God Gives Moses Three Signs
Study note
Moses worried that the Israelites would not believe God had appeared to him. So God gave Moses three miraculous signs: a staff that turned into a snake and back again, a hand that became diseased with leprosy and was healed instantly, and the ability to turn water from the Nile into blood. These signs were meant to convince both the Israelites and the Egyptians that Moses truly spoke for God.
1 Moses raised another concern: "What if they refuse to believe me? What if they will not listen? What if they say, 'The Lord never appeared to you'?" 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 The Lord asked, "What are you holding in your hand?" "My shepherd's staff," Moses answered. And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
3 "Throw it down on the ground," God told him. When Moses dropped it, the staff instantly became a live snake! Moses scrambled away from it. 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 The Lord said, "Now reach down and grab its tail." Moses did, and the moment he took hold of it, the snake turned back into a staff in his hand. 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 God explained why. "The people will then believe. The Lord, the God of their fathers, truly did appear to you. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." 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 The Lord gave another instruction: "Slide your hand inside your robe." Moses did it. When he pulled his hand back out, it was covered with a horrible skin disease — white as snow. 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 "Now put your hand back inside your robe," God said. Moses did, and when he pulled it out this time, it was completely healthy again — back to normal. 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 God told him, "If they are not convinced by the first miracle, the second one may win them over." 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 "But if they still refuse to believe after seeing both miracles, scoop up some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water will turn into blood right before their eyes." 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.
Moses Makes More Excuses
Study note
Even after seeing the signs, Moses kept making excuses. He said he was not a good speaker and was slow with words. God reminded Moses that He is the one who gives people the ability to speak, hear, and see. Still, Moses begged God to send someone else. This made God angry, but He appointed Aaron, Moses' older brother, to be his spokesman. Moses would tell Aaron what God said, and Aaron would speak to the people.
10 Moses still resisted: "Please, Lord, I am just not good at speaking. That was true before you called me, and it is still true now. Words do not come easily for me, and my tongue gets all tangled up." 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 The Lord answered, "Who do you think created the human mouth? Who decides whether someone can speak, or is deaf, or can see, or is blind? Is it not me, the Lord?" 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 "So go! I will give you the right words and show you exactly what to say." Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
13 But Moses begged, "Lord, please — send somebody else." And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.
14 At that, the Lord became angry with Moses. He said, "You have a brother — Aaron the Levite. I know he speaks very well. As a matter of fact, he is already traveling to meet you, and he will be thrilled to see you." 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 "Here is the plan: you will speak to Aaron and put the words in his mouth. I will guide both of you in what to say, and I will show you both what to do." 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 "Aaron will be your spokesperson to the people. He will speak on your behalf, while you will direct him as if you were God giving him the message." 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 do not forget to bring that staff with you. You will use it to perform the miraculous signs." And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.
Moses Returns to Egypt
Study note
Moses went back to Jethro and asked permission to return to Egypt. God told Moses it was safe because the men who had wanted to kill him were now dead. As Moses traveled back, God warned him that Pharaoh's heart would be hardened and he would refuse to let Israel go. God told Moses to declare to Pharaoh that Israel was God's firstborn son, and that if Pharaoh refused to let them go, God would take the life of Pharaoh's own firstborn. This was a preview of the final plague.
18 Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said, "Please allow me to return to my relatives in Egypt. I want to find out if any of them are still alive." Jethro replied, "Go, and may things go well for you." 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 Before Moses left Midian, the Lord had told him, "It is safe to go back to Egypt now. Everyone who wanted to kill you has died." And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.
20 So Moses put his wife and sons on a donkey and set off for Egypt. He took the staff of God with him. 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 to Moses, When you go to return into Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in your hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. 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 "When that happens, say this to Pharaoh: 'The Lord says: Israel is like my firstborn child.'" And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
23 "'I demanded that you release my child so he could worship me, but you said no. So now I am going to take the life of your firstborn son.'" 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.
Zipporah Circumcises Her Son
Study note
On the way to Egypt, a strange and frightening event happened. God confronted Moses, apparently because Moses had not circumcised his son as God's covenant with Abraham required. Zipporah quickly performed the circumcision with a sharp stone and touched Moses' feet with the skin, calling him a 'bridegroom of blood.' After this, God let Moses go. This event showed how serious God was about His covenant.
24 Along the way, at a place where they stopped for the night, the Lord confronted Moses and was ready to kill him. And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.
25 Zipporah acted fast. She grabbed a sharp flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin, and touched it to Moses' feet. She declared, "You are a bridegroom of blood to me!" 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 After that, the Lord let Moses go. Zipporah had called him a "bridegroom of blood" because of the circumcision. So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.
Moses and Aaron Meet the Israelites
Study note
God sent Aaron out into the wilderness to meet Moses. When they met, Moses told Aaron everything God had said. Together they went to Egypt and gathered all the elders of the Israelites. Aaron told the people everything God had said and performed the miraculous signs. The people believed and were filled with joy that God had finally seen their suffering. They bowed down and worshipped.
27 Meanwhile, the Lord had spoken to Aaron: "Go into the wilderness to meet your brother Moses." So Aaron traveled out and found Moses at the mountain of God. He greeted him with a kiss. 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 Moses told Aaron all the words the Lord had spoken. He also told him all the amazing signs God wanted him to do. And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him.
29 Moses and Aaron went to Egypt together. They called a meeting of all the Israelite leaders. And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:
30 Aaron repeated everything the Lord had said to Moses. Then he performed the miraculous signs so the people could see them with their own eyes. And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.
31 The people believed the message. When they learned that the Lord had noticed their suffering and cared deeply about them, they bowed low and worshiped him. 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.