In Chapter 4 Moses received further instructions. He asked what would be
his article of authority, to which God nonchalantly said, “what is in your
hand?”
There is something poignant about using what is in your hand. Your
authority is rarely far from your core passion and God-given abilities. He is unlikely
to expect you to get enthusiastic about something well beyond your reach.
That said, that rod had been so long used to shepherd the flock, that
God gave it a symbolic value beyond its physical attributes. Your own years of
tutelage in God will also add life to your underlying skills and abilities to
ensure real authority in their later use.
The idea of a speaker’s mace or rod, in a parliament, alludes to the
same idea as a rod which is given authority through its symbolic use rather
than its physical value.
Moses still questioned God
It was, after all, a major thing He was being called to do. So God told
him to throw the rod to the ground and it became a serpent, but when he took
its tail it was a rod again. He also told him to put his hand to his chest, and
it became leprous.
That was not enough. The third sign, for God knew that Pharaoh would not
listen, was to pour some of the Nile water onto dry land, which would then turn
it into blood. It was the first real judgment or plague and it touched their
most basic “deity”, the Nile.
Still Moses felt unsure, partly because he had always been ineloquent,
but more because of a loss of confidence and stature through his years of
exile. His feelings upset God, so Aaron became
his spokesman, which marked the start of the Aaronic priesthood.
It’s a little appreciated fact that Aaron, his elder brother went to
Midian as well. Thus he was appointed as spokesman before Moses left. It
confirmed the Hebrew names of his adoptive family and the likelihood that he
was exiled to a known community.
Moses returned
He asked Jethro for leave to go back to Egypt and off they went, but Zipporah
had to hastily circumcise her son because God’s righteous standard demanded
that the family be an example in every way, and fully identified with the Jews.
So Moses briefed Aaron and the elders and set the scene for what would
follow, pursuant to the day they would leave to go to the mountain of God.
Unfortunately, as so often happens when God triggers a revolution, it
was unsettling. Pharaoh rejected the initial demands articulated by Aaron, on
whom the spirit of authority did not rest. He then increased the burdens of the Jews.
That bred a heap of resentment for Moses. That too is true for all
pioneering leaders. Initially they will meet with resistance until they win
over a critical mass of support. Jesus had it. Paul had it. We will all see it
happen to ourselves or to leaders among us.
Note that Moses only asked to make a three day journey into the desert.
That was the same kind of journey that Abraham once made and it signifies a
death, to Egypt, a burial, through the sea, and new life in the dawning of a
new era.
Paul had the same idea in 1 Corinthians 10:2, when he spoke of Israel
being “baptized” into Moses through the sea, which all alluded to Jesus. Paul
confirmed in Romans 6:3, that we were baptized into the death, burial and
resurrection of Jesus.
The name of God
Moses was then instructed to tell the people about Jehovah, a name not
known to either their forefathers or that generation of Jews.
It doesn’t actually appear anywhere in the bible. The Tyndale
translators merely took the vowel-less Hebrew letters YHWH, also called the
tetragammatron in Greek, and added vowels to what otherwise appears about 7,000
times in the bible.
Hebrew doesn’t really have formal vowels at all, it uses inflections below and
before or after consonants, to denote a vowel sound.
However, a
misappropriation of God’s words, “Do not make the name of God worthless”, (Lev
24:16), led to non-use of His name, so instead they called Him "Lord" or "Adonai".
God meant the name to be used, but Jews refuse to this day to mouth it
or to say it in full, as it is so sacred to them. I can’t fault that, but the
upshot was that we gave detached titles to God, where the righteous always preferred to call on the “name of the Lord” (Gen 12:8, Ps 116:4).
Well, the same named God also chose to let His son be known by a name,
not a title. Indeed, Jesus shunned titles (Math 23:8-10) and preferred to be
known by His name.
What a contrast to other religions whose God-names are more titular and
used with contrived reverence. God is to be feared, but He yearns to be known
too.
The tension mounts
Well, that same God, the Great I am, then instructed Moses to go back to
Pharaoh, to insist that his own son be allowed to go 3 days into the desert, or
he would take Pharoah’s only son.
In the midst of all that the descendants of Moses and Aaron were named.
It is important. Descendants of the others sons of Jacob were also named as
Israel organized into family heads.
However, the naming of priestly families would later take on more significance
as their roles became more refined. It would be further refined into courses,
by David.
Once again the first born and second born defaulted to another, but that
comes later. Aaron’s first two sons were Nadab and Abihu, who died when they
offered strange fire to God. The next was Eleazar, who would later take Aaron’s
mantle. The last was Ithamar.
Eleazar, a noble son bore Phinehas who would also defend the faith at the
gates of Canaan.
(c) Peter Missing at Bethelstone.com
(c) Peter Missing at Bethelstone.com
