Obey God Fully (Exo. 4:18-31)

Children remind us of our human weaknesses. From a child's perspective, a chore that should only take five minutes seems to take fifty minutes. Instead of just starting, they agonize in paralysis. This always makes things worse. I've seen the same struggle in my heart when God is calling me to simple yet costly obedience. After some whining, debating, and griping, God patiently stirs me to obedience. Rarely do I find instant success, but I always find freedom in obedience. Even after moving forward, I find that I often still need to be prodded in the right direction. A Divine nudge is often just what I need to stay on track. Moses found himself in a similar place near the end of Exodus 4.

Fits and Starts (v. 18-23)

Moses spent a lot of time excusing himself from doing God's will before he took the first step of following God. Moses spoke to his father-in-law Jethro about taking his family back to his brothers to “see if they [were] still alive” (v. 18). Jethro sent Moses forward in peace, perhaps not knowing the full extent of what Moses would be doing there. Whether this was due to cowardice or not, Moses took the first step in obeying God.

Upon leaving, Moses 'took the staff of God in his hand' (v. 20). The LORD reminded him of the “miracles” in His power (v. 21). This miraculous power would not change Pharaoh's heart or make the mission easier, but it was a tangible reminder of God's power for the mission. Moses would request that Pharaoh let Israel, God's firstborn son, go to serve and worship Him. However, God planned to harden Pharaoh's heart and eventually pour out His just wrath on Pharaoh's firstborn son.

Sometimes God doesn't make a difficult calling easier for us. We grumble, whine, and retort, and He graciously says, “No, child. You're going to do what I sent you to do. My presence and power will be with you.” We see difficulty and think there's no way out. Yet, as Samuel Rutherford (1600-1661) wisely reminds us, we should “think not much of a storm upon the sea when Christ is on the ship.” Despite our feeble faith, when we go forward with the presence of God, we have no reason to fear. The mustard seed of faith is enough, and God moves the mountain for us. Oh, how sweet it is to follow God's call in full faith!

Partial Obedience Is Disobedience (v. 24-26)

In Exodus 4:24-26, we encounter one of the most perplexing passages in all of Scripture. It's as if we had a bumpy takeoff, the flight gradually smoothed out, and now a storm threatens to send us pummeling into a cornfield somewhere in the Midwest. A jarring phrase grips us and demands our attention: “At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met him and sought to put him to death” (v. 24). After all we've just worked through, why on earth would this be happening? It seems that Moses refused to circumcise his son.

As we've often seen in Exodus, God used a woman's actions to bring forth His glory and move His mission forward. Moses, the “bridegroom of blood”, isn't the hero in this situation (v. 25-26). This is the mercy of God. When Moses didn't step up to the task, Moses' Midianite wife circumcised his son and spared his life instead. This, too, is the mercy of God. Despite an intense encounter with the Holy God, God spared Moses's life—or perhaps the life of his son. God dealt graciously with Moses, and He often does the same for us. God shows us mercy because Jesus is a “merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God” who accomplished forgiveness on our behalf (Heb. 2:17).

Moses' half-hearted obedience to God met the wholehearted grace of God. Lamentations 3:33 reminds us of this truth: “[God] doesn't afflict from His heart or grieve the children of men.” He doesn't delight in casting off or causing grief, and He loves to show compassion to those whom He grieves through discipline. God's pruning is painful, but He binds up our wounds with care. When He restores us, He “rejoices” in doing us good and brings restoration with all His heart and soul (Jer. 32:41). Remember that you're a dearly loved child of God when you are under His disciplining rod.

Fear is a False Prophet (v. 27-31)

God had prepared Moses to obey Him even in the small details, and now He was pleased to move the mission forward. He called Aaron to meet Moses at the mountain of God, and Aaron gladly met Moses with a brotherly kiss. In contrast to Moses' back-and-forth, Aaron readily listened to all that God commanded Moses to speak to him. Next, they gathered Israel's elders, and Aaron spoke the words the LORD gave him through Moses. The elders then witnessed the signs of God—the serpent staff, the leprous hand, and the bloody Nile water. Upon seeing these miracles, 'the people believed' (v. 31). Upon hearing that the LORD came to rescue them and indeed saw their affliction, they 'bowed their heads and worshiped' Him (v. 31).

What a powerful scene! After all the wrestling, debating, and questioning, Moses was wrong after all! God said, “They will listen to your voice” (3:18), but Moses’ fear said, “They will not believe me or listen to my voice” (4:1). So often, fear proves to be a false prophet! We envision a future reality based on a present fear, and God repeatedly proves us wrong. We need to listen and trust our faithful, covenant-keeping God far more. We need to heed the words of David Clarkson (1622-1686) who said, “If [God] is willing to promise, he is willing to perform.”

There is far more ink spilled laying out Moses’ fears and inadequacies than on the receptive meeting with Israel’s elders. What an overwhelming picture of success and God’s faithfulness! We should always be quick to remember this as we go forward both in our general and specific callings. Jesus said, “I will be with you always until the end of the age” (Mat. 28:20), and He won’t back down on that promise. God cannot lie, and He never fails. 

Reflection Questions

1. When faced with tasks that seem overwhelming, how do the gospel and the faithfulness of God help you move forward in faith?
2. In what ways have you experienced God stirring and guiding you towards obedience, even when you initially question His call?
3. Where do you see fear showing up in your life? How can you confront and overcome the false prophecies your fear lays in front of you?

Prayer Points

1. Thank God for stirring you to obedience. Thank God for the numerous times He has stirred you to obedience. Ask Him to give you a heart that is sensitive to His Word.
2. Confess your half-hearted obedience. Confess and ask for the grace to repent of half-hearted, faithless obedience. Pray for the faith to obey God fully.
3. Seek God’s peace in your fear and anxiety. Cast your anxieties on the Lord and ask Him give you the peace which surpasses understanding. Acknowledge to God that this doesn’t mean your situation will be easy, but that you’re willing to rest in His presence and power.

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