Exodus 4:1
They will not hearken to my voice — That is, they would not take his bare word, unless he shewed them some sign. He remembered how they had once rejected him, and feared it would be so again.... [ Continue Reading ]
They will not hearken to my voice — That is, they would not take his bare word, unless he shewed them some sign. He remembered how they had once rejected him, and feared it would be so again.... [ Continue Reading ]
A rod — Or staff.... [ Continue Reading ]
That they may believe — An imperfect sentence to be thus compleated, This thou shalt do, before them, that they may believe.... [ Continue Reading ]
His hand was leprous, as snow — For whiteness. This signified, That Moses, by the power of God, should bring sore diseases upon Egypt, that at his prayer they should be removed. And that whereas the Israelites in Egypt were become leprous, polluted by sin, and almost consumed by oppression, by being... [ Continue Reading ]
The voice of the first sign — God's works have a voice to speak to us, which we must diligently observe.... [ Continue Reading ]
O my Lord, I am not eloquent — He was a great philosopher, statesman, and divine, and yet no orator; a man of a clear head, great thought and solid judgment, but had not a voluble tongue, nor ready utterance; and therefore he thought himself unfit to speak before great men, and about great affairs.... [ Continue Reading ]
Send by whom thou wilt send — By any but me.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the anger of the Lord was kindled against him — Even self — diffidence when it grows into an extreme, when it either hinders us from duty, or clogs us in duty, is very displeasing to him.... [ Continue Reading ]
I will be with thy mouth and with his mouth — Even Aaron that could speak well, yet could not speak to purpose, unless God were with his mouth; without the constant aids of divine grace, the best gifts will fail.... [ Continue Reading ]
Instead of God — To teach and to command him.... [ Continue Reading ]
Take this rod — The staff or crook he carried as a shepherd, that he might not be ashamed of that mean condition out of which God called him. This rod must be his staff of authority, and must be to him instead, both of sword and sceptre.... [ Continue Reading ]
The Lord said unto Moses — This seems to have been a second vision, whereby God calls him to the present execution of the command given before.... [ Continue Reading ]
The rod of God — His shepherd's crook so called, as it was God's instrument in so many glorious works.... [ Continue Reading ]
In thy hand — in thy power: I will harden his heart — After he has frequently harden'd it himself, wilfully shutting his eyes against the light, I will at last permit Satan to harden it effectually.... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the Lord — This is the first time that preface is used by any man, which afterwards is used so frequently by all the prophets: Israel is my son, my first — born — Precious in my sight, honourable, and dear to me.... [ Continue Reading ]
Let my son go — Not only my servant whom thou hast no right to detain, but my son whose liberty and honour I am jealous for. If thou refuse, I will slay thy son, even thy first — born — As men deal with God's people, let them expect to be themselves dealt with.... [ Continue Reading ]
It seems the sin of Moses, was neglecting to circumcise his son, which perhaps was the effect of his being unequally yoked with a Midianite, who was too indulgent of her child, and Moses so of her. The Lord met him, and, probably, by a sword in an angel's hand, sought to kill him — This was a great... [ Continue Reading ]
So he let him go — The destroying angel withdrew. But still Zipporah cannot forget, but will unreasonably call Moses a bloody husband, because he obliged her to circumcise the child; and upon this occasion, (it is probable) he sent them back to his father — in — law, that they might not create him a... [ Continue Reading ]
In the mount of God — That is, the place where God had met with him.... [ Continue Reading ]
Moses told Aaron all — Those that are fellow — servants to God in the same work, should use a mutual freedom, and endeavour, rightly and fully to understand one another.... [ Continue Reading ]
To cause the lamps to burn — Heb. the lamp: yet... [ Continue Reading ]