Exodus 4

1491 B.C.

(It is important to take note that Moses was placed in the ark, and drawn from the water to be raised in Pharaoh's home. What happened to them is like the ark of these end times. Moses was wrapped in a papyrus to protect him from the river, and creatures in that river. The papyrus was the paper that the word of God was written on by the prophets, just as we must wrap ourselves in the warning of the words written by those ancient prophets. We seal it in our minds to give us protection from Satan, the first christ to arrive at the sixth trumpet. That will be our protection from the creatures, Satan and his fallen angels, and that river or religious order that he will establish world wide.

It is important that you become familiar with our Heavenly Father's letter, this Bible, written to us personally to prepare us for that final hour of temptation. No there is no rapture or method of escape from that for our generation. We will be here in these flesh bodies as Satan is in his role as "the instead of Christ" [Antichrist] doing his many supernatural acts. Satan's lies will deceive the entire world, all that is except the elect, those sealed with the truth in their minds.

It is important that we read Exodus with understanding, knowing the names of those involved, including the sacred name of our Lord, which was given us in the prior chapter. It pleases our Heavenly Father when we use His Sacred name [YHVH] in our prayers to Him. However, all of our prayers are given in the name of Jesus, for He paid the price for our sins for one and all times. When we say, "In Jesus Name" at the close of our prayers, we are acknowledging our faith and belief in Jesus Christ's life, death and resurrection on the cross for our sins personally. Though there are many different languages; YHVH is the Hebrew form, the way God gave it to use here in Exodus, and that is why we use it in addressing Him in our prayers.

Notice that God will tell Moses exactly what he should do, and then the reaction of the Pharaoh in advance of it happening. These are types or examples for us to notice, for they are promises that God keeps His Word and you can rely those promises. Moses is up on mount Horab [Sinai], at the burning bush, and God is speaking to him. Moses had taken Jethro's flock there for feeding, and was interrupted by the bush on fire. God is now going to give Moses instruction for the mission that he will do.)

Exodus 4:1 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.' "

(This is a continuation from the prior chapter, and Moses' response here to God is just as normal as any human could say. If God asked you personally about wanting you to go directly to Satan and witness against him in Jerusalem, after the shock of it all, of course you would have no idea in the world what you would say, or where you would begin. Moses used the excuse that he didn't talk very good, and that he had a problem in his speech. I'm just a country boy, and I don't know how to act. Remember that Satan will be the supernatural ruler of the entire world. The Pharaoh was the ruler of the world system that was in place in Moses day; he thought little of the children of Israel and he did not know Moses. Yet Moses is asked to make demands on Pharaoh to give up the slave labor force that was building his empire.

It doesn't hurt when you question your own abilities when God asks you to do a job for him, just as Moses did. But when God gives you an assignment to do, you will not have trouble fulfilling that job. Why? Because He will give you the gifts you need to get the job done, and He will prepare the way before you ever head out the door to do that job. God controls all things, nations, and peoples, and He knows what the enemy is thinking. Moses is doubting himself and that is as normal as it can be, for we all doubt ourselves at times. You are just like everyone else, but God is expecting to use His elect, normal people to do the job for Him in these end times. Things that happen to you personally are common to everyone. That is life and what we go through living in these flesh bodies.)

2 And the LORD said unto him, "What is that in thine hand?" And he said, "A rod."

(Moses had a shepherd's staff with the crooked end in his hand. Just the normal rod to be used in tending to the sheep. As Moses stood there looking at the shepherd's staff, God told him to throw it on the ground. the lesson here is that Moses is going to cease being the shepherd of sheep, and he is going to become a different type of shepherd, that of leading men and not sheep.)

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.

(Now when that staff hit the ground, it turned into a great big snake. Moses ran from the snake when he saw it there before him. It can be related to another serpent that will be before us in our generation; that serpent will also be cast out of heaven and onto the earth at the sixth trumpet.

