Wesley Corpus

The voice of the first sign - God's works have a voice to speak to us, which we must diligently observe. O my Lord, I am not eloquent - He was a great philosopher, statesman, and divine, and yet no orator; a man of a clear head, great thought and solid judgment, but had not a voluble tongue, nor ready utterance; and therefore he thought himself unfit to speak before great men, and about great affairs. Moses was mighty in word, Acts 7:22, and yet not eloquent: what he said was strong and nervous, and to the purpose, and distilled as the dew, Deu 32:2, though he did not deliver himself with that readiness, ease and fineness that some do. Send by whom thou wilt send - By any but me. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against him - Even self - diffidence when it grows into an extreme, when it either hinders us from duty, or clogs us in duty, is very displeasing to him. I will be with thy mouth and with his mouth - Even Aaron that could speak well, yet could not speak to purpose, unless God were with his mouth; without the constant aids of divine grace, the best gifts will fail. Instead of God - To teach and to command him. Take this rod - The staff or crook he carried as a shepherd, that he might not be ashamed of that mean condition out of which God called him. This rod must be his staff of authority, and must be to him instead, both of sword and sceptre. The Lord said unto Moses - This seems to have been a second vision, whereby God calls him to the present execution of the command given before. The rod of God - His shepherd's crook so called, as it was God's instrument in so many glorious works. In thy hand - in thy power: I will harden his heart - After he has frequently harden'd it himself, wilfully shutting his eyes against the light, I will at last permit Satan to harden it effectually. Thus saith the Lord - This is the first time that preface is used by any man, which afterwards is used so frequently by all the prophets: Israel is my son, my first - born - Precious in my sight, honourable, and dear to me.