Moses works the excuses
1Moses said, “What if they don’t believe me and won’t listen to me? What if they call me a liar and say the LORD didn’t come to me?”2The LORD said, “What are you holding in your hand?” Moses answered, “A walking staff.” [1]
3The LORD said, “Toss it on the ground.” When Moses did, the staff become a snake. Moses jumped back. 4The LORD told Moses, “Reach out and grab the snake by the tail.” [2] When Moses did, the snake became a staff again.
5The LORD said, “When you get to Egypt, do what I just did. Do it to convince the people that you had a visit from the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 6Then the LORD told him, “Reach under your clothing and touch your chest.” Moses did. When he pulled out his hand, crusty, white scales covered it. [3] 7The LORD said, “Put your hand back under your robe.” Moses did. When he pulled his hand back out, it looked healthy again, like the rest of his body.
8“The LORD said, “Do this if the people aren’t convinced by the first evidence you give them. 9And if the second one doesn’t convince them, either, dip some water from the Nile River and pour it on the ground. The water will turn into blood.”
“I don’t want to go”
10“Please excuse me LORD,” Moses said, “But I’m not a smooth talker. Never have been. Even now I’m stumbling over my words. My mouth and tongue don’t work right.” 11“Oh really?” the LORD said. “Who do you think put a mouth on people? Who decides which people talk or hear or see? Wouldn’t that be me? 12Now pack up and get going. I, personally, will make sure your mouth works right. And I’ll tell you what to say.”“Send anyone but me”
13Moses said, “Please, please, Lord. [4] Send anyone but me with this message.”14That irritated the LORD a lot. “Well,” he said, “You’ve got a brother, Aaron, [5] also from Levi’s tribe, right? I know he’s a smooth talker, quite fluent. He’s coming to meet you. He’s going to be overjoyed to see you again. 15So I want you to sit him down and tell him what he’s supposed to say. I will personally make sure that your mouth and his mouth work just fine. I’ll tell you what to say. 16He’s going to talk to the people on your behalf, as your spokesman. And you’re going to tell him what I want the people to hear. He does the talking, but you’re in charge. 17Be sure to take your staff. You’ll use it to give the people evidence [6] to back up your words.
Moses returns to Egypt
18Moses headed back to his father-in-law, Jethro, and told him, “Please, I’d like to go to Egypt and see how my relatives are doing.” Jethro said, “Certainly. Go in peace.”19While Moses was still there in Midian, the LORD said, “All those Egyptians who wanted to kill you are dead.” 20Moses helped his wife and sons onto a donkey, [7] and left for Egypt. [8] Moses took his shepherd’s staff.
21The LORD told Moses, “When you get to Egypt, I want you to show Pharaoh all of those signs I gave you. But I want you to know they won’t convince him. I’ll see to it. I’m going to make him more stubborn than he already is. He won’t let the people go. 22When he refuses, tell him, ‘The LORD says, Israel is my child. My firstborn son, the one who gets all the extra attention. [9] 23I’ve already told you, “Let my child go and worship me.” But you refused. So, here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to kill your firstborn son.’”
Mom circumcises her son
24While Moses and his family were camping along the way one night, the LORD came and threatened to kill him. [10] 25Zipporah took a flint knife and circumcised her son. She brushed the blood against the legs [11] of Moses and said, “There, you’re safe now. I married into a family that makes me do something as bloody as this.” [12]26The LORD backed off, and didn’t hurt anyone. Zipporah, still talking about the circumcision said, “I married into bloody rituals like this.”
Reunion of Moses and Aaron
27The LORD told Aaron, “Go meet Moses in the badlands.” So he did. The two met at God’s mountain, where Aaron greeted Moses with a kiss. 28Moses brought Aaron up to date, telling him everything God wanted them to say and do when they met with the people.29Moses and Aaron met first with the Israelite leaders. 30Aaron delivered the entire message God gave Moses. Then Moses performed the signs God gave him to convince the people. 31It worked. The people believed. When they heard that the LORD had been listening to their prayers and was concerned about their troubles, they bowed to thank and worship him.