Revelation 12:9 And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Many are going to be running when Satan, the serpent, the type of Pharaoh of our day arrives. They will be running to him, and not away. God has given us power over Satan and all his realm, but you must exercise that power and use it. When you obtain that knowledge from the truths of God's Word, and seal it in your mind, it will set you free from the bondage of deception that the entire world will be drug into. Don't worry about those forces that Satan will use, just know that supernatural things are going to happen, and God is allowing it to take place, and that Father has given us protection from them. It seems that all down through the Scriptures, the children of Israel have always tried to lean on Pharaoh for protection, instead of God. That makes God very jealous.)

4 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:

(God told Moses to reach down and pick up that snake by the tail, and Moses trusted the Lord enough that he did as God instructed him. God made that snake appear before his eyes, and initially it was unknown, but when they thought on the matter, Moses knew that God would not allow that snake to strike him. God is teaching Moses and you and I that we just don't need to be afraid of doing the job that God gives us. The word "caught" as used here in the text, means that "it stiffened" back into the staff that it was in the first place.)

5 "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."

(God is going to allow Moses to perform these miracles so that they will believe that God appeared to Moses and selected Moses to do a job for Him. If God does any miracle it is so that you or the people observing that miracle will believe in the Lord.)

6 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.

(First occ. of 9 [the number of judgment] so afflicted: Ex. 4:6. Num. 12:10. 2 Kings 5:1,27; 7:3; 15:5. 2 Chron. 26:20. Matt. 8:2; 26:6. Luke 17:2. 9th case 21 individuals, 21 = 3x7 = Divine perfection X spiritual completeness.

This meant that Moses would have to be isolated from family and friends for the rest of his life. God is showing Moses that this family that he was now living with was over and done with. Moses knew that leprosy was incurable. Remember God is showing us that He is the one that heals, and can make one sick, and is in control over all flesh. In as much as Moses was obeying Him, that flesh was yielding to God's demands. God is molding Moses and shaping his mind into accepting the mission and things that must be done to fulfill the plan of God.)

7 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.

(There was instant disease and instant healing of that disease for the purpose of letting him and us know that God is able to handle the flesh in any manner He wishes. God is in complete control of all forces of this universe, and He can do what ever He chooses to do. He never changes, and He gives his power and protection today just as He did to Moses. This is why our faith in Him and His Word need never waver and be shaken. Friend, you can count on God. God hears you cries as well as your words of love to Him.)

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.

(There is a good reason that they will not believe Moses, and that is because God won't allow them to believe. God will harden the heart of Pharaoh, to where Moses will be allow to perform all of God's miracles, for the sake of the people. There are no short-cuts to God's ways.)

9 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."

(We know that this is a type set forth for these end times, for the two witnesses will be able to do this during the serpent Satan's reign in the hour of temptation. So God has now shown to Moses three of the miracles that he will perform before Pharaoh; The rod turning into a snake and returning to the rod; the flesh becoming diseased, and then healed; and now in this third miracle the water from the river is turned to blood, and then back to water. God chose Moses to do this task for Him, and now God is preparing Moses for the task that has to be done, to fulfill the promise that He gave to Abraham some four hundred years prior.

Moses knew the strength of Egypt, for he was part of the royal family, and he led the army of the Pharaoh. Egypt had the wealth and knowledge of the world, and Pharaoh took orders from no one. Now Moses is planning to go down into Egypt and order that king, to "let the children of Israel go". The more Moses thought of what had to be done, the smaller he became in his own mind. Think of this task that God is asking of His elect now, for Satan will be sitting in Jerusalem, on the very throne that will rule the world, and then God allows the elders of the synagogue of Satan to bring you before him, that he may question you. I'm sure that each of us would start to think of why God could not use us in that situation, just as Moses is starting to think over what God had just told him up their on that mountain, standing before that burning bush.)

