Bible Study Guide Day 031: Exodus 4–6
Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.
Exodus 4:12
Exodus 4
Signs for Moses
In Exodus 4, God continues to speak to Moses and reassures him that He will be with him as he goes to deliver the Israelites from Egypt. Despite this assurance, Moses is still hesitant and asks for signs to prove that God is truly speaking to him.
God patiently grants Moses’ request and gives him three signs: turning his staff into a snake, making his hand leprous, and turning water from the Nile into blood. These signs serve as a demonstration of God’s power and authority, not only to Moses but also to the Israelites and Pharaoh.
Moses doubts himself, but God reminds him that He gave him his mouth and will teach him what to say. After Moses asks God to send someone else, God becomes angry but provides Aaron, Moses’ brother, to accompany him and speak on his behalf.
Moses Returns to Egypt
Moses returns to Jethro, his father-in-law, and asks permission to go back to Egypt. Jethro agrees, and Moses sets off with his wife Zipporah and their children.
On the way to Egypt, God again reassures Moses that He will be with him and gives him specific instructions on what to do when he confronts Pharaoh. God also reveals His plan to harden Pharaoh’s heart, which will ultimately lead to the display of His power and glory before all.
During the trip, God gets angry at Moses for not circumcising his son, but Zipporah quickly takes care of it and calms God’s anger.
Then the LORD tells Aaron to meet Moses in the desert. When they reunite, Moses tells Aaron everything that has happened and shows him the signs God had given him. They bring together the elders of the Israelites, and Aaron shares God’s promise to deliver them from slavery.
Exodus 5
Bricks Without Straw
Moses and Aaron go before Pharaoh, asking for permission for the Israelites to go into the wilderness and hold a feast to God. However, instead of granting their request, Pharaoh increases the Israelites’ workload and demands that they gather their own straw to make bricks.
The Israelites are beaten and mistreated by their Egyptian taskmasters, causing them to doubt Moses and Aaron’s message from God. The Israelite foremen become angry at Moses and Aaron for making things worse for them.
God Promises Deliverance
Moses turns to God in prayer and asks why God has not delivered His people as promised.
Exodus 6
God responds to Moses, reminding him that He is the LORD and has heard the cries of His people. He reassures Moses that He will indeed deliver the Israelites from Egypt and bring them into the land promised to their ancestors.
God also reminds Moses that He appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but now He will reveal Himself to the Israelites as the LORD, their God. This distinction signifies a deeper and more personal relationship between God and His people.
God instructs Moses to tell the Israelites that He will redeem them with an outstretched arm and great acts of judgment. They will be His people, and He will be their God.
Moses shares God’s promise with the Israelite foremen, but they still do not believe him. He then asks God how he will speak to Pharaoh if the Israelites themselves do not even believe him.
Family Record of Moses and Aaron
The chapter ends with a record of Moses and Aaron’s family line. This serves as a reminder that God chose these two men to lead His people out of Egypt, despite their doubts and shortcomings.