We stated that the three miracles Moses performed would show three lessons he had to learn before the Lord could use him in His service.
The first was Satan’s power.
The Sinfulness of the Flesh
The second miracle brought home another lesson; the sinfulness of the flesh or the old nature within. God told Moses to put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it out it was leprous as snow. Leprosy is a terrible disease, and God uses it in His Word as a type of the horribleness of sin. Each one of us was born with a sinful fallen nature which is so bad that Paul was led by the Spirit to tell us, “In me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing” (Rom. 7:1818For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (Romans 7:18)). It is useless to expect any good fruit from this bad root found in every one of us, both saved and unsaved. The only difference with the believer is that he has two natures. In addition to the old nature (which he is told to keep in the place of death) he has a new nature which is created in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:2424And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (Ephesians 4:24)).
Pleasing God
The way we feed the new man and live for God’s glory, is by occupation with Christ through the Word. The unsaved man on the other hand has only the sinful, fallen nature, and therefore no matter what he does he cannot please God. You might wonder how we receive this new nature. The Lord Jesus told Nicodemus, “Ye must be born again,” (John 3:77Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (John 3:7)) and when one is born again by taking the Lord Jesus as his own personal Saviour, God gives him this new life. Then, and not till then, can he please God.
God told Moses to put his hand in his bosom again, and then, when he plucked it out in obedience, it was clean again. And so when we walk in obedience to the Word of God the old nature is kept in the place of death, and we please God.
Fake Refreshments
There was one more lesson for Moses to learn. The third miracle was to take the water of the river and pour it on the ground and it became blood. Everything that looks like refreshment and pleasure in this Egypt world has the stamp of death upon it, for we are in a dry and thirsty land. There is nothing here which will bring us lasting happiness. Yes, it is a scene of death, for “if One died for all, then were all dead: and that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:14-1514For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:14‑15)).
Lessons Learned
Let us remember these three things which Moses had to learn: the power of Satan, the evil of the old nature, and that this world in which we live is a scene of death, having no refreshment for our weary souls.
Moses was still unwilling to go in spite of all the signs God gave him. It is a good thing to feel that we cannot do anything without the Lord’s help, and to wait until we are sure that our service is pleasing Him. But when we have His Word for our path, and He assures us that He will be with us in it, then holding back is only unbelief and displeasing to the Lord.
Moses said he could not talk well, and this reminds us of many who have a great deal to say about school and other things, but very little to say about the Lord and His interests. What we talk about shows what we enjoy, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matt. 12:3434O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (Matthew 12:34)).
Further Meditation
1. What were Moses’s three lessons?
2. Why do some unbelievers do nice things like providing food for a sick neighbor?
3. You may be helped in understanding the nature of a believer by reading The Two Natures in the Believer, also by G. H. Hayhoe.