10 And Moses said unto the LORD, "O my LORD, I am not eloquent,

(Heb. "not a man of words". Supposed to contradict Acts 7:22, but eloquence is no necessary part of "wisdom". With "all the wisdom of the Egyptians" he had not the wisdom needed for his work. The latter had to be learned at "the backside of the dessert".)

neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue."

(Moses thought over the task that God had given to him, and he is getting cold feet, Moses wants out of the deal. Moses is thinking of excuses why He could not be this man God will use, and he tells God, "I am not a man of words, I stutter, and I speak to slowly." There are times in each of our lives when we do not measure up to what we ought to be.)

11 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?

(God just gave Moses a lesson showing him how He could make a hand leprous, instantly, and how just as fast that hand can heal. I can make people blind or I can heal the blind. Today there are so many cases where the blind have been given sight today, and even in the spiritual sense, God can close minds and spiritual eyes to the truth, or He can lift those blinders and reveal all the truths of His Word with understanding.

There was a point in each of our lives with the word seemed strange to us, but at a point in time, the Holy Spirit open our mind, and took of those blinders and the truth of His Word came alive to us. Many times we must close our flesh eyes to allow our spiritual eyes to open and see the truth. Many times God will not heal an handicapped person, for the sake that their witness becomes so much more powerful, than a person that is whole. That is human nature, God uses each of us in the condition we are in, and gives us the strength and words to witness for Him. God uses you right were you are, and He expects each of us to take the responsibility for job that He has put us into. If God leads you into a place, or duty, then do that job. He will give you what you need to see to it that it is completed.)

12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."

(When God says go, then go. If you head in the wrong direction, God will show you that this is not the way for you. He will not allow you to go to far off, before He steers you back into the right direction. If God leads you, then He will be with your mouth also, and teach you what you ought to say. Remember from Exodus 3:14; God taught us that He will be what He wants to be. " `ehyeh `asher `ehyeh". "I AM THAT I AM"; "I will be what I want to be". We see the sacred name given in this verse; "I will be...[ehyeh]". I will be your mouth, I will be in your mind to lead you, I will bring about exactly what I want to bring about to fulfill My prophecy.)

13 And he said, "O my LORD, send, I pray thee, by the hand of Him Whom Thou wilt send."

(After God just told Moses that He was going to send him to fulfill the job of getting the children of Israel out of Egypt, here comes Moses to say; "Lord, why don't you just send Messiah instead of sending me." Moses is still trying to get out of the job, for he would rather tend to Jethro's sheep that go before the Pharaoh. Now go back and review Mark 13:11 "But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit." If you start thinking about it, your mind is going to get all messed up, for you are thinking in your power, and forgetting God's power and words that will be coming forth. You study the Word, and rest on the fact that God will do exactly what His Word promises us that He will do.

Moses is giving us a prime example here of what not to do, for all he can think of is his own power and limitations, because he took his mind off of what God just told him. As the Lord looked down on Moses, He must be getting pretty angry at this murdering sheep herder, a man without faith. It is alright to tell God those things that bother you, but don't start to argue with God, and telling God that He picked the wrong man.)

14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and He said, "Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother?

(Why this? Was not Moses a Levite? Is it not to indicate that He Whom He should send-v.13-would be of the tribe of Judah?)

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.

(God got pretty mad at Moses for tying to premeditate all the problems and words that he would have to tell the people and Pharaoh. Now God is spelling it out exactly for Moses, that He has His plan, and that plan is well under way. God asks Moses; "Is Aaron the Levite you brother? I know that Aaron can speak very well and I have him on the way to meet you even as we speak. He will be glad to see and be with you, for he is looking forward to this meeting." God had things all worked out, and now in His anger, He is telling Moses this to let him know that things have been worked out.

We are living in a time now, that is important for us to give witness against the false christ. When Satan the dragon arrives to rule, then it is to late, now is the time to prepare. As you prepare for that task, be very careful what you say or do, for God expects you to fulfill the mission He has for you. He expects to find you with faith and willing to witness in that hour.)

15 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.

