Journal Through the Bible: Week 12 Wednesday

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Exodus chapter 4 

Does God make any promises in this chapter?

• God stated that the signs He gave Moses (rod-to-serpent and leprous hand) were examples of the kind of signs he would use to convince the Children of Israel that God had really spoken to Moses about leading them out of Egypt.
• God promised to be with Moses and give him the proper words to speak. He would not let Moses quit the job before getting started!

Are there any references to Jesus?

• Although not a perfect type of Christ (Jesus was not reluctant), the shepherd Moses was God's chosen man to lead His people out of bondage.
• God tells Moses to return to Egypt because the men were dead who sought to kill him. This is the reverse of his command to Joseph, the guardian of Jesus, when God told Joseph to return to Israel because the men were dead who had sought to kill Jesus.

Are there any references to End Time events or eternity?

Even though they have been redeemed from their sins, the people of God are still enslaved by this sinful world. Just as the Children of Israel receive the word of hope from Moses and Aaron, so do we receive the word of hope from God's messengers that one day we will inhabit a better world where we will no longer be under the influence of sin.

Does God issue any commands?

• God told Moses to throw the rod in his hand onto the ground. It became a snake (evidently a very large, nasty one because Moses fled from it; a shepherd would not be easily scared away by an ordinary snake).
• God told Moses to pick up that snake by the tail.
• God told Moses to put his hand into his breast pocket. When he did the hand became leprous.
• God told Moses to put his hand into his breast pocket again. When he did his hand was healed.
• God told Moses to be prepared to meet his brother, Aaron, who was coming to him and to speak with him about the plans that God had just given Moses.
• God told Moses to keep his shepherd rod with him at all times.
• God told Moses to return to Egypt because the men were dead who had sought to kill him.
• God commands Moses to do all the signs and wonders in the sight of Pharaoh.
• Through the fight on the way to Egypt, God forced Moses to perform the rite of circumcision upon his son. This was the sign of the covenant and by not performing it Moses was being disobedient and was forcing God to cut him off from the covenant.