"Put your hand back inside your cloak," said the LORD. So Moses put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his skin. “Put your hand back inside your cloak,” said the LORD.This command from God to Moses occurs during the theophany at the burning bush, where God is equipping Moses with signs to validate his divine mission to the Israelites and Pharaoh. The cloak, a common garment in ancient Near Eastern attire, symbolizes concealment and revelation. The act of placing the hand inside the cloak signifies a divine intervention that is hidden from human sight, emphasizing God's control over the natural and supernatural. So Moses put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his skin. Persons / Places / Events 1. MosesThe central figure in this passage, Moses is chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. At this point, he is receiving signs from God to validate his mission. 2. The LORD (Yahweh) God is speaking directly to Moses, providing him with signs to demonstrate His power and authority. 3. The Cloak A garment that Moses uses to perform the sign. It symbolizes concealment and revelation, as Moses' hand is hidden and then revealed healed. 4. The Leprous Hand A miraculous sign given by God to Moses. Initially, Moses' hand becomes leprous, symbolizing impurity and disease, and then it is restored, symbolizing healing and divine power. 5. Mount Horeb Although not mentioned directly in this verse, it is the location where God appears to Moses in the burning bush and gives him these signs. Teaching Points God's Sovereignty and PowerGod demonstrates His control over physical ailments, showing that nothing is beyond His power to heal or change. Faith and Obedience Moses' willingness to follow God's instructions, even when they seem strange, is a model of faith and obedience for believers. Signs and Wonders God uses signs to confirm His word and mission. Believers should seek to understand the purpose of signs in their spiritual journey. Restoration and Healing The restoration of Moses' hand is a powerful image of God's ability to heal and restore what is broken or diseased in our lives. Trust in God's Plan Even when faced with daunting tasks, believers can trust that God equips and empowers them for His purposes. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the transformation of Moses' hand from leprous to healed illustrate God's power and authority? Consider other instances in the Bible where God demonstrates His power over disease.2. In what ways does Moses' obedience to God's command serve as a model for our own faith journey? Reflect on a time when you had to trust and obey God despite uncertainty. 3. How do the signs given to Moses in Exodus 4 relate to the signs and miracles performed by Jesus in the New Testament? What do these signs teach us about God's character? 4. What can we learn about God's ability to restore and heal from this passage? How can this understanding impact our prayers and expectations for healing today? 5. How does the context of Moses' encounter with God at Mount Horeb shape our understanding of his mission and the challenges he faced? How can we apply this understanding to our own callings and challenges? Connections to Other Scriptures Leviticus 13-14These chapters detail the laws concerning leprosy, highlighting the seriousness of the disease and the significance of Moses' hand being healed. Numbers 12:10-15 Miriam's leprosy and subsequent healing serve as another example of God's power over disease and His ability to restore. Luke 5:12-13 Jesus heals a man with leprosy, demonstrating His divine authority and compassion, paralleling God's power shown to Moses.
People Aaron, Isaac, Israelites, Jacob, Jethro, Moses, Pharaoh, ZipporahPlaces Egypt, Horeb, Midian, Nile RiverTopics Behold, Bosom, Bringeth, Cloak, Drew, Flesh, Inside, Plucked, Putteth, Rest, Restored, RobeDictionary of Bible Themes Exodus 4:75104 Moses, foreshadower of Christ Library January 13. "Thou Shalt be to Him Instead of God" (Ex. Iv. 16). "Thou shalt be to him instead of God" (Ex. iv. 16). Such was God's promise to Moses, and such the high character that Moses was to assume toward Aaron, his brother. May it not suggest a high and glorious place that each of us may occupy toward all whom we meet, instead of God? What a dignity and glory it would give our lives, could we uniformly realize this high calling! How it would lead us to act toward our fellow-men! God can always be depended upon. God is without variableness or shadow of turning. … Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth May the Eleventh but -- --! May the Twelfth Mouth and Matter A Bundle of Myrrh is My Well-Beloved unto Me; He Shall Abide Between My Breasts. Preaching (I. ). To the Saddest of the Sad The Sweet Uses of Adversity "For if Ye Live after the Flesh, Ye Shall Die; but if Ye through the Spirit do Mortify the Deeds of the Body, Ye Shall Live. The Hardening in the Sacred Scripture. The Quotation in Matt. Ii. 6. Flight into Egypt and Slaughter of the Bethlehem Children. Appendix xii. The Baptism of Proselytes A Canticle of Love Exodus Links Exodus 4:7 NIVExodus 4:7 NLT Exodus 4:7 ESV Exodus 4:7 NASB Exodus 4:7 KJV Exodus 4:7 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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