Exodus 4: Signs for a Reluctant Servant
God answers Moses' objections with signs and a promise, sends Aaron to help him, and the people believe and worship when they hear.
Exodus 4 (WEB)
1 Moses answered, “But, behold, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice; for they will say, ‘Yahweh has not appeared to you.’”
2 Yahweh said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.”
3 He said, “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses ran away from it.
4 Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand, and take it by the tail.” He stretched out his hand, and took hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand.
5 “That they may believe that Yahweh, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”
6 Yahweh said furthermore to him, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” He put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.
7 He said, “Put your hand inside your cloak again.” He put his hand inside his cloak again, and when he took it out of his cloak, behold, it had turned again as his other flesh.
8 “It will happen, if they will neither believe you nor listen to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
9 It will happen, if they will not believe even these two signs, neither listen to your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take out of the river will become blood on the dry land.”
10 Moses said to Yahweh, “O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
11 Yahweh said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, Yahweh?
12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.”
13 He said, “Oh, Lord, please send someone else.”
14 Yahweh’s anger was kindled against Moses, and he said, “What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he comes out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
15 You shall speak to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do.
16 He will be your spokesman to the people; and it will happen, that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as God.
17 You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”
18 Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”
19 Yahweh said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return into Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.”
20 Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. Moses took God’s rod in his hand.
21 Yahweh said to Moses, “When you go back into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go.
22 You shall tell Pharaoh, ‘Thus says Yahweh, Israel is my son, my firstborn,
23 and I have said to you, “Let my son go, that he may serve me”; and you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.’”
24 On the way at a lodging place, Yahweh met Moses and wanted to kill him.
25 Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.”
26 So he let him alone. Then she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.
27 Yahweh said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” He went, and met him on God’s mountain, and kissed him.
28 Moses told Aaron all Yahweh’s words with which he had sent him, and all the signs with which he had instructed him.
29 Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel.
30 Aaron spoke all the words which Yahweh had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.
31 The people believed, and when they heard that Yahweh had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.
Exodus 4 (KJV)
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.
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.
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.
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.
Exodus 4 (ASV)
1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, Jehovah hath not appeared unto thee.
2 And Jehovah said unto him, What is that in thy 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 Jehovah said unto Moses, Put forth thy hand, and take it by the tail: (and he put forth his hand, and laid hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand);
5 that they may believe that Jehovah, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.
6 And Jehovah said furthermore unto him, Put now thy hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.
7 And he said, Put thy hand into thy bosom again. (And he put his hand into his bosom again; and when he took it out of his bosom, 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 even 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.
10 And Moses said unto Jehovah, Oh, Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
11 And Jehovah said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh a man dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? is it not I, Jehovah?
12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt speak.
13 And he said, Oh, Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.
14 And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is there not Aaron thy brother the Levite? 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 the 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 it shall come to pass, that he shall be to thee a mouth, and thou shalt be to him as God.
17 And thou shalt take in thy hand this rod, wherewith thou shalt do the signs.
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 that are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.
19 And Jehovah said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt; for all the men are dead that 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 Jehovah said unto Moses, When thou goest back into Egypt, see that thou do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in thy hand: but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go.
22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith Jehovah, Israel is my son, my first-born:
23 and I have said unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me; and thou hast refused to let him go: behold, I will slay thy son, thy first-born.
24 And it came to pass on the way at the lodging-place, that Jehovah met him, and sought to kill him.
25 Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, Surely a bridegroom of blood art thou to me.
26 So he let him alone. Then she said, A bridegroom of blood art thou, because of the circumcision.
27 And Jehovah said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mountain of God, and kissed him.
28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of Jehovah wherewith he had sent him, and all the signs wherewith he had charged 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 Jehovah had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.
