Exodus 4:18–23
The Bible4Jesus.com Podcast
About this episode
We come now to a pivotal moment in the life of Moses, and by extension, in the life of Israel and the world. Moses, having received his commission from the burning bush, now has to act on it. And in this short passage, we are given a master class in the way God operates in the world. Modern evangelicals, particularly those of the more squeamish varieties, often want a God who is a sort of divine gentleman, one who would never impose His will on anyone. They want a God who makes suggestions, not decrees. The God of Scripture is an absolute sovereign, and nowhere is this sovereignty more starkly, and for some, more uncomfortably, on display than in the Exodus narrative. This passage deals with two monumental themes that are inextricably linked: the absolute sovereignty of God in salvation and judgment, and the covenantal principle of federal headship, represented by the firstborn.