Exodus 4:14, commentary and pictures

The anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses because he continued to resist and express reluctance even after receiving assurances of divine help. Moses felt unfit to speak for God because he was slow of speech, timid, and incapable, and he pleaded not to bear the responsibility. He agreed to go only after God convinced him that he was chosen to deliver Israel, and his response showed humility learned during his years among the mountains and sheep, not self-exaltation. Moses himself excelled in wisdom for conducting affairs but lacked ready speech in the Egyptian language.

Aaron was the Levite, Moses' elder brother, three years older than Moses, and he was eighty-three years old when God called him to join Moses in the mission to lead Israel from Egypt. God knew and testified that Aaron could speak well. Aaron had been in daily use of the language of the Egyptians, understood it perfectly, and was eloquent and fluent. By God's arrangement Aaron was already coming forth to meet Moses, and when he saw Moses he would be glad in his heart after their long separation.

God appointed Aaron to join Moses in the work of delivering Israel and to stand with him as spokesman and mouth to the people. His arrival supplied the help Moses had requested and removed Moses' remaining excuse. Moses was to speak to Aaron and put words in his mouth, God would be with the mouth of both and teach them what to do, Aaron would be a mouth to Moses while Moses would be to him instead of God, and Moses was to take the rod in his hand to do signs. Moses was to serve in partnership with God rather than through confidence in his own ability, obeying the commission and relying on God rather than treating his own judgment as superior to God's commands.

Once Moses accepted the work and trusted in the Lord, God blessed his obedience and strengthened him to become eloquent, hopeful, and self-possessed. The account supports the lesson that human weakness and self-distrust can make a person a channel for God's work when joined with implicit faith and obedience. Moses' earlier rash killing of the Egyptian arose from presumption, while faith enabled him to face the later task and its seemingly impossible obstacles. God knew that Aaron was yielding in character and lacked the moral courage to defend what was right in every circumstance.

God's appointment of Aaron as spokesman, with his honored position and gifts, made his later failure especially grave. Although he had seen God's glory and witnessed God's judgments on Egypt, he made the golden calf, supported the people's rebellion, and failed to restrain the idolaters. God was angry with Aaron and would have destroyed him, but Moses' earnest intercession spared his life, and Aaron was restored to God's favor through penitence and humility. The verse shows that God can provide a prepared helper to assist someone in the work of speaking for Him, as illustrated when Haskell was appointed as help and mouthpiece with God giving him His Spirit.