Daily Scripture Reading Exodus 4:10-28

God calls different people to different lots in life. Sometimes God causes people to feel compelled to go here or there, or do certain things. Missionaries fell called by God to go to the mission field.

Sometimes, people know they are called, but they say no to God. Moses said no to God. Yahweh’s response is a warning to us about the consequences of saying no to God.

Yahweh told Moses to go back to Egypt and lead the Israelites out of slavery, but Moses resisted the order.

First, Moses claimed he was a nobody and not qualified to approach Pharaoh even though he had grown up as the grandson of Pharaoh. Yahweh assured Moses He would be with him.

Second, Moses asked what name he should use when the Israelites requested the name of the God who sent Moses. Yahweh told him to use the name “Yahweh”.

Third, Moses asked what to do if the Egyptians and Israelites did not believe him. Yahweh gave Moses the ability to perform miracles in order to prove he was sent by Yahweh.

Ex. 4:10 ¶ Then Moses said to Yahweh, “Please, Lord, I have never been a man of words, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your slave; for I am one with a hard mouth and a hard tongue.”

The fourth objection used by Moses to avoid his assignment was to claim he was not a good speaker.

Ex. 4:11 And Yahweh said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh?

Ex. 4:12 So now, go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth and will instruct you what you shall speak.”

Ex. 4:13 But he said, “Please, Lord, send now the message by whomever You will.”

At this point Moses did not come up with a fifth objection, he simply attempted to refuse the mission.

Ex. 4:14 Then the anger of Yahweh burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he can certainly speak. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you. And he will see you and be glad in his heart.

Notice the words “anger” and “burned”. Up to this point, Moses had some legitimate questions about his mission. It was logical to ask who was sending him and how to prove he was sent. However, refusing an order from God was not an acceptable response. God was rightly angry that Moses refused his assignment.

The Bible gives humans a lot of orders and guidance about how we should live life. If we refuse to obey God, we are essentially doing what Moses did. We are saying no to God. When we say no, does God’s anger burn against us.

Sometimes God compels people to speak the truth. If a person feels compelled to speak the truth, but refuses to do so because he is afraid of what people might think, he is essentially doing what Moses did.

Ex. 4:15 And you are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will instruct you in what you shall do.

Look at the phrase “put the words in his mouth”. Aaron was going to speak on behalf of Moses. This is a picture of how the prophets served God.

Moses had a message from Yahweh. Moses was instructed to tell Aaron what to say, and then Aaron would go to Pharaoh and do the actual speaking.

When God called prophets, he gave them a message, and then the prophet went to the people and delivered the message.

Ex. 4:16 Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will become as a mouth for you, and you will become as God to him.

Ex. 4:17 And you shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

Ex. 4:18 ¶ Then Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Please, let me go, that I may return to my brothers who are in Egypt and see if they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”

Moses finally consented to obey Yahweh.

Ex. 4:19 And Yahweh said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.”

Ex. 4:20 So Moses took his wife and his sons and mounted them on a donkey and returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the staff of God in his hand.

Ex. 4:21 ¶ And Yahweh said to Moses, “When you go to return to Egypt, see to it that all the miraculous wonders which I have put in your hand, that you do them before Pharaoh; but as for Me, I will harden his heart with strength so that he will not let the people go.

Ex. 4:22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Israel is My son, My firstborn.

Ex. 4:23 So I said to you, ‘Let My son go that he may serve Me’; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.”’”

Ex. 4:24 ¶ Now it happened at the lodging place on the way that Yahweh encountered him and sought to put him to death.

Notice the word “death”. This was not a minor issue.

Ex. 4:25 Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched his feet with it, and she said, “You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me!”

Ex. 4:26 So He let him alone. At that time she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood” with reference to the circumcision.

Circumcision was a sign of the covenant between Yahweh and Abraham (see Gen. 17:10). The son of Moses was a descendant of Abraham and should have been circumcised. The Bible does not tell us when the son of Moses was born. Perhaps he was still an infant. Perhaps Moses had simply been lax in obeying God since Moses was no longer living among Israelites. Regardless, Yahweh did not allow Moses to return to his people with a son who was not circumcised.

Ex. 4:27 ¶ Then Yahweh said to Aaron, “Go to meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and encountered him at the mountain of God and kissed him.

Ex. 4:28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of Yahweh with which He had sent him, and all the signs that He had commanded him to do.

Sometimes God compels people to speak the truth. If a person feels compelled to speak the truth, but refuses to do so because he is afraid of what people might think, he is essentially doing what Moses did. He is saying no to God.

Some people feel called by God to ministry or to the mission field. If they say no to their call, they are essentially saying no to God, just as Moses tried to say no to God.

Since Yahweh got angry when Moses refused to obey, we should be aware that saying no to God may cause Him to become angry at us.

Did you ever say no to God?

How are you saying no to God right now?

Is it possible God is just as angry with you as He was with Moses?

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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”