Moving forward with Chapter 4

We are back in Chapter 4 of Exodus starting with v. 14 “Then the Lord’s anger burned 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 you, and he will be glad to see you. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. He will speak to the people for you and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. But take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it.”

• Side point: Because Moses was not confident enough (in himself or in the power that God was going to give him) with God’s best (himself) he had to take God’s second best, which was having Aaron as a spoke’s person and sadly that did not turn out well for Moses as we will see later when he leaves Aaron in charge and they all start worshiping a cow (seriously a golden one which doesn’t make matters any better).

• Also side point: The Lord’s anger burned against Moses: I don’t know about any of you but yo check this I don’t want the Lord’s anger to EVER burn against me. That scared me. I was like what does that mean? How scary was that for poor Moses to have the Lord’s anger burn against you? God is still saying you are going to have to talk but to Aaron and now I have to teach both of you what to do and say.

Whatever the anger was it proved to Moses not to give any more excuses and to just return to Egypt. So he does he packs up his wife and kids ask his father-in-law Jethro to go and off he heads. The Lord reassures him all those who want you dead are dead themselves (v. 19) And he starts the journey with the staff of God

• Side point: The Lord uses ordinary objects to do extraordinary things so that it can be plainly seen that the power of the object came from the Lord. – I read this and was like same can be said about people after all à Those excuses Moses advanced to the Lord to show his incapacity were the very reasons for God’s selection of him for the task… let that sink in

• The same excuses you present to God on why you are not worthy, not equip, not good enough, not prepared, not ready to do your calling are the very same reasons GOD picked YOU for the task at hand.

God goes on to give extra instructions to Moses and reminds him that He will harden Pharaoh’s heart (v. 21) now I believe that Pharaoh’s heart was already harden and God allowed it to stay that way, but it is clear as day written right here that God will harden it so we shall move on. Because these are important instructions to Moses and involve firstborn sons

“This is what the Lord says: Israel is my first born son, and I told you, “Let my son go, so that he may worship me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.” – ah foreshadowing got to love it don’t you.  Also when the Lord wants results He does not play around.

Now v.24 gets interesting because we see a spot where before Moses can go forth and become the great Moses that he is he had to be humbled YET AGAIN and learn obedience YET AGAIN. 

v. 24-26 “At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses (scary thought) and was about to kill him (oh my it just got worse). But Zipporah (Moses’ wife in case you were not aware) took a flint knife, cut of her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me, “(At that time she said bride-groom of blood.” Referring to circumcision) she said. So the Lord let him alone.”

If you recall which you may or may not it was a sign of the covenant made with Abraham in Genesis 17:9-14 every mail had to be circumcised within 8 days of being born or brought into the household in order to be part of the covenant. Apparently Moses had not done it with his son. Obedience is key when one is doing the calling of the Lord. It is also growth and that involves growing pains. Thankfully every time I have growing pains it has not gotten quite to the point of the Lord about to kill me as far as I know. And if it has I don't want to know let's be honest. 

Once that little piece of the puzzle was taken care of the Lord moved on to Aaron and had him go forth to meet Moses on the mountain of God. That place just sounds wonderful. Like let's go meet on the mountain of God. Great things surely happen on the mountain of God no? Like the bush that doesn't burn happens on the mountain of God where God appears? See great things happen there. Anyway Aaron and Moses meet there and they talked and Moses told Aaron everything that had happened. What was to come and the signs he was commanded to do.

From there they headed into Egypt and v. 29-31 “brought the elders of the Israelites together. Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses, He also performed the signs before the people, and they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery they bowed down and worshiped.”

That last verse gets me every time, “And when they heard that he Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery they bowed down and worshiped.” Sometimes all I need to know is that He is hearing me and that He is concerned about what I am going through. Yes I know we will get through it. Yes I know that He has me. But dang yo sometimes I just want to know that he is concerned. That’s all it takes. I love that they bowed down and worshiped Him. Should they have been doing this all along? Yes but, when it feels like silence for so long sometimes you go through the motions. Does it make it right? No. But, when you hear that God really does care and He was concerned enough to bring Moses and Aaron to you to help man how amazing that must have felt to them? He cared enough to do all this wow. 

Add to that they BOWED down and worshiped! When honestly was the last time you got off your butt on the church pew and BOWED DOWN on the grown face first to worship the LORD? Praising Him for all that He has and will do for you? Thanking Him for picking you? Thanking Him for loving you? Worshiping Him for just being Him? Man almighty I feel that it is time for me and as soon as this goes live I plan to have a bowing down worship session myself!!

What was your favorite part of Chapter 4? Next week we are getting into Chapter 5 and Bricks without Straw!