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CHAPTER 5: Moses Returns Into Egypt - The Dismissal Of Zipporah -
Moses Meets Aaron - Their Reception ByThe Children Of Israel -
Remarks On The Hardening Of Pharaoh's HeartExodus 15:17-31
SCRIPTURE-HISTORY is full of seemingly strange contrasts. Unintelligible to the
superficialobserver, the believing heart rejoices to trace in them, side by side, the
difference between whatappears to the eye of man and what really is before God; and
then between the power of God, andthe humbleness of the means and circumstances
through which He chooses to manifest it. The objectof the one is to draw out our faith,
and to encourage it in circumstances which least promise success;that of the other, to
give all the glory to God, and ever to direct our eye from earth to heaven. So itwas,
when, in the days of His flesh, neither Israel nor the Gentiles recognized the royal
dignity ofChrist in Him who entered Jerusalem, "meek, and riding upon an ass and the
colt of an ass." And soit also appeared, when, in the simple language of Scripture,
"Moses took his wife and his sons, andset them upon an, ass, and he returned to the
land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in hishand." (Exodus 4:20)
What a contrast! He who bears in his hand the rod of God is dismissed in this mean
manner - hiswife and sons, and all their goods laden on one ass, and himself humbly
walking by their side! Whowould have recognized in this humble guise him who
carried that by which he would smite down thepride of Pharaoh and the might of
Egypt?
On his return from "the mount of God," Moses had simply announced to his father-in-
law hispurpose of revisiting Egypt Probably Jethro had not sufficient enlightenment
for Moses tocommunicate to him the Divine vision. Besides, the relations between
them at the time (as we gathereven from the manner in which Jethro allowed him to
depart) seem not to have been such as to invitespecial confidence; possibly, it might
have only raised hindrances on the part of Jethro or ofZipporah. But it was an
indication that God furthered his way, when alike his father-in-law and hiswife so
readily agreed to an expedition which, in the circumstances, might have been fraught
withgreat danger. And this was not all. After he had resolved to go, but before he
actually set out, Godencouraged him by the information that all the men were dead
who had sought his life. Again, whileon his journey, He gave him threefold
strengthening for the work before him. First, He pointed him tothe Divine rod in his
hand, with which he was to attest by miracles his mission to Pharaoh. (Exodus4:21)
Secondly, lest he should be discouraged by the failure of these signs to secure
Pharaoh'ssubmission, God not only foretold the hardening of the king's heart, but by
saying, "I will harden hisheart" (ver. 21), proved that that event also was under His
own immediate control and direction.Lastly, in the message which he was to bear to
Pharaoh a double assurance was conveyed (vers. 22,23). Jehovah demanded freedom
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