Sunday, Sept. 15
Exodus 4:1 – 5:21 Read it here
Like so many of the people God calls, Moses responds first with excuses why he isn’t really the one God wants for this mission.
God’s first response is giving Moses evidence to provide, though the evidence seems to be as much about reassuring Moses as it is about convincing Pharaoh.
When that’s not enough, God tells Moses that his brother Aaron will assist him. Aaron, unlike Moses, speaks well.
God could just as easily have equipped Moses with whatever abilities he needed, and persuaded him of his capabilities. The fact that God chose to bring Aaron into the mix suggests that teamwork may have value in itself. As we have seen before, God works through community.
In a seemingly unrelated side story, verses 24-26 of chapter 4 tell about the circumcision of Moses’s son. It’s not clear why this story is included, but it introduces a few things that may be significant:
– Moses, despite his concern for his people, did not circumcise his son at eight days of age. He had to learn to be obedient through experience.
– Zipporah, who was not Jewish by birth, had a hand in keeping God’s commandment. Moses, the great lawgiver, had to depend on a gentile to keep the law close to home.
– It was only after this belated act of obedience that Moses was able to fulfill his mission.
We also can’t overlook the fact that the whole mission came about because God was angered at oppression. God, throughout the Bible, takes the side of the poor and oppressed over the rich and powerful.
Notice that the Egyptians blamed the plight of the Hebrews on their own laziness, not on the cruelty of their masters.
And notice that when the Hebrews complained about not having the straw they needed to make bricks, the Egyptians told them to get their own. That’s a dramatic contrast with God’s reaction earlier when Moses said he didn’t have the means to fulfill his work and God provided a way.