"NOW GO; I WILL HELP YOU"
Key verse: 12
NIV
Signs for Moses
4 Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen(A) to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”
2 Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”
“A staff,”(B) he replied.
3 The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.”
Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake,(C) and he ran from it. 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. 5 “This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe(D) 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 Then the Lord said, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous[a]—it had become as white as snow.(E)
7 “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,(F) like the rest of his flesh.
8 Then the Lord said, “If they do not believe(G) you or pay attention to the first sign,(H) they may believe the second. 9 But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood(I) on the ground.”
10 Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, 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.”(J)
11 The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute?(K) Who gives them sight or makes them blind?(L) Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go;(M) I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”(N)
13 But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”(O)
14 Then the Lord’s anger burned(P) against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet(Q) you, and he will be glad to see you. 15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth;(R) I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth(S) and as if you were God to him.(T) 17 But take this staff(U) in your hand(V) so you can perform the signs(W) with it.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 4:6 The Hebrew word for leprous was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
Cross references
- Exodus 4:1 : S Ex 3:18
- Exodus 4:2 : ver 17, 20; Ge 38:18; Ex 7:19; 8:5, 16; 14:16, 21; 17:5-6, 9; Nu 17:2; 20:8; Jos 8:18; Jdg 6:21; 1Sa 14:27; 2Ki 4:29
- Exodus 4:3 : Ex 7:8-12, 15
- Exodus 4:5 : ver 31; S Ex 3:6; 14:31; 19:9
- Exodus 4:6 : Lev 13:2, 11; Nu 12:10; Dt 24:9; 2Ki 5:1, 27; 2Ch 26:21
- Exodus 4:7 : 2Ki 5:14; Mt 8:3; Lk 17:12-14
- Exodus 4:8 : S Ex 3:18
- Exodus 4:8 : ver 30; Jdg 6:17; 1Ki 13:3; Isa 7:14; Jer 44:29
- Exodus 4:9 : Ex 7:17-21
- Exodus 4:10 : S Ex 3:11
- Exodus 4:11 : Lk 1:20, 64
- Exodus 4:11 : Ps 94:9; 146:8; Mt 11:5; Jn 10:21
- Exodus 4:12 : S Ex 3:10
- Exodus 4:12 : ver 15-16; Nu 23:5; Dt 18:15, 18; Isa 50:4; 51:16; Jer 1:9; Mt 10:19-20; Mk 13:11; S Lk 12:12
- Exodus 4:13 : Jnh 1:1-3
- Exodus 4:14 : Nu 11:1, 10, 33; 12:9; 16:15; 22:22; 24:10; 32:13; Dt 7:25; Jos 7:1; Job 17:8
- Exodus 4:14 : ver 27; 1Sa 10:2-5
- Exodus 4:15 : ver 30; Nu 23:5, 12, 16; Dt 18:18; Jos 1:8; Isa 51:16; 59:21; Jer 1:9; 31:33
- Exodus 4:16 : Ex 7:1-2; Jer 15:19; 36:6
- Exodus 4:16 : Nu 33:1; Ps 77:20; 105:26; Mic 6:4
- Exodus 4:17 : S ver 2
- Exodus 4:17 : ver 20; Ex 17:9
- Exodus 4:17 : Ex 7:9-21; 8:5, 16; 9:22; 10:12-15, 21-23; 14:15-18, 26; Nu 14:11; Dt 4:34; Ps 74:9; 78:43; 105:27
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
Moses Given Powerful Signs
4 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)“A staff.” 3 And 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 (B)believe that the Lord, (C)the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” 6 Again, the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.”[a] And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was (D)leprous[b] like snow. 7 Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, (E)it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8 “If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. 9 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 (F)will become blood on the dry ground.”
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 (G)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 (H)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, (I)he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 (J)You shall speak to him and (K)put the words in his mouth, and (L)I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. 16 (M)He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and (N)you shall be as God to him. 17 And take in your hand (O)this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Exodus 4:6 Hebrew into your bosom; also verse 7
- Exodus 4:6 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
Cross references
- Exodus 4:2 : ver. 17, 20
- Exodus 4:5 : ch. 19:9
- Exodus 4:5 : See ch. 3:6
- Exodus 4:6 : Num. 12:10; 2 Kgs. 5:27
- Exodus 4:7 : [2 Kgs. 5:14]
- Exodus 4:9 : ch. 7:19
- Exodus 4:10 : [ch. 6:12; Jer. 1:6]
- Exodus 4:12 : [ch. 3:12; Isa. 50:4; Jer. 1:9; Ezek. 33:22; Matt. 10:19, 20; Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11, 12; 21:15]
- Exodus 4:14 : ver. 27
- Exodus 4:15 : ch. 7:1, 2
- Exodus 4:15 : Num. 22:38; 23:5, 12, 16; Deut. 18:18; 2 Sam. 14:3, 19; Isa. 51:16
- Exodus 4:15 : [See ver. 12 above]; [ch. 3:12; Isa. 50:4; Jer. 1:9; Ezek. 33:22; Matt. 10:19, 20; Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11, 12; 21:15]
- Exodus 4:16 : ver. 30
- Exodus 4:16 : [ch. 7:1; 18:19]
- Exodus 4:17 : ver. 2; ch. 7:15
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. '... so they may believe...' (1-9)
Moses had tried to deliver his people, but they had rejected him and his methods. Why would they believe and listen to him now? God gave Moses three signs so the people may believe that the God of their fathers had appeared to Moses: the staff into a snake, the inflicting and healing of leprosy on Moses' hand, and turning the water of the Nile into blood. Such signs revealed clearly the hand of God was with Moses, and with his people Israel.
2. 'Is it not I, the LORD?' (1
-17)
God's signs were convincing. Yet Moses was fixated on his lack of eloquence (1
), which made him doubt anyone would believe him (1). The people's rejection and his failure seemed to have left a wound, and made it difficult for him to listen to God. God again tried to turn Moses' attention to God himself, first through questions pointing to God's sovereignty as Creator, and next a promise to go, trusting God would be with him. But Moses didn't trust God. Although God's promise to be with Moses should've been enough, Aaron's support and the staff were necessary to help Moses grow in confidence as God's servant.
Prayer: Father, thank you for your patience with my wounds and failures. Help me grow in trusting you.
One Word: Trust in God's help
