"Stretch out your hand and grab it by the tail," the LORD said to Moses, who reached out his hand and caught the snake, and it turned back into a staff in his hand. But the LORD said to MosesThis phrase introduces the divine command, emphasizing the direct communication between God and Moses. The Hebrew word for "LORD" here is "YHWH," the sacred tetragrammaton, which signifies God's eternal and unchanging nature. This moment underscores God's personal involvement and authority in guiding Moses, reminding us of His sovereignty and intimate relationship with His chosen leaders. Stretch out your hand
The command to "stretch out" is significant, as it requires an act of faith and obedience from Moses. The Hebrew verb "shalach" implies sending forth or extending, symbolizing Moses' willingness to act upon God's word. This action is a precursor to many future acts of faith that Moses will perform, demonstrating the necessity of human cooperation in divine plans. and grab it by the tail
Grabbing a snake by the tail is counterintuitive and dangerous, as it leaves one vulnerable to attack. This instruction tests Moses' trust in God, as it defies natural instincts. The Hebrew word "achaz" for "grab" conveys a firm grasp, indicating that Moses must fully commit to God's command. This act symbolizes overcoming fear through faith, a recurring theme in Moses' leadership journey. So he stretched out his hand and caught it
Moses' immediate obedience is highlighted here. The repetition of "stretched out his hand" emphasizes his compliance and trust in God's protection. The Hebrew "chazaq" for "caught" suggests a strong, secure hold, reflecting Moses' confidence in God's power. This moment marks a pivotal step in Moses' transformation from a hesitant shepherd to a bold leader. and it turned back into a staff in his hand
The transformation of the snake back into a staff is miraculous, reinforcing God's control over creation. The staff, a symbol of authority and guidance, is restored, signifying the restoration of Moses' confidence and authority. This miracle serves as a tangible sign of God's presence and power, reassuring Moses of his divine mission. The Hebrew "mishenah" for "staff" also implies support, indicating that God's support is with Moses as he embarks on his mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Persons / Places / Events 1. MosesA Hebrew prophet chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage. At this point, Moses is at the burning bush, receiving his commission from God. 2. The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant name of God, who is revealing Himself to Moses and demonstrating His power and authority through signs. 3. The StaffA shepherd's tool that Moses carries, which God uses to perform a miraculous sign by turning it into a serpent and back into a staff. 4. The SerpentA symbol of danger and fear, representing the miraculous power of God to transform and control creation. 5. Mount Horeb (Sinai)The location where Moses encounters God in the burning bush and receives his divine commission. Teaching Points Obedience to God's CommandMoses' willingness to obey God's command to grab the serpent by the tail demonstrates trust in God's protection and authority. We are called to obey God's instructions, even when they seem daunting or dangerous. God's Sovereignty Over CreationThe transformation of the staff into a serpent and back again illustrates God's control over the natural world. Believers can trust in God's power to intervene in their lives and circumstances. Faith in ActionMoses' action of reaching out to grab the serpent is an act of faith. Our faith is often demonstrated through our actions, especially when we step out of our comfort zones in obedience to God. God's Preparation for LeadershipThis event is part of God's preparation of Moses for leadership. God equips those He calls, often through experiences that build trust and reliance on Him. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Moses' response to God's command in Exodus 4:4 challenge us to trust God in difficult situations? 2. In what ways does the transformation of the staff into a serpent and back again demonstrate God's power and authority? How can this encourage us in our daily lives? 3. How does the symbolism of the serpent in Exodus 4:4 connect to other biblical references to serpents, and what can we learn from these connections? 4. What does this passage teach us about the importance of obedience to God's commands, even when they seem risky or illogical? 5. How can we apply the lesson of faith in action from Moses' experience to our own lives, particularly in areas where we feel called to step out in faith? Connections to Other Scriptures Genesis 3The serpent in the Garden of Eden represents temptation and sin. In Exodus 4:4, the serpent is a sign of God's power over creation and evil. Numbers 21The bronze serpent lifted by Moses in the wilderness as a means of healing, prefiguring Christ's crucifixion. Mark 16:18Jesus speaks of believers handling serpents without harm, symbolizing divine protection and authority over evil. People Aaron, Isaac, Israelites, Jacob, Jethro, Moses, Pharaoh, ZipporahPlaces Egypt, Horeb, Midian, Nile RiverTopics Becometh, Caught, Forth, Grasp, Grip, Hand-, Hold, Laid, Lay, Layeth, Putteth, Reached, Rod, Snake, Staff, Stretch, Stretched, TailDictionary of Bible Themes Exodus 4:1-9 1449 signs, purposes Exodus 4:1-13 7758 preachers, call Exodus 4:2-5 4512 staff Library January 13. "Thou Shalt be to Him Instead of God" (Ex. Iv. 16).
"Thou shalt be to him instead of God" (Ex. iv. 16). Such was God's promise to Moses, and such the high character that Moses was to assume toward Aaron, his brother. May it not suggest a high and glorious place that each of us may occupy toward all whom we meet, instead of God? What a dignity and glory it would give our lives, could we uniformly realize this high calling! How it would lead us to act toward our fellow-men! God can always be depended upon. God is without variableness or shadow of turning. …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth May the Eleventh but -- --!