(Notice here that it isn't Moses speaking here, but God is doing the speaking through Moses' mind, and telling Aaron the words that he is to tell the Pharaoh. It is God's truth that shall be spoken, not Aaron's, nor Moses', nor your words when you are called up before the synagogues of Satan, the kings and rulers of today, for "My sake", to deliver God's message to them. If God has given you a gift, it is not yours to take credit for, because there will come a time when He expects you to use that gift in a manner that He will lead you to. All gifts come from God and they belong to God, they are not yours to claim, you are the vessel that God has chosen for that gift to be used.

This was a direct contact from God to Moses that you will be taught those things that you will be expected to do, so do exactly as you are taught.)

16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people:

(In 7:1 = "your prophet": hence God's prophet is God's spokesman, "the man of God" - Deut. 33:1. Ps. 90 Title, "God's man" who spoke for God. Qualified only by God's Spirit - Num. 11:29, and God's Word - 2 Tim. 3:16-4:4, and by God's making known what is to be spoken - Num. 12:6)

and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.

(God is telling Moses, that because you have angered me, I will use Aaron to be the spokesman before the people, and I will speak to Aaron through your mouth. God has set up His chain of command, and it flows from God, to the mind of Moses, and out the mouth of Aaron. God will use this chain to free the children of Israel from the bondage in Egypt. You also are part of a chain of command in these end times, through the many membered body of Christ. Paul told us of that chain in Romans 12:4 - 9.

Romans 12:4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Just as Moses and Aaron were part of their chain, the body of Christ also is set up in an orderly fashion. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith, Where Moses faith in speech became lacking, Aaron's faith would take hold. Where each of us have our different strengths and weaknesses, God will use other members of the body of Christ to fill that weakness.

God has His plan for our end times, just as He had His plan to free the children of Israel down in Egypt. If you back out of your duty for that moment, another will step in, but you will be the loser because of your lack of faith. It is like a puzzle, and each gift is one of the pieces of that puzzle, as each gift is put in place, the puzzle or plan as a whole will be fulfilled.)

17 And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs."

18-20. Moses' departure from Midian.

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 which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

(Moses came down off the mountain, and returned the flock back to Jethro [the title of "his excellency"], and told him of His desire to return to Egypt. Jethro, or Reuel loved Moses his son in law, and he was all for Moses going back to see his people. Notice that Moses wasted no time in getting himself ready for the trip to Egypt. God was angry with Moses, and He knew it, and willing to please God.)

19 And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, "Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life."

(Not merely Pharaoh, but all the court faction. The counter part to Matt.2:12,20.)

20 And Moses took his wife and his sons (Gershom and Eliezer), and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

(So Moses is on his way back to Egypt to free His people with his army, that being God, himself, his wife, his two sons, the ass, and the rod in his hand. This is the mightiest army in the world, for God and you out number all others.)

21 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.

(God is telling Moses that you are going to use each and every one of those miracles that I have put in your hand to use against Pharaoh, and rest assured that Pharaoh's heart will be hardened until each of them have been completed. This sounds like God is working against Moses, but remember that each of these things that are happening are going to be lessons for you and I living in this last and final generation of this earth age. God knows best what right for you and for His plan. Even if it seems foolish to man, don't question God over the matter. If God won't allow the children to go on the first sign, and in the end it will break down the Egyptians will to resist and they will be willing to assist in every way possible. Don't doubt God our you will find yourself in trouble.)

22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, 'Thus saith the LORD, Israel is My son, even My firstborn:

(Israel is the firstborn, and what this is referring to is that Christ is the firstborn that will come through the womb of the lineage of Israel.)

21-23. Yahaveh's commission to Moses.

23 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.' "

(The lessons are starting to form here for Christ is the firstborn of the seed, and the seed of the rod that shall be changed into the serpent will be the ones that shall slay Jesus Christ, that will destroy the serpent by his own hand. If the Kenites, Satan's seed bring about the crucifixion of Christ, then God can sentence and kill their firstborn as well. In fact Satan is already sentenced to death, as recorded in Ezekiel 28:18, 19. Types are very beautiful when we see how God uses them to guide us through those critical times in our lives.)

