อพยพ 4:11 วิจารณ์

This chapter, I. Continues and concludes God's discourse with Moses at the bush concerning this great affair of bringing Israel out of Egypt. 1. Moses objects the people's unbelief (Exo 4:1), and God answers that objection by giving him a power to work miracles, (1.) To turn his rod into a serpent, and then into a rod again (Exo 4:2-5). (2.) To make his hand leprous, and then whole again (Exo 4:6-8). (3.) To turn the water into blood (Exo 4:9). 2. Moses objects his own slowness of speech (Exo 4:10), and begs to be excused (Exo 4:13); but God answers this objection, (1.) By promising him his presence (Exo 4:11, Exo 4:12). (2.) By joining Aaron in commission with him (Exo 4:14-16). (3.) By putting an honour upon the very staff in his hand (Exo 4:17). II. It begins Moses's execution of his commission. 1. He obtains leave of his father-in-law to return into Egypt (Exo 4:18). 2. He receives further instructions and encouragements from God (Exo 4:19, Exo 4:21-23). 3. He hastens his departure, and takes his family with him (Exo 4:20). 4. He meets with some difficulty in the way about the circumcising of his son (Exo 4:24-26). 5. He has the satisfaction of meeting his brother Aaron (Exo 4:27, Exo 4:28). 6. He produces his commission before the elders of Israel, to their great joy (Exo 4:29-31). And thus the wheels were set a going towards that great deliverance.

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 4 This chapter is a continuation of the discourse that passed between God and Moses; and here Moses makes other objections to his mission; one is taken from the unbelief of the people of Israel, which is removed by giving him power to work miracles, by turning the rod in his hand into a serpent, and then into a rod again; and by putting his hand into his bosom at one time, when it became leprous, and again into the same place, when it became sound and whole, and by turning the water of the river into blood, Exo 4:1, another objection is formed from his want of eloquence, which is answered with an assurance, that God, that made man's mouth, would be with his mouth, and teach him what to say; and besides, Aaron his brother, who was an eloquent man, should be his spokesman, Exo 4:10 upon which he returned to Midian, and having obtained leave of his father-in-law to depart from thence, he took his wife and his sons, and returned to Egypt, Exo 4:18 at which time he received some fresh instructions from the Lord what he should do before Pharaoh, and what he should say unto him, Exo 4:21 then follows an account of what befell him by the way, because of the circumcision of his son, Exo 4:24 and the chapter is closed with an account of the meeting of Moses and Aaron, and of their gathering the elders of Israel together, to whom the commission of Moses was opened, and signs done before them, to which they gave credit, and expressed their joy and thankfulness, Exo 4:27.

And the Lord said unto him, who hath made man's mouth?.... Made that itself, and put in it the power and faculty of speech, even into the mouth of the first man, Adam, as the Targum of Jonathan; and so of every other man, did not the Lord do it? none else could, and therefore he that made it, and made it capable of speaking, could remove any impediments in it, and cause it to speak freely and fluently: or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I, the Lord? as all the senses, and the perfection of them, are from him, so all the imperfections in them are according to his good pleasure; what he suffers to be, and can remedy when he thinks fit: it is he that gives the seeing eye and hearing ear, can and does make blind and deaf, that gives also the speaking mouth, and makes that dumb, and can open it again as he pleases! and what is it that he cannot do?

Just as in Exodus God speaks to Moses, when he delays and fears to go to the people, saying, “Who gave a mouth to man and who made the dumb and the deaf, the seeing and the blind? Did not I the Lord God? Go now, and I shall open your mouth, and I will teach you what you shall speak.” It is not difficult for God to open the mouth of a man devoted to him and to inspire constancy and confidence in speaking in one who confesses him, who in the book of Numbers made even a female ass speak against Balaam the prophet. Therefore let no one consider in persecutions what danger the devil brings, but rather let him bear in mind what assistance God affords. Let not the disturbances of men weaken the mind, but let divine protection strengthen the faith, since each one according to the Lord’s promises and the merits of his faith receives so much of God’s help as he thinks he receives, and since there is nothing which the Almighty cannot grant, except if the frail faith of the recipient be deficient.

There are some who bring false charges against God, or rather against the Scriptures of the Old Testament, because God said that he himself makes a man blind or mute. So what do they say about Christ the Lord, who says openly in the Gospel, “I have come so that those who are blind may see and those who see might be made blind”? Who besides a fool would believe that something can happen to a man in regard to corporeal defects that God did not will? No one doubts that God wills all things justly.

Moses continuing to express his fear that the Israelites would not credit his Divine mission, Exo 4:1; God, to strengthen his faith, and to assure him that his countrymen would believe him, changed his rod into a serpent, and the serpent into a rod, Exo 4:2-5; made his hand leprous, and afterwards restored it, Exo 4:6, Exo 4:7; intimating that he had now endued him with power to work such miracles, and that the Israelites would believe, Exo 4:8; and farther assures him that he should have power to turn the water into blood, Exo 4:9. Moses excuses himself on the ground of his not being eloquent, Exo 4:10, and God reproves him for his unbelief, and promises to give him supernatural assistance, Exo 4:11, Exo 4:12. Moses expressing his utter unwillingness to go on any account, God is angry, and then promises to give him his brother Aaron to be his spokesman, Exo 4:13-16, and appoints his rod to be the instrument of working miracles, Exo 4:17. Moses returns to his relative Jethro, and requests liberty to visit his brethren in Egypt, and is permitted, Exo 4:18. God appears to him in Midian, and assures him that the Egyptians who sought his life were dead, Exo 4:19. Moses, with his wife and children, set out on their journey to Egypt, Exo 4:20. God instructs him what he shall say to Pharaoh, Exo 4:21-23. He is in danger of losing his life, because he had not circumcised his son, Exo 4:24. Zipporah immediately circumcising the child, Moses escapes unhurt, Exo 4:25, Exo 4:26. Aaron is commanded to go and meet his brother Moses; he goes and meets him at Horeb, Exo 4:27. Moses informs him of the commission he had received from God, Exo 4:28. They both go to their brethren, deliver their message, and work miracles, Exo 4:29, Exo 4:30. The people believe and adore God, Exo 4:31.

Who hath made man's mouth? etc. - Cannot he who formed the mouth, the whole organs of speech, and hath given the gift of speech also, cannot he give utterance? God can take away those gifts and restore them again. Do not provoke him: he who created the eye, the ear, and the mouth, hath also made the blind, the deaf, and the dumb.

MIRACULOUS CHANGE OF THE ROD, &c. (Exo. 4:1-31) But, behold--Hebrew, "If," "perhaps," "they will not believe me."--What evidence can I produce of my divine mission? There was still a want of full confidence, not in the character and divine power of his employer, but in His presence and power always accompanying him. He insinuated that his communication might be rejected and he himself treated as an impostor.