslaved and from which Moses was called to deliver them.
Mountain of God
Also known as Mount Horeb or Mount Sinai, this is the location where God first appeared to Moses in the burning bush.
figures
Moses
An Israelite raised in Pharaoh's court who was called by God to lead His people out of slavery in Egypt.
Aaron
Moses's older brother from the tribe of Levi, appointed by God to be Moses's spokesman.
Zipporah
The wife of Moses and daughter of Jethro, who saved Moses's life by circumcising their son.
Jethro
A priest of Midian and Moses's father-in-law, who gave Moses his blessing to return to Egypt.