Chronological Bible Study – Jan 31

What I Noticed Today (Exodus 4-6)

Exodus 4

Chapter 4 describes the three miraculous signs God gave to Moses, Moses’s return to Egypt, and Moses' reunion with Aaron.

In verses 1-17, God gives a reluctant Moses three miraculous signs to help him convince the Israelites:

• Moses still didn’t believe that the people would believe the Lord had sent him.
• Sign 1. The Lord told Moses to take his staff and throw it on the ground, and it became a snake. Moses grabbed the snake by its tail, and it became a staff again.
• Sign 2. The Lord told Moses to put his hand in his coat and pull it out, and it was diseased, white as snow (leprosy). Then he put his hand back in his coat and pulled it out, and it was healed.
• Sign 3. God said if they don’t believe these signs take some water from the Nile, pour it on the ground, and it will turn to blood.
• Moses was still reluctant, saying he was not an eloquent speaker. God told him, I made your mouth, I will help you speak and teach you what to say.
• Moses, still reluctant, asked God to send someone else.
• The Lord’s anger burned against Moses. God said He would guide Moses in what to say to his brother Aaron, and I will teach both you and Aaron what to do. Aaron will be your spokesman to the people.

In verses 18-23, Moses returns to Egypt:

• Moses asked Jethro, his father-in-law, for permission to return to Egypt to see his relatives, and Jethro permitted him.
• The Lord comforted Moses again, saying all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.
• So Moses took his wife and children and God’s staff and returned to Egypt.
• God told Moses to do all the miracles before Pharaoh he had given him, but God would harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the people go.

• Then, said God, you are to tell Pharaoh Israel is My firstborn, let them go so they may worship Me, but you refused, so now I will kill your firstborn son.

In verses 24-26, Moses’ sons are circumcised:

• During the trip to Egypt while they were camped overnight, God determined to put Moses to death because he had not circumcised his sons (one or both) as required by God’s command (Genesis 17:10). Zipporah, his wife, circumcised the boys, and God healed Moses.
• Zipporah threw the foreskin at Moses’ feet and said, you are a bridegroom of blood to me!

In verses 27-31, Moses and Aaron are reunited:

• The Lord told Aaron to meet Moses in the wilderness, so Aaron went out to meet Moses at the Mountain of God (Horeb)
• Moses told Aaron everything God had told him to say and do.
• Moses and Aaron assembled all the elders. Aaron performed all the signs God had given them and repeated all that God had told Moses.
• The people believed that God had heard their cries, had seen their misery, and bowed down and worshiped Him.

Some thoughts for additional consideration:

• How often do we sin in private and think we will not be found out? How often do we beg God to call us and use us, but then when God does call, we are reluctant to answer the call? As with Moses, when God calls us for His service. He will always be with us, protect us, and equip us for whatever work lies before us.

Exodus 5:1-12:36

The eight chapters from 5-12 describe the confrontations between Moses and Pharaoh as he attempts to get Pharaoh to release the people of Israel. Moses demanded Pharaoh release the people of Israel twice (Exodus 5:1-5, and 7:10-13), and each time Pharaoh refused.

Exodus 5

In verses 1-5, Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh for the first time:

• Moses and Aaron told Pharaoh the God of Israel (Yahweh), said to let me people go so they may worship Me in the wilderness.

• Pharaoh responds by rejecting God’s authority over him. Pharaoh says he does not know this God, and will not let the people go.
• Moses and Aaron told Pharaoh the God of the Hebrews had met with them and told them to go on a three-day trip into the wilderness to worship Him, or He may strike them with a plague or the sword.
• Pharaoh rejected their plea again, saying they needed to get back to work.

In verses 6-14, Pharaoh responds by increasing the oppression of the Israelites:

• That same day Pharaoh ordered the foremen to stop supplying straw to the Israelites for making bricks. They must get their own straw, but they must make the same number of bricks. He thought if they made the Israelites work even harder, they would not have time to think about worshipping God.
• Pharaoh’s slave drivers informed the Israelite foremen they had to get their own straw and still meet their daily quota of bricks.
• The slave drivers beat the foremen when they were unable to meet their daily quota of bricks as before.

In verses 15-19, the Israelite foremen appear before Pharaoh:

• The Israelite foremen appeared before Pharaoh to complain about the way they were being treated.
• Pharaoh accused them of being slackers (lazy), and that is why they wanted to worship the Lord. Pharaoh refused to lighten their workload.

In verses 20-23, The Israelite foremen accuse Moses and Aaron of their trouble:

• The Israelite foremen confronted Moses and Aaron, saying it was their fault Pharaoh was mistreating the people, and they would get them all killed.
• Moses immediately went and asked the Lord why He sent him to confront Pharaoh because now His people were being mistreated, and You have not delivered Your people.

Exodus 6

Chapter 6 includes God’s reassurance of His promise to Moses and the genealogy of Moses and Aaron.

In verses 1-9, God reassures Moses that He will free the people:

• God responds, now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. He will let the people go because of my strong hand against Pharaoh, which will cause him to drive the people out of his land.
• Then God reminded Moses, “I am Yahweh.” He had appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob but had not revealed His name (Yahweh) to them.

• God had established a covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan.
• God had heard the pleas of the people and remembered His covenant.
• God told Moses to tell the Israelites His name (Yahweh) and that He would keep His promise to free the people from slavery and redeem them with great acts of judgment against the Egyptians.
• God promised to take the Israelites as His people and would be their God (a personal relationship). God also promised to take them to the land of Canaan that He promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and give it to them as their possession.
• Moses told the Israelites what God had said, but they did not listen to him because their spirits were broken.

In verses 10-13, God tells Moses to confront Pharaoh again:

• God tells Moses to go and tell Pharaoh to let His people go.
• But Moses responded to God if the people will not listen to me, why will Pharaoh listen to me?
• Then God spoke to Moses and Aaron, telling them both to go to Pharaoh and tell him to let the people go.

In verses 14-27, details the genealogy of Moses and Aaron:

• The sons of Rueben the first-born of Israel (Jacob).
• The sons of Simeon.
• The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.
• The sons of Gershon.
• The sons of Kohath: Amram, Ishar, Hebron, Uzziel.
• The sons of Merari.
• Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Moses and Aaron.
• It was this Moses and this Aaron whom the Lord told to speak to Pharaoh to bring the people out of Egypt.

In verses 28-30, The Lord speaks to Moses again:

• The Lord spoke to Moses again, saying “I am Yahweh, go tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I am telling you.”
• But again, Moses was hesitant and told God he was such a poor speaker why will Pharaoh listen to me?

What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.

Tomorrow: Day 32 Exodus 7-9