King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026
Chapters: Exodus 4-6
Message: Exodus: Moses Meets Pharaoh
Hello My Friend,
Yesterday, we learned of the severe oppression Israel endured under a new king in Egypt who reduced them to slavery. Moses, having fled Egypt in fear for his life, spent forty years in Midian. There, in the quiet routine of shepherding, he received an unexpected call from God. The Lord declared that He would send Moses back into Egypt to lead the Israelites out of bondage and guide them toward the land He had promised to their fathers. As we continue in the reading of Exodus, Moses is still trying to convince God that He has got the wrong man.
[Exodus 4:1-5 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee. 2 And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. 3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. 4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: 5 That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.]
Before Moses could stand before Pharaoh, he needed to learn that God’s power was greater than his fear. Moses had just finished telling God that Israel would not believe him. God responded by giving him a sign that no human could fabricate. By transforming something common into something living, powerful, and dangerous, God demonstrated that the authority behind Moses’ mission was supernatural. When the rod became a serpent, Moses fled from it. God then told him to take it by the tail—this forced Moses to act in obedience rather than fear. The message was personal as though God was saying, “If you obey Me, I will turn what terrifies you into something under My control.”
Why did God use this example? In Egyptian culture, the serpent—especially the cobra—was a symbol of royal authority and divine power. Pharaoh wore the uraeus (a stylized cobra) on his crown. It represented: sovereignty, protection, and the supposed divine power of the king. By turning Moses’ staff into a serpent, God was making a theological statement: “I have authority over the symbols of Egypt’s power. Pharaoh’s gods are nothing before Me.” If the sign of the rod turning into a serpent did not convince them, then another demonstration would. Therefore, God gave Moses a second illustration to reveal His unmatched power.
[Exodus 4:6-8 And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. 7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh. 8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.]
Why did God want this to be illustrated to prove to them that Moses was talking to Him? Egyptian magicians were skilled in illusions, enchantments, and manipulations of perception. They magicians could mimic certain signs, but they could not create life, remove disease, or reverse decay. When Moses’ hand became leprous “as snow” and then was instantly restored, God was showing a miracle that no sorcerer could counterfeit. If you think that scientists cannot create diseases, think Covid 19, it was created by scientists. Think about it, puberty blockers, over the counter pills that kill life in the womb, narcotics used for easing pain, these are all man made enchantments used to trick people into believing that they are the cure. In the end they will all come to realize that there is only one living God who created them as well, [John 1:3-5 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.]
Even after all that God had shown him, Moses still was not convinced that he was the right man for the task. His doubts ran deep, and he tried once more to persuade God that his hesitation was justified. He insisted that he could not stand before anyone and speak with confidence because of his speech impediment. The Lord reminded him that the One who formed the mouth, the tongue, and the ability to speak was fully capable of equipping him for the mission.
[Exodus 4:10-13 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. 11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. 13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.]
Moses believed he knew his own limitations better than anyone, yet God was revealing that divine calling does not depend on human confidence. What Moses saw as a weakness was not a barrier to God’s purpose; it was the very place where God intended to display His strength. Well, God was growing quite agitated with Moses’ continual resistance. That was when He decided to give him some help. His brother Aaron to be exact.
[Exodus 4:14-16 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. 15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. 16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.]
Moses was about to meet his brother for the very first time. God had a plan all along. He knew that Moses could not carry out this enormous task by himself, and He also knew that Moses would continue to make excuses until he received a little help. This moment reminds us that every soul is precious, and every life is intentionally and perfectly formed by God, no matter what infirmities or limitations He allows a person to be born with. Our weaknesses do not diminish our worth; they simply create space for God’s strength to be revealed, [II Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.]
The same God who gave Moses and Aaron the mouths to speak His words is the same God who gives us the ability to speak through the Holy Spirit. Once Moses realized that help was on the way, and that there was no escaping the calling God had placed on his life, he gathered his family and set out for Egypt. Yet the journey nearly came to an abrupt end, because Moses had forgotten to do something essential—something God required before he could take another step toward his mission.
[Exodus 4:18,20,24-25 And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace. 20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand. 24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. 25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.]
Why was God going to kill him after He was so adamant about telling him to go Egypt? His wife knew because she fixed the problem. God had just commissioned Moses to lead His covenant people out of bondage. Yet Moses had not circumcised his own son, which was the foundational sign of the covenant God made with Abraham. Zipporah, though a Midianite, recognized immediately what Moses had failed to do. She circumcised their son and touched Moses’ feet with the foreskin, symbolically covering him with the obedience he had neglected. And now after all that, Moses and his family continue to head over to Egypt where they met Aaron.
[Exodus 4:27-31 And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him. 28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him. 29 And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel: 30 And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.]