24-26. Moses at Horeb.

24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn,

(A further lesson, not learned in Egypt or at Horeb. A secret in Moses' life, known only to himself. Moses had neglected to circumcise Eliezer. To save the child's life, Zipporah now performs the rite herself.)

that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.

(God has singled him out and wants to kill him. What is going on? Stop and think for a moment and use this for a type for your life. There are times in your life when you think that you are really pleasing God, and everything is going your way, when out of the blue, it seems like the whole world has come down on you. So first of all, know that God's Word is set, and the things God placed in His Word will be fulfilled. It becomes a matter of discipline in our lives. So what is God angry with Moses about, as they are heading to Egypt to free the children of Egypt? It gets to a matter of the respect that Moses has over looked. This is God's eternal Covenant that was given to Abraham.

(Moses had not broken the law but the covenant that God had made with Abraham and all those of the seed of Isaac, Jacob and the entire house of Israel. Moses had gone up on the mount Sinai, He talked with God at the burning bush and was instructed in detail as to how he would bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. He packed up his wife and two kids, mounted his ass, and here at the Inn Moses finds out that he did not tend to the most basic instruction that God has given to His people. He has two sons and neither of them had been circumcised. Moses had broken God's covenant by neglect within his own family. He is going to do the Lord's work, and by not circumcising his children, he has broken all ties that he had with God. God is out to kill him. So what is Zipporah going to do about circumcising her two sons. She was a Midianite also from the seed of Abraham. She knew about the covenant with Abraham just as Moses did, for her father was the chief Midianite priest of God. No God will not overlook this oversight of Moses, and He wants Moses out of His sight.

This is why it is important that you have a working knowledge of what God expects of you, if you expect to be doing a service for Him.)

25 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."

(Zipporah did the dirty work of cutting off the foreskin of her sons, and she didn't like doing it. She just did not understand how important that was to God, but it was done. However in our generation circumcision is of a different type, after the crucifixion Christ shed His blood and the circumcision is not of blood but of the heart. To circumcise now would be a mockery of the blood shed on the cross by our Lord Jesus Christ. That circumcision is for both male and female, for it happens when you take Christ into your heart. It is a spiritual matter, and has nothing to do with the flesh today.

So this shows us the true nature of God's law, and that He will not change except as the dispensation bring those changes. Until the law becomes fulfilled, you had better obey those parts of the law that are still in affect, and that is all except those blood ordnances that were fulfilled by the blood of Christ at the cross.)

26 So He (Yahaveh) let him (Eliezer) go: then she said, "A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision."

(If you think that God has called you to some service for him, make sure that you are following the complete instructions that God has for you. Remember that this time of God wanting to kill Moses was after Moses had been chosen by God to do a task for Him. If you consider yourself one of the chosen, make sure you do not overlook those important things to God. Remember that Zipporah had seven girl in her family, and as a Midianite, this was not practiced in her household back home.)

27,28. Yahaveh's commission to Aaron.

27 And the LORD said to Aaron, "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses."

(Aaron apparently brought up in Pharaoh's house. See 1 Sam. 2:27,28. Aaron = a teacher, or lofty)

And he went, and met him

(Cp. the parting at mount Hor, Num. 20:22-29)

in the mount of God, and kissed him.

28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which He had commanded him.

Moses and Aaron in Egypt.

29,30. Communication to the elders.
31. Result-belief and worship.

29 And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:

30 And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.

(So Moses and Aaron went back to Egypt and showed the people personally what those signs were, as they threw the rod on the ground and it became a snake, and so on.)

31 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.

(When the people saw those sign, they believed. They bowed their head and thanked God for hearing their cries. The people know from prophecy and the promise that the children of Israel would be in Egypt for those four hundred years, and they now know it was time to leave Egypt, and God would make it all happen.)

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