Pointing to Jesus (Exodus 4)

Summary:

Moses continues to resist God’s call, raising four more objections: lack of credibility, inability to speak, and general unwillingness. 

God responds with three signs (staff-to-serpent, leprous hand, water-to-blood) to authenticate Moses’ mission, promises to teach him what to say, and finally appoints Aaron as Moses’ spokesman. 

Reluctantly, Moses returns to Midian, asks Jethro’s permission, and departs with his wife and sons. 

On the way, the Lord meets Moses and seeks to kill him (likely because Gershom was uncircumcised); Zipporah circumcises their son, averting judgment. 

Moses meets Aaron in the wilderness, and together they return to Egypt, gather the elders, perform the signs, and the people believe and worship.

Pointing to Jesus:

The cryptic encounter in verses 24–26—where “the LORD met him and sought to put him to death” until Zipporah applies the blood of circumcision—foreshadows substitutionary atonement and the absolute necessity of shed blood for covenant relationship. 

Moses, the chosen mediator, is himself under divine wrath for neglecting the covenant sign (Gen. 17:14). 

Only the cutting and blood of his son averts death. 

This points to Christ, the true Mediator who does not merely apply another’s blood but offers His own. 

Reflection:

Exodus 4 confronts us with the tension between God’s sovereign call and our persistent reluctance. 

Moses, face-to-face with the I AM, still argues five times—“Who am I?”, “What shall I say?”, “They won’t believe”, “I’m not eloquent”, “Send someone else”—and God’s final response is anger (v. 14). 

Yet God does not revoke the call; He accommodates Moses’ weakness by giving Aaron. 

This is both warning and comfort. 

Warning: our excuses, even when rooted in genuine weakness, displease God and limit our usefulness (Aaron later leads in the golden-calf disaster). 

Comfort: God’s purposes do not depend on our eloquence or courage; He sovereignly provides what we lack (Aaron, signs, words). 

For the Christian, this means we obey not because we feel adequate, but because the One who calls is faithful. And when we stumble—even when our neglect invites divine discipline (as with the circumcision incident)—the blood of Jesus, our circumcised Substitute (Col. 2:11–12), speaks a better word than the blood of Gershom, turning away wrath and restoring us to covenant fellowship. The chapter invites us to move from “Send someone else” to “Here am I; send me,” trusting that the God who equips Moses in spite of Moses will carry us through every reluctant step.