 Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lorddid not appear to you.’ ” 2 The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “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 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 Again, the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous 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, 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 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 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.” Moses Returns to Egypt 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 And 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.’ ” 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. 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 Lordhad visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped. Meditation God’s grace is sufficient, and His power is made perfect in our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9). God uses surprising people and unanticipated things for His purposes of rescue and redemptive restoration. God used Moses and a stick. God desires to use you, too. Moses was a murderer who fled to Midian, after 40 years called by God to lead His people out of slavery from Egypt. The process of God’s call comes to climax in our passage: Moses making excuses to decline God’s call a third (1-9), fourth (10-11), and fifth time (12-17)! God responds in mercy, promising signs, speech, and His steadfast presence. Moses responds with trust, moved to deliver God’s message of deliverance (17-31) with only “the staff of God in his hand” (20). Moses sought to disqualify Himself from God’s service by focusing on his shortcomings, circumstances, and slow speech. God patiently prescribed Moses what he would need, strengthening him in partnership with Aaron (11-17) and promising to take an ordinary stick to do extra-ordinary things (like implement multiple plagues). God uses what is weak to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:25-27). God’s sufficient grace is revealed in people and props He provides for His purposes! The journey of Moses’ leadership would be difficult (21-22). Obedience would lead to blessing (24-31). The God who made Moses’ mouth also gave Moses a stick, promising to display His faithfulness, the sufficiency of grace to make His power perfect in weaknesses. God desires to use you, too. And He will provide what you need to accomplish what He is calling you to do. Richly Dwelling -What stands out to you in today’s reading, especially the excuses of Moses, God’s merciful engagement, and God’s provision? -What excuses do you give to God to avoid what He is calling you to do? -How do the promises of God (all made “Yes!” in Jesus) provide the strength you need to do the work God has called you to do? How do His promises and provision demonstrate the sufficiency of His grace? Key Verse 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.
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