And Jehovah said to Moses, Stretch out thy hand and take it by the tail -- and he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand --
Commentary for this Verse
Moses fears that Israel will not believe him. So the Lord gives him a sign on the spot. He throws down the shepherd's staff in his hand, it turns into a serpent, and Moses runs from it. Then God tells him to pick the thing up by the wrong end. Two questions follow. Why does God arm His servant with something so ordinary? And why does He make him grab the very thing he just fled?
What Was Already in His Hand
The staff was a shepherd's tool, nothing impressive. One writer notes how God works with what the man already carries:
C. H. MackintoshThe Lord would just take him as he was, and use what he had in his hand. He had tended Jethro's sheep with that rod. Now it would deliver the Israel of God and punish the land of Egypt. It would open a way through the deep for the ransomed of the Lord to pass over. It would bring water out of the hard rock to refresh Israel's thirsty crowds in the desert. God takes up the weakest instruments to do His mightiest work.
The Rod as Authority
A rod is not just a stick. One writer notes that this one is a shepherd's rod, and that this says something about the power it stands for:
Frederick W. GrantPower with Him always waits on love. The rod in Moses' hand, then, is the type of divine power, marked by tenderness and care, like a shepherd's rod. Moses is then told to cast it on the ground; and out of his hand, the rod changes its character; it becomes a serpent.
Authority on the Ground
Once the rod leaves his hand and hits the ground, its nature changes. That picture matched the country God was sending Moses into.
William KellyThe point of this wonder was the change of power (which a "rod" means in scripture) into something satanic. The rod is the symbol of authority; it may also represent chastening. But chastening is right only when it flows from just authority. So the two ideas belong together in this emblem. The rod of power then taking satanic form seems to be what the first sign given to Moses means. Such was exactly the state of things in the land of Egypt.
Kelly also observes that the Hebrew word is broader than "serpent" — it is the same word used for large creatures of the sea.
Taking It by the Tail
The command runs against instinct. Grabbing a snake by the tail leaves its head free to strike, and one writer faces that:
William J. HockingTo grab the serpent by its tail, leaving its head free to strike with its poisonous fangs, seemed unwise and dangerous. But God's directions are always the wisest and the best, even when they seem to run against our own reason and wishes. Here, I think, we shall understand the inner meaning of God's command by looking at His prophetic word given in Eden. The Seed of the woman would in due time bruise the serpent's head. That is why His servant could take it by the tail without harm.
Whose Power the Serpent Is
The sign was meant to steady a frightened man. What terrifies him turns out to be borrowed strength:
L. M. GrantThe serpent is typical of Satan, who has power that is dreaded by mankind. But where does he get his power? In effect he is only a rod in the hand of God... God is in perfect control. When He wants, He can turn the serpent into a rod as fast as He turned the rod into a serpent. So Moses should realize this: Satan's opposition may be strong, but God was in sovereign control. He could put power into the hand of Moses to overcome all the power of Satan.
Not Yet Our Task
One writer adds a caution. Believers are not told to handle evil powers now:
F. B. HoleWe live in a day when satanic power shows itself more and more. But as Christians we have no command to seize the serpent by the tail. If we try to do it before the time, we shall only get bitten. That action is reserved for the One of whom Moses serves as a type. He will do it finally and gloriously at His second coming.
Summary
- Rod — God uses what is already in the hand and sends the man out with it. The weakest instrument does the appointed work.
- Dropped — authority dropped on the ground turns satanic. That was Egypt, and Moses fled from it.
- Grasped — obedience takes it by the tail. The command runs against reason, and it is still the safest thing to do.
- Restored — in the obedient hand the serpent is a rod again. The enemy's power is only borrowed, and God stays in control.
- Reserved — the final seizing belongs to the One Moses pictures. Believers who try it early only get bitten.