Moses' Staff (Rod of God)

Illustration of Moses' Staff (Rod of God)
An ordinary shepherd's staff became the instrument of the plagues, the parted Red Sea, and water from the rock - because God, not the wood, held the power.

An ordinary shepherd's staff became, in Moses' hand, the instrument through which God performed his mightiest acts of deliverance - turning into a serpent and back as a sign of God's presence, then striking the Nile to begin the plagues, dividing the Red Sea, and bringing water from the rock at Horeb. Scripture calls it simply 'the rod of God,' since its power rested entirely in the God who commanded its use rather than in the wood itself. It is distinct from Aaron's rod, which later budded as a sign of God's chosen priesthood, though the two staffs are often confused for one another.

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Details

Significance
The physical instrument through which God worked the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and other central acts of the Exodus deliverance.
Materials
Wood (a shepherdโ€™s staff)

Key Chapters

Exodus 4 Moses Returns to Egypt 5 min read

Key Passages

The Staff Becomes a Sign

Exodus 4:1-5

A1nd Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.

2 And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. 3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. 4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: 5 That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.

Called 'the Rod of God'

Exodus 4:17

A17nd thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.

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