"WHAT IS THAT IN THINE HAND?"

EXODUS 4:1

A. SETTING OF OUR TEXT
  1. Time for the deliverance of God's people had come:
    1. God's promise to Abraham - Gen. 15:13, 14
    2. Its fulfillment was at hand - Ex. 2:23-25; 3:8
  2. The training period for Moses was about over:
  3. This was clearly indicated by his answer to God's call to lead his people out of Egypt:
    1. ". . . Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" - Ex. 3:11
    2. "And Moses said unto the Lord, O my God, 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." Ex. 4:10
    3. ". . . who am I of uncircumcised lips" - Ex. 6:12
B. "WHAT IS THAT IN THINE HAND?"
  1. This question by the Lord reveals His reasonableness in the call:
    1. He is willing to use what we have.
    2. The rod was Moses' occupational tool.
  2. Moses' rod becomes the rod of God:
    1. It was no longer in the common service of the shepherd in the land of Midian.
    2. It now became the emblem of redeeming power.
  3. The rod of God became the symbol of power:
    1. With it Moses performed miracles - Ex. 4:17
    2. Locusts - Ex. 10:13, 14
    3. Blood - Ex. 7:19, 20
    4. Frogs - Ex. 8:5
    5. Lice - Ex. 8:16
    6. With it he overcame the counterfeit - Ex. 7:9-12
C. WHAT IS THAT IN THINE HAND?
  1. God has, in past times, used many tools as common as the rod of Moses:
    1. David's sling - 1 Sam. 17:40, 50
    2. Elisha's stick - 2 Ki. 6:6, 7
    3. Samson's jawbone - Judg. 15:15
    4. Peter's fishing hook - Matt. 17:27
  2. What we possess must be in the service of God to become the symbol of power:
    1. We all have some talent which, if consecrated to the service of the Lord, can become a potential for the saving of souls.
    2. God speaks to us this morning, asking us, as He did Moses, "What is that in thine hand?"
      1. Is it money? Use it in the service of the Lord - Prov. 3:9
      2. Is it your working tool to make your livelihood? Dedicate it to the Lord and His cause - 1 Chron. 29:12-18
  3. Our subject shows very plainly the reasonableness of God:
    1. He does not expect of us what we do not possess.
    2. But he does ask of us to use what He has blessed us with to the glory of God and for the benefit of mankind.
    3. This was emphasized by our Lord in the parable of the talents - Matt. 25:14-30 ILLUSTRATIONS
      1. God frequently takes the most trivial possession of men to teach great truths. This shows the divine adaptation to the circumstances of men. This shows the divine wisdom in making insignificant things teach divine truths. It shows the divine simplicity of the plan and purpose of heaven.
      2. God takes up the weakest instruments to accomplish His mightiest ends - a rod, a ram's horn, a cake of barley meal, an earthen pitcher. Men imagine that the splendid ends can only be reached by splendid means; but such is not God's way, He can use the crawling worm as well as the scorching sun, a gourd as well as a violent east wind. (C.H.M.)


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