What Exodus 4:20 really means: Faith Takes the First Step

Moses Begins His Journey Back to Egypt

After God called Moses from the burning bush and gave him the mission to free His people, Moses now takes the first real step toward Egypt.

He gathers his wife and sons, puts them on a donkey, and takes the staff God instructed him to use - once a shepherd’s tool, the staff now symbolizes God’s power to act and lead. Every detail shows Moses is moving forward, not as a fugitive, but as God’s chosen leader.

This quiet moment of obedience sets the stage for the mighty acts that will soon unfold in Egypt.

The Donkey, the Family, and the Staff: Signs of a Leader’s Obedience

Moses’ simple act of loading his family onto a donkey and taking the staff of God carries deep cultural and spiritual meaning, showing both his practical obedience and his growing trust in God’s mission.

In that time, traveling with one’s family on a donkey was normal for a man of modest means - donkeys were a sign of humble service, not royal power, which makes it all the more fitting that God would use such ordinary things to carry His purposes. The staff, once a shepherd’s tool, is now called ‘the staff of God’ (Exodus 4:20), showing how God can sanctify what we already have when we use it for His service. This same idea echoes later in Scripture when God chooses the weak things of the world to shame the strong - like when Paul says, ‘But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us’ (2 Corinthians 4:7).

These everyday details - family, a donkey, a staff - are background noise, showing that God works through real life, not dramatic moments, preparing us for the upcoming confrontation with Pharaoh and the full display of God’s power.

Obedience and Trust in God’s Provision

Moses’ simple act of taking his family and the staff shows that following God often begins with trusting Him in the everyday details.

He didn’t wait for a grand entrance or perfect conditions - he obeyed with what he had, as God asked. This reflects the heart of faith: not having all the answers, but relying on God’s power rather than our own strength, much like when Paul writes, 'But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us' (2 Corinthians 4:7).

This quiet step of obedience sets the stage for the dramatic ways God will soon act in Egypt, reminding us that faithfulness in small things prepares us for greater ones.

The Staff of God and the Coming King: A Glimpse of Christ’s Authority

Moses carried the staff of God to bring deliverance and judgment in Egypt; later, the Bible reveals that Jesus holds ultimate authority to rule and save, described in Revelation 19:15 as wielding a 'rod of iron' to govern the nations.

This 'rod' echoes the staff Moses carried, but where Moses was only a servant with a borrowed sign of God’s power, Jesus is the Son who possesses divine authority in Himself. The same God who acted through a simple shepherd’s staff now acts through His Son, who fulfills all that the staff pointed to: rescue from slavery, victory over evil, and the establishment of God’s kingdom.

When we see Moses taking up the staff and stepping forward in faith, we glimpse the greater Leader - Jesus, the true Deliverer who does not merely carry God’s power but is God’s power in human form.

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