When God Commands the Impossible

Exodus 4:1–9 (NASB95)

1Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’ ” 2The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” 3Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4But the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail”—so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— 5“that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” 6The LORD furthermore said to him, “Now put your hand into your bosom.” So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7Then He said, “Put your hand into your bosom again.” So he put his hand into his bosom again, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8“If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe the witness of the last sign. 9“But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”

Commentary - When God Commands the Impossible

Moses stood before God with a heavy heart, uncertain that anyone would believe he had truly encountered the Lord. God answered Moses’ doubts not with empty reassurance but with three powerful signs. Each sign was chosen with care. Each one spoke directly to the heart of Egyptian religion and power. These were not random miracles. They were God’s declaration that He alone rules over creation, life, and death. 

The first sign was the transformation of Moses’ staff into a serpent. In Egypt, the serpent was a symbol of royal authority. Pharaoh wore the cobra, called the uraeus, on his crown as a sign of divine protection and power. The serpent also represented chaos and evil, tied to the myth of Apep, the great enemy of the sun god Ra. When God turned the staff into a serpent, He was making a bold claim. He showed that He holds authority over the very symbols that Egypt trusted most, symbols of Egypt’s demonic gods. Then God told Moses to pick up the serpent by the tail. This was not the safe way. Anyone who has handled snakes knows that grabbing the tail leaves you exposed to danger. God asked Moses to act in faith, to trust Him completely, and to take a risk that defied common sense. Moses obeyed, and the serpent became a staff again. This act was not about Moses’ courage. It was about his trust in God’s word. 

The second sign was even more personal. God told Moses to place his hand inside his cloak. When Moses pulled it out, his hand was leprous, white as snow. Then God restored it. In Egypt, gods like Sekhmet and Thoth were believed to control disease and healing. By afflicting and healing Moses’ hand in an instant, God showed that He alone has power over health and sickness. No ritual, no priest, no Egyptian god could match this authority. God’s power was absolute, and it was not limited by human understanding or tradition. 

The third sign struck at the heart of Egypt’s identity. God told Moses to take water from the Nile and pour it on the ground, where it would turn to blood. The Nile was worshipped as a god, Hapi, the source of Egypt’s life and fertility. The river was also linked to Osiris, the god of resurrection. By turning the Nile’s water into blood, God declared His supremacy over Egypt’s most cherished source of life. This sign foreshadowed the plagues that would soon come upon Egypt. It was a warning and a promise that God’s power would not be ignored. 

These signs were not tricks for Moses to use at will. God did not give Moses magical abilities. He gave him specific instructions and promised that His own power would work through Moses as an expression of His will. Moses was not a magician. He was a servant. The difference is everything. God’s power is not something we control. It is something we trust. 

For us today, the lessons are clear. God sometimes calls us to take risks that seem foolish by the world’s standards. He asks us to trust Him when the outcome is uncertain. He asks us to obey even when the command feels dangerous or costly. Like Moses, we may be called to step forward in faith, trusting that God’s power is greater than any challenge we face. The world has its own symbols of power and security, but God stands above them all. He is not limited by human authority or tradition. When God commands the impossible, He also provides the strength and tools we need to follow Him and complete the mission. 

Have courage. Do not be afraid. Trust in God. 

In His Service, 

 Ryan Goodnight