Not only was God preparing Moses for this, He was also preparing Aaron, who managed to leave Egypt without any problem. So why was Aaron able to leave so freely, but not the others? Not all the Egyptians despised the Hebrews, besides that they were doing work for free that they would need to pay their own people to do. This is actually the reason why so many nations, including the United Kingdom and America, had slaves back in the day and keep pushing for illegal immigration to be valid, they are money makers for them. God even had a law regarding slaves, [Leviticus 25:39-40 And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant: 40 But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubile:]
How exciting is it to discover that our prayers have been heard by God? Keep in mind that God only hears the prayers of His people. Once the Israelites saw the signs God gave Moses, they believed that he truly had been sent by the Lord. Yet belief is always followed by testing. Their first test came when Moses and Aaron stood before Pharaoh and asked him to let God’s people go so they could offer sacrifices to Him. Instead of relief, Pharaoh increased their burdens, making their suffering even heavier.
[Exodus 5:1-2,6-8 And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. 2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go. 6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, 7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.]
Pharaoh admitted that he did not know God, but he was certainly about to discover who the Lord truly is. He did not like the idea that the Hebrews wanted to leave the city to worship their God. In his mind, if they had enough time to think about worship, then they were clearly not working hard enough. In response, he commanded that their labor be increased, insisting that they now gather their own supplies in addition to meeting the same quota. However, without the materials they once depended on, their productivity collapsed, making matters even worse.
[Exodus 5:11-14 Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished. 12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. 13 And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw. 14 And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?]
Of course, the Israelites were going to wonder why the Egyptians had suddenly become even more cruel, but is that not just like the world? Did you notice that they were gathering stubble? Yes, they were required to do more work and gather their own supplies, but they went about it in a haphazard way. Had they paused to form a plan and scheduled their time to collect proper materials, their work might have come closer to meeting the task. Well, as you can imagine, what happened next, first they cried to Pharaoh.
[Exodus 5:15-19 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? 16 There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people. 17 But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD. 18 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks. 19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.]
Their crying to Pharaoh only made matter worse. When the foremen went to Pharaoh to learn of why they were treated so cruelly, they discovered that it was Moses. Well, as you can imagine, they went to Moses. Then Moses went to God, asking Him why He even sent him.
[Exodus 5:20-23 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: 21 And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us. 22 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.]
I am not going to lie, I feel like the Israelites and Moses all at the same time, all in the matter of six months, I lost my mother, job, and just as I started a new job my husband ends up in the hospital for a week and now I am in danger of losing that job. And of course, my Bible studies are taking a hit and here I am wondering why I am hanging on by a thread here. Well, I was just reminded that the moment when everything feels like it is falling apart is when God reveals what He has been preparing us for. You are not hanging on by a thread because you are failing. You are hanging on by a thread because the thread is what God is holding, [John 10:28-29 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.]
God does not choose the “Bible Scholars”, “Theology Majors”, or “I know everything about God.” people, He chooses the saved, born again, believers of His Son, Jesus Christ, whom are faithful, willing, and sometimes fearful and doubtful. I say sometimes because, we all mess up quite a bit, and yet, He still uses us because He knows what we are capable of through Him. The Israelites thought God had abandoned them when Pharaoh increased their burdens. But that moment was actually the beginning of their freedom. Moses thought he had failed when the people turned on him. But that moment was actually the beginning of God revealing His power. God, reminds Moses of the covenant that He made with his fathers and that He is the same God.
[Exodus 6:1-5 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. 2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. 4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. 5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.]
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob witnessed the merciful and mighty hand of God many times, yet they never saw the fullness of His eternal nature revealed. JEHOVAH is His name—a shortened expression of I AM THAT I AM, meaning the self‑existent, eternal God. That is who He is, and both Egypt and Israel were about to understand the depth of that name. Through the burdens He would place upon Egypt and the miracles He would perform for Israel, the eternal God would make Himself unmistakably known. God instructed Moses to relay this message to the people, but unfortunately they were not pleased with what they heard. Their spirits were crushed by hardship, and the weight of their suffering made it difficult for them to receive the hope God was offering.
[Exodus 6:6-9 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: 7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD. 9 And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.]
How sad it is that their pain kept them from seeing the blessings that were on the way. Sadly, this is the condition of many Christians today. Instead of trusting God through their trials, they blame Him for their pain and refuse to take even the smallest step of faith to show that they believe Him. It becomes difficult to understand whether they truly grasp what salvation means. Jesus described this very attitude, and He spoke with absolute accuracy, yet He also offered hope to all who endure to the end.
[Matthew 10:21-22,32-33 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.]
Today’s Prayer: God, Every single person born has a place and purpose in this world, we are fearfully and wonderfully made by You, and for You, and what we see as flaws or disabilities are the very things that you use to do Your work as long as we are humble and trust that we can only do them through our faith in Christ. Lord, lead us and guide us, keep us humble, let us continually be reminded that the work that You call us to do is not grievous or vain, and the challenges that we go through are not to kill us, but to strengthen us and in due time we will be exalted by You. Give us Your mercy, grace, comfort, peace, and guidance, let the afflictions we endure become inspirations to do more by the hope we have in You. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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