Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Exodus 4:10-17
Moses Continues His Resistance And Yahweh Becomes Angry (Exodus 4:10).
Moses is naturally appalled at the hugeness of the responsibility that Yahweh is seeking to place on him and desperately tries to avoid taking it on. But Yahweh has prepared him precisely for this and is adamant, and in the end even angry..
a Moses protests that he is not capable for the task in hand because he is not eloquent (Exodus 4:10).
b Yahweh replies that it is He who has made man's mouth and Who makes man dumb (and otherwise) (Exodus 4:11).
c He commands Moses to go and promises that He will be with his mouth and teach him what to speak (Exodus 4:12).
d Moses indirectly asks Him to use someone else (he is not rejoicing) (Exodus 4:13).
d Yahweh is angry and points out that Aaron the Levite is coming to meet him and will rejoice to see him (Exodus 4:14).
c Moses is to put words in his mouth, and Yahweh will be with both their mouths and will teach him what to do (Exodus 4:15).
b Aaron will be to Moses a mouth and Moses will be to him as God (Exodus 4:16).
a He must take his staff in his hand with which he will do the signs (Exodus 4:17).
The parallel in ‘a' suggest that although he is not eloquent the signs will do the talking. In ‘b' the one Who has made man's mouth in the parallel provides Moses with a mouth. In ‘c' Yahweh's promise made will be fulfilled in the parallel by Him being with both their mouths, but Moses will be in charge. In ‘d' Yahweh is upset at his intransigence but points out that He has already made provision for it.
‘And Moses said to Yahweh, “Oh Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before or since you have spoken to your servant, for I am slow of speech and do not have a ready tongue (am of slow tongue).” And Yahweh said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes dumb, or deaf, or sighted or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”
Moses continued to seek to avoid his unwelcome assignment. This time he argued that he was no good at refined conversation. In those days eloquence was looked on as vital in diplomacy, and requests, submissions and arguments were seen as needing to be couched in flowery language. Thus Moses felt that he was not suitable. Through living with the Midianites he felt that he had long since lost any ability he had to be flowery in his speech like a diplomat. He was now a rough and ready tribesman. And he knew that meeting Yahweh had not improved the situation.
Yahweh's reply was to point to Who was behind Moses. Does he not recognise that He is the One controls all man's functions? He could therefore enable Moses and show him what to say. But Moses was still reluctant. He was too aware of his inability in that field, and besides, he did not like the whole idea. His next words make that clear.
‘And he said, “Oh Lord, send, I pray you, by the hand of him whom you will send.”
In view of the response this clearly indicated a polite refusal. His plea is that Yahweh must choose someone else. (Moses was eloquent enough here). He may choose whom He would, but not Moses.
‘And the anger of Yahweh was kindled against Moses, and he said, “Is there not Aaron your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he comes out to meet you, and when he sees you he will be glad in his heart. And you will speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you what you shall do.” '
This description is in human terms. God's ‘anger' is the divine response to disobedience, unwillingness and lack of faith, not a sign of lack of control. It depicts His condemnation of and aversion to sin. (There is no ready human word for it, for it is outside our experience). But His response was measured and compassionate. He pointed out that Aaron, Moses' brother, was eloquent. He was already bringing him out to meet Moses and then he could act as his spokesman. But Moses must take final responsibility. It was Moses who was God's chosen spokesman. It should be noted that God had already anticipated Moses' reaction and had graciously made provision for it. He is not unaware of the weakness of His servants. His anger contains within it understanding. '
The Levite.' This is the first use of the term. ‘The sons of Levi' are becoming ‘the Levites', personal relationship is becoming tribal relationship. Aaron, like Moses, was descended from Levi, and the comment may probably not be intended to illuminate Moses so much as the reader, as a reminder that both Moses and Aaron are of the tribe of Levi. (In Exodus 6:16 the term ‘the Levites' is clearly equated with ‘the sons of Levi' and is not otherwise obviously technical). Or it may here also indicate that Aaron was the head of the tribe of Levi, or an outstanding person within it.
It has been asked whether God would need to tell Moses that Aaron was a Levite if it just meant that he was descended from Levi, but then we could ask, would he need to tell him that he was his brother? The simplest answer is as we have said above. It was explanatory to the reader. However in both cases it may be that Moses might know of other Aarons who were related to him and could be called ‘brother' (a term with a fairly wide meaning) and thus that ‘the Levite' would be seen as distinguishing him from the others.
Another possibility is that Aaron, as a result of his eloquence, had become known by reputation as ‘Aaron the Levite' and that God was referring to that fact. This would then require that Moses had had some previous contact with his family, which was of course quite possible. He would not have spent all that time in Midian without seeking to get in touch with his family. There is no evidence elsewhere for the term to be an official designation at this early stage.
“Behold, he comes out to meet you.” God would now arrange for Aaron to come to meet Moses (see Exodus 4:27). This could indicate that He had already done so, or alternatively that it was already seen as accomplished in His mind.
“When he sees you he will be glad at heart.” Moses need have no fear. Their meeting would be a joyous one. They had not met for many long years, and Aaron must have wondered how his princely brother was faring. Messages communicated by others were all very well, but they did not tell the whole story. Now he would know and their meeting would make him pleased and delighted.
“And you will speak to him and put the words in his mouth.” Aaron was to become the spokesman, but Moses must still decide what would be said. He was to be in overall control. And God would guide them both.
“And he shall be your spokesman to the people, and it shall be that he will be to you a mouth and you will be to him as God.”
Literally ‘he will be to you a mouth.' The background to these words is clearly Egyptian. There "mouth" (ra) is used metaphorically for a representative of Pharaoh. The office of a "mouth" was so important that it was held by the highest State dignitaries. The titles “mouth” and "chief mouth" were used in relation to people such as chief superintendents and overseers of public works who acted as intermediaries between the Pharaoh and the Government officials. The concept of "mouth" or "chief mouth" involved a confidential and exalted position at court, ranking immediately after the king. They were mouths to a god.
“And you will be to him as God.” Possibly better ‘as a god', that is, as standing in God's place. As Pharaoh's ‘mouths' spoke for him as a god, so Aaron will parallel these high officials and speak in the name of Moses. As Yahweh will say to Moses later, “I will make you a god to Pharaoh (Exodus 7:1).” Pharaoh would indeed learn to fear him and his seemingly divine powers. This puts Pharaoh's ‘divinity' firmly on an earthen plane. The battle would be between Moses and Pharaoh, not between Pharaoh and God.
‘And you will take in your hand this staff with which you will perform the signs.”
This refers to the staff of Moses (Exodus 4:2). As ‘God' he will speak by performing signs. From now on this staff, which will have delivered God's first sign, (and is here linked also with the other signs) will be called ‘the staff of God' (Exodus 4:20). It will be with Moses, and often used by Aaron, in all his future activities, a reminder that the power of Yahweh was with him and that his authority was derived from God, and that thereby he could control the snake, and smite and heal. It was a visible evidence of God's presence with him, and through it he would soon perform many other signs.