Exodus Chapter 4
After the Lord initially spoke to Moses through the burning bush in the desolate Midian area and gave Moses the call to return to Egypt, Moses raised a few concerns he had over the Lord’s instructions.
Basically, Moses questioned his own ability to be believed by the Israelites in Egypt. Moses did not know how he could lead a people who did not really believe he had been called of the Lord.
"They will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee." Moses stated to the Lord. Exodus 4:1. It was then that the Lord empowered Moses with signs of miracles.
The Lord asked Moses what was in his (Moses’) hand. Moses identified his sheep herding rod. The Lord told him "Cast it on the ground." Moses did so and it turned into a snake which scared Moses. The Lord directed Moses to pick the snake up by the tail; when Moses did so it turned back into his rod.
The Lord then instructed Moses to put his hand on his own chest. The hand turned white and leprous. Moses repeated then act and the hand returned to normal.
The Lord added one more miracle to the power of Moses. The Lord said if people still did not believe that Moses was sent of the Lord, that Moses could take water from the river and when he poured in on land it would pour as blood. Exodus 4:3-9.
Moses raised still another concern: his inability to speak and be eloquent: "I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue." The Lord asked Moses who made his mouth, and who made all men’s mouths?
The Lord became angry with Moses’ lack of faith and said He would enable Moses to speak as needed. The Lord further instructed Moses that Moses’ brother would be joining Moses and that Aaron was a good speaker. The lord said He could make Aaron as the spokesman for Moses. Exodus 4:11-16.
The Lord turned back all Moses' concerns, saying "take this rod in thine hand" and go into Egypt to convince the people.
Moses first saw his father-in-law, Jethro, for whom he worked, and obtained his blessing to return to Egypt. Moses then loaded up his wife and children and headed back to Egypt, first being assured by the Lord that the men in Egypt who had originally sought his life 40 years ago were now all dead.
The Lord instructed Moses to make sure the Pharaoh witnessed the miracles that the Lord had empowered in Moses; but he warned Moses that the Pharaoh would be hard and would refuse at first to provide freedom to the Israelites. The lord indicated he would be hard on the Pharaoh, even to the extent of taking the Pharaoh’s firstborn if the Israelites were not released. Exodus 4:21-23.
The lord instructed Aaron to meet up with his brother Moses as Moses returned to Egypt and the two celebrated their long absence from each other. Moses informed Aaron of the Lord’s instructions and of the signs of miracles with which he was empowered.
Moses and Aaron went together into Egypt and gathered all the people and elders of the Israelites. Aaron spoke and Moses performed the signs and miracles empowered in him. Exodus 4:29-31.
"And the people believed. . . . they bowed their heads and worshiped."