What is the meaning of Exodus 4:2? And the LORD asked him The conversation is already underway—God has appeared in the burning bush and commissioned Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 3:4–4:1). Now, “the LORD asked him,” showing a personal God who speaks, listens, and enters dialogue with His servants (Jeremiah 1:7–9; Acts 9:4–6). The question initiates action, demonstrating that God involves ordinary people in His extraordinary plans. Key implications: • Divine initiative: God starts the conversation and directs the mission, just as He did with Isaiah (“Whom shall I send?” Isaiah 6:8). • Personal engagement: The Lord’s question invites participation rather than mere observation. • Assurance of presence: By addressing Moses directly, God reaffirms His earlier promise, “I will be with you” (Exodus 3:12). What is that in your hand? The Lord zeroes in on Moses’ everyday object. Shepherds routinely carried staffs; for forty years in Midian, this tool was as common to Moses as a hammer to a carpenter. God highlights what Moses already possesses, echoing similar moments when He uses what people have at hand: • Elisha to the widow—“Tell me, what do you have in the house?” (2 Kings 4:2). • Jesus regarding the boy’s lunch—“Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish” (John 6:9). • David selecting five stones for his sling (1 Samuel 17:40). • Shamgar wielding an oxgoad (Judges 3:31). Lessons drawn: – God often starts with the familiar, not the spectacular. – He invites us to recognize resources already given to us. – Availability outweighs impressiveness; God’s power rests on surrendered tools. A staff, he replied Moses’ answer sounds insignificant, yet that very staff will: • Become a serpent and back again (Exodus 4:3–4). • Turn the Nile to blood (Exodus 7:17–20). • Part the Red Sea (Exodus 14:16). • Bring water from the rock (Exodus 17:5–6). • Stand as the “rod of God” in battle against Amalek (Exodus 17:9–13). Symbolism and application: – Shepherd’s authority: A staff guides, rescues, and corrects sheep (Psalm 23:4). God transforms the shepherd’s rod into a symbol of divine authority. – Proof of calling: The staff becomes the tangible sign God promised in Exodus 4:17, “Take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it.” – Ongoing dependence: Even after miracles, Moses must keep holding the staff in obedience, reminding him that power flows from God, not the object (Numbers 20:11–12). summary Exodus 4:2 shows God initiating a personal, practical dialogue with Moses. By asking about the staff, the Lord directs attention to what Moses already holds, revealing a principle seen throughout Scripture: God takes ordinary people and ordinary things, fills them with His power, and accomplishes extraordinary purposes. The staff teaches that when we place whatever is “in our hand” at His disposal, He turns simple tools into instruments of deliverance and testimony to His glory. |
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