31 And the people believed: and when they heard that Jehovah had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
Summary
Moses keeps objecting that Israel will not believe him, so God gives him three signs: a rod that becomes a snake and returns to a rod, a hand made leprous and then restored, and water from the river that will turn to blood on the ground. When Moses pleads that he is not eloquent but slow of speech, God answers that he is the one who made the mouth and will be with Moses' mouth to teach him what to say. Still Moses begs God to send someone else, and the Lord's anger is kindled, yet he graciously provides Aaron as a spokesman, putting words in Moses' mouth and Moses' words in Aaron's. Moses takes leave of Jethro, and God assures him that those who sought his life are dead. On the way, the Lord tells Moses to declare that Israel is his firstborn son and to warn Pharaoh that God will kill Pharaoh's firstborn if he refuses to let Israel go. A startling night encounter at a lodging place, where Zipporah circumcises their son, underscores the seriousness of covenant obedience. Aaron meets Moses at the mountain of God, and together they gather the elders, perform the signs, and speak God's words, so that the people believe and bow their heads and worship when they hear that God has seen their affliction.
Main Characters
- Moses — The hesitant servant who raises objection after objection, receives signs and a promise, and is finally equipped and sent with Aaron's help.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who patiently answers Moses' doubts with signs and assurance, yet whose anger is kindled at persistent reluctance, providing Aaron in grace.
- Aaron — Moses' brother, the eloquent Levite appointed as spokesman, who meets Moses, relays God's words, and performs the signs before the people.
- Zipporah — Moses' wife, who at a lodging place circumcises their son, taking decisive action when the Lord confronts them on the journey.
Key Verse
Exodus 4:12 (WEB)
Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.”
Lessons Learned
- God patiently equips those he calls, giving both signs and his own presence.
- Our excuses often question God's wisdom; he made us as we are for the work he assigns.
- God may provide help, like Aaron, when we resist, but it is better simply to trust and obey.
- God takes covenant obligations seriously, even for the one he is sending to deliver.
- God answers doubt with evidence and presence. He gives Moses signs and promises, “I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak” (Exodus 4:12, WEB). His call comes with his enabling.
- The Maker of our mouths can use our weakness. “Who made man’s mouth?… Isn’t it I, Yahweh?” (Exodus 4:11, WEB). God is not hindered by the limitations he himself allowed.
- Persistent reluctance grieves God. When Moses pleads, “please send someone else,” “Yahweh’s anger was kindled” (Exodus 4:13-14, WEB). God's patience has limits, yet he still provides.
- Israel is God's beloved firstborn. “Thus says Yahweh, Israel is my son, my firstborn” (Exodus 4:22, WEB). God's tender claim on his people frames the coming confrontation with Pharaoh.
- What three signs does God give Moses, and what are they meant to accomplish?
- How does God respond to Moses' complaint that he is not eloquent?
- Why is the Lord's anger kindled, and how does he still show grace through Aaron?
- What do God's words about Israel as his “firstborn” (4:22-23) tell us about how he sees his people?
- Which of Moses' excuses sounds most like the ones you make when God calls you to something hard?
- God gives the rod-to-snake, the leprous hand, and water-to-blood signs (4:2-9) so that Israel will believe Yahweh has truly appeared to Moses. The signs authenticate the messenger and point to God's power over creation, life, and death.
- God reminds Moses that he made the mouth and every faculty, and promises, “I will be with your mouth” (4:11-12). The issue is not Moses' eloquence but his willingness to depend on the God who equips those he sends.
- Moses' final plea, “send someone else,” treats God's promise as insufficient, and God's anger is kindled (4:13-14). Yet in mercy he provides Aaron as spokesman—a help that also reflects the cost of distrust, since dependence on Aaron will later bring trouble.
- Calling Israel “my son, my firstborn” reveals God's deep, fatherly love and his rightful claim on the people (4:22). It also frames the climactic plague: Pharaoh who harms God's firstborn will lose his own.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to identify their go-to excuses—inadequacy, fear, wanting someone else to go. As leader, gently turn the group back to God's promises to equip and accompany those he calls.