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I. A QUESTION FOR MOSES. Well — what had he? A rod. That is, as I suppose, a shepherd's crook: a stout sapling, curved at one end, to help him in caring for his flock. But how could this help him in caring for Israel? Who can turn it into a talisman to draw their hearts to him? It is enough to tell of the Being and the power and the skill of the Creator; but not enough to prove a Divine commission. There was need of some further revelation — and this further revelation was not withheld. What was Moses told to do with the rod? "Cast it on the ground"; as though God had said, "You can do nothing with it, see what I can do." "And it became a serpent." Now here we are confronted with the supernatural, the miraculous; for there is no natural evolution of vegetable out of animal, or animal out of vegetable. God can do it — and do it quite as easily as He can bring the sturdy staff out of the feeble bud; but it is not in His ordinary course of action. He will only resort to it when some extraordinary end is in view. But was there not a lesson in this miracle? Was it not a symbol of the great things God was about to do?

II. A QUESTION FOR CHRISTIANS.

1. Is there not work for every one of us? — and work not unlike that to which Moses was called. The state of the world at large is described in this volume under many figures, very sad and very affecting; and one of the saddest and most affecting is that of slavery. Slaves of appetite — slaves of covetousness — slaves of fashion: we hear their sighs — their groans, sometimes. For the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are hard taskmasters; they will give their bondsmen no rest or peace: there is no slavery like that of sin! And therefore the cry of the gospel is — "Emancipation!" "If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."

2. But what good can we hope to do? There are as many difficulties in our way as in the way of Moses. Our fellow-men are so accustomed to slavery that they won't believe in freedom. Ay — and they are so accustomed to all kinds of folly and imposture that they won't believe that our message comes from God. How then can we succeed? Now comes the question of the text, "What is that in thine hand"? What power of influence has God given you? Now see whether that power may not be used for Him. "Oh, but," you say, "my influence is a very insignificant thing"! And so is a shepherd's crook. But see what a shepherd's crook became in the hand of Moses; and remember that God may "choose weak things to confound the mighty, and foolish things to confound the wise."

3. And so the question comes to us — "What is that in thine hand?" Not — what would you like to have there, or hope to have there? but — what have you? Be it the three hundred pence, or be it the two mites — use it for God, and see what God will make of it! Certainly nothing will recommend the gospel to those around us like the personal exertion of those who advocate it.

(F. Tucker, B. A.)

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KJV: And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.

WEB: Yahweh said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A rod."