Exodus-Chap-4-1-31
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Please Note: Some alterations
or (additions) have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, having been corrected like it once was pre the “Masoretic Text”.
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Remember
the following truth from our beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which
I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM
IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which
I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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With
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction:
Exodus Chapter 4 is a study in human resistance to a Divine calling. While Chapter 3 was about the revelation of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s (God’s) Name, Chapter 4 focuses on the “equipment” of the messenger. Moses moves from intellectual questioning to personal doubt, leading to the appointment of Aaron as his spokesman. It is a chapter of transition from the quiet of the wilderness back to the intense political and spiritual theatre of Egypt.
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Below we have the Text of Exodus Chapter 4, verses 1 to 31: (JPS-1917 version of the Torah), there is also a excellent ‘Explanation’ of verses.
Verse 1: “And Moses answered and said: ‘But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say: יְהוָה - the LORD hath not appeared unto thee’.
Explanation: Moses anticipates a crisis of credibility. He knows that without a tangible sign, his words will be dismissed as a desert hallucination.
Verse 2: And יְהוָה - the LORD said unto him: ‘What is that in thy
hand?’ And he said: ‘A rod’.
Verse 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.
Explanation: The “rod” represents Moses’ vocation as a shepherd. By turning it into a serpent a symbol of Egyptian sovereignty אֱלֹהִים - Elohim shows that He has power over the very symbols of Pharaoh’s occult authority.
Verse 4: And יְהוָה - the LORD 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.
Verse 5: ‘that they may believe that יְהוָה - the LORD, the אֱלֹהִים - Elohim of their
fathers, the אֱלֹהִים - Elohim of Abraham, the
אֱלֹהִים - Elohim of Isaac, and
the אֱלֹהִים - Elohim of Jacob, hath
appeared unto thee.’
Explanation: Picking up a serpent by the tail is a dangerous act of trust. The restoration of the rod proves that the supernatural power is under Divine control, intended to authenticate the messenger.
Verse 6: And יְהוָה - the LORD 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.
Verse 7: And He said: ‘Put thy hand back into thy bosom.’ And he
put his hand back into his bosom; and when he took it out of his bosom, behold,
it was turned again as his other flesh.
Explanation: This sign demonstrates power over the human body and disease. It signifies that the אֱלֹהִים - Elohim who can strike can also heal, an essential theme for the coming plagues.
Verse 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.
Verse 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’.
Explanation: The third sign is a direct strike at the Nile, the lifeblood
of
Verse 10: And Moses said unto יְהוָה - the LORD: ‘Oh יְהוָה - LORD, I am not a man of words, neither heretofore, nor since Thou hast spoken unto Thy servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue’.
Explanation: Moses focuses on his physical limitations. He believes that the leader of a liberation movement must be an orator, but אֱלֹהִים - Elohim values obedience over eloquence.
Verse 11: And יְהוָה - the LORD 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 יְהוָה - the LORD?
Verse 12: Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach
thee what thou shalt speak’.
Explanation: אֱלֹהִים - Elohim reminds Moses of the Creator's sovereignty. The source of the message provides the ability to deliver it.
Verse 13: And he said: ‘Oh יְהוָה - LORD, send, I pray Thee, by the hand of him whom Thou wilt send’.
Explanation: This is Moses’ final refusal. He is essentially asking אֱלֹהִים - Elohim to find someone else.
Verse 14: And the anger of יְהוָה - the LORD 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.
Explanation: אֱלֹהִים - Elohim yields to Moses' weakness by providing a partner. The anger here reflects the missed opportunity for Moses to rely solely on Divine strength, yet אֱלֹהִים - Elohim remains committed to the mission.
Verse 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.
Verse 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
in אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s stead.
Explanation: A hierarchy of revelation is established: אֱלֹהִים - Elohim speaks to Moses, Moses speaks to Aaron, and Aaron speaks to the people.
Verse 17: And thou shalt take this rod in thy hand, wherewith thou shalt do the signs.’
Explanation: The rod is no longer just a shepherd’s tool; it is now “the rod of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim”, the physical instrument of the Exodus.
Verse 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
Explanation: Moses shows respect for his family obligations, seeking a formal release from his duties in Midian.
Verse 19: And יְהוָה - the LORD said unto Moses in Midian: ‘Go, return into
Explanation: The political threat from Moses’ youth has passed; the path is clear for his return.
Verse 20: And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an
ass, and he returned to the
Verse 21: And יְהוָה - the LORD 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.
Explanation: אֱלֹהִים - Elohim forewarns
Moses that Pharaoh’s stubbornness is part of the Divine plan to demonstrate
ultimate power over the gods of
Verse 22: And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh: Thus saith יְהוָה - the LORD: Israel is My son, My first-born;
Verse 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’.
Explanation: This defines the relationship:
Verse 24: And it came to pass on the way at the lodging-place, that יְהוָה - the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.
Verse 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’.
Verse 26: So He let him alone. Then she said: ‘A bridegroom of blood’,
in regard of the circumcision.
Explanation: An enigmatic moment. It serves as a reminder that those who represent the Covenant must themselves be in covenant. Zipporah’s quick action saves Moses’ life.
Verse 27: And יְהוָה - the LORD said to Aaron: ‘Go into the
wilderness to meet Moses’. And he went, and met him in the mountain of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, and kissed him.
Verse 28: And Moses told Aaron all the words of יְהוָה - the LORD wherewith He had sent him, and all
the signs wherewith He had charged him.
Explanation: The reunion of the brothers at Horeb solidifies the partnership.
Verse 29: And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the
elders of the children of
Verse 30: and Aaron spoke all the words which יְהוָה - the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the
signs in the sight of the people.
Verse 31: And the people believed; and when they heard that יְהוָה - the LORD had remembered the children of
Explanation: The chapter ends with success. The people’s response belief and worship proves that אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s plan was effective, despite Moses’ initial doubts.
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My Concluding Message:
Exodus 4 teaches us that our “rod” the common tools and talents we already possess becomes extraordinary when yielded to אֱלֹהִים - Elohim. Moses’ struggle reminds us that אֱלֹהִים - Elohim does not call the equipped; He equips the called. The chapter begins with a fearful shepherd and ends with a nation bowing in hope, proving that a single act of obedience can ignite the faith of an entire people.
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