"And Moses answered and said, But----" --EXODUS iv. 1-9. We know that "but." God has heard it from our lips a thousand times. It is the response of unbelief to the divine call. It is the reply of fear to the divine command. It is the suggestion that the resources are inadequate. It is a hint that God may not have looked all round. He has overlooked something which our own eyes have seen. The human "buts" in the Scriptural stories make an appalling record. "Lord, I will follow Thee, but----" There …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year May the Twelfth Mouth and Matter
"Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth." --EXODUS iv. 10-17. And what a promise that is for anyone who is commissioned to proclaim the King's decrees. Here can teachers and preachers find their strength. God will be with their mouths. He will control their speech, and order their words like troops. He does not promise to make us eloquent, but to endow our words with the "demonstration of power." "And I will teach thee what thou shall say." The Lord will not only be with our mouths, …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year A Bundle of Myrrh is My Well-Beloved unto Me; He Shall Abide Between My Breasts.
When the Bride, or rather the lover (for she is not yet a bride), has found her Bridegroom, she is so transported with joy, that she is eager to be instantly united to Him. But the union of perpetual enjoyment is not yet arrived. He is mine, she says, I cannot doubt that He gives Himself to me this moment, since I feel it, but He is to me, as it were, a bundle of myrrh. He is not yet a Bridegroom whom I may embrace in the nuptial bed, but a bundle of crosses, pains and mortifications; a bloody husband …
Madame Guyon—Song of Songs of Solomon Preaching (I. ).
Earthen vessels, frail and slight, Yet the golden Lamp we bear; Master, break us, that the light So may fire the murky air; Skill and wisdom none we claim, Only seek to lift Thy Name. I have on purpose reserved the subject of Preaching for our closing pages. Preaching is, from many points of view, the goal and summing up of all other parts and works of the Ministry. What we have said already about the Clergyman's life and labour, in secret, in society, in the parish; what we have said about his …
Handley C. G. Moule—To My Younger Brethren To the Saddest of the Sad
I often wonder what those preachers do who feel called to make up their message as they go on; for if they fail, their failure must be attributed in great measure to their want of ability to make up a moving tale. They have to spread their sails to the breeze of the age, and to pick up a gospel that comes floating down to them on the stream of time, altering every week in the year; and they must have an endless task to catch this new idea, or, as they put it, to keep abreast of the age. Unless, indeed, …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 34: 1888 The Sweet Uses of Adversity
Now, I propose to address myself to the two classes of persons who are making use of this question. First, I shall speak to the tried saint; and then I shall speak to the seeking sinner, who has been seeking peace and pardon through Christ, but who has not as yet found it, but, on the contrary, has been buffeted by the law, and driven away from the mercy-seat in despair. I. First, then, to THE CHILD OF GOD. I have--I know I have--in this great assembly, some who have come to Job's position. They …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 5: 1859 "For if Ye Live after the Flesh, Ye Shall Die; but if Ye through the Spirit do Mortify the Deeds of the Body, Ye Shall Live.
Rom. viii. s 13, 14.--"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." The life and being of many things consists in union,--separate them, and they remain not the same, or they lose their virtue. It is much more thus in Christianity, the power and life of it consists in the union of these things that God hath conjoined, so that if any man pretend to …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning The Hardening in the Sacred Scripture.
"He hath hardened their heart."-- John xii. 40. The Scripture teaches positively that the hardening and "darkening of their foolish heart" is a divine, intentional act. This is plainly evident from God's charge to Moses concerning the king of Egypt: "Thou shalt speak all that I command thee; and I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not harken unto you, and I will lay My hand upon Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit The Quotation in Matt. Ii. 6.
Several interpreters, Paulus especially, have asserted that the interpretation of Micah which is here given, was that of the Sanhedrim only, and not of the Evangelist, who merely recorded what happened and was said. But this assertion is at once refuted when we consider the object which Matthew has in view in his entire representation of the early life of Jesus. His object in recording the early life of Jesus is not like that of Luke, viz., to communicate historical information to his readers. …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Flight into Egypt and Slaughter of the Bethlehem Children.
(Bethlehem and Road Thence to Egypt, b.c. 4.) ^A Matt. II. 13-18. ^a 13 Now when they were departed [The text favors the idea that the arrival and departure of the magi and the departure of Joseph for Egypt, all occurred in one night. If so, the people of Bethlehem knew nothing of these matters], behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise [this command calls for immediate departure] and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt [This land was ever the …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Appendix xii. The Baptism of Proselytes
ONLY those who have made study of it can have any idea how large, and sometimes bewildering, is the literature on the subject of Jewish Proselytes and their Baptism. Our present remarks will be confined to the Baptism of Proselytes. 1. Generally, as regards proselytes (Gerim) we have to distinguish between the Ger ha-Shaar (proselyte of the gate) and Ger Toshabh (sojourner,' settled among Israel), and again the Ger hatstsedeq (proselyte of righteousness) and Ger habberith (proselyte of the covenant). …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah A Canticle of Love
It is not only when He is about to send me some trial that Our Lord gives me warning and awakens my desire for it. For years I had cherished a longing which seemed impossible of realisation--to have a brother a Priest. I often used to think that if my little brothers had not gone to Heaven, I should have had the happiness of seeing them at the Altar. I greatly regretted being deprived of this joy. Yet God went beyond my dream; I only asked for one brother who would remember me each day at the Holy …
Therese Martin (of Lisieux)—The Story of a Soul Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Exodus 4:4 NIVExodus 4:4 NLTExodus 4:4 ESVExodus 4:4 NASBExodus 4:4 KJV
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