Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - THREE SIGNS

                                                                                               

                         

                                         THREE SIGNS*

One of the problems encountered in just reading the Bible is that of missing many of the subtleties embedded in the scriptures. This seems especially true in the Old Testament where the Jewish people were meant to understand the meaning of a phrase and others were not. In the book of Exodus, Moses was provided with three signs by God - signs to give Pharaoh an indication of the seriousness of God’s request.

The first sign, of course, was that of the rod which became a snake.

So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?

He said “A rod.”

And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” 

So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent…

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” 

(and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand)… 

(Exodus 4:2-4)

This snake, most likely a cobra, represented one of the most ancient of Egyptian gods and was meant to symbolize the divine authority of Pharaoh - his power, absolute authority to rule, ability to maintain and enforce order, and also as a means of protection from all harm. The fact that the snake of Moses’ rod devoured the corresponding snakes that came from Pharaoh’s magicians showed the gods of Egypt were powerless before the Lord.

The second sign was that of the leprous hand.

…[T]he Lord said to him “Now put your hand in your bosom.” 

And he put his hand in his bosom, 

and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, like snow.

And He said, “Put your hand in your bosom again.” 

So he put his hand in his bosom again, and drew it out of his bosom, 

and behold, it was restored like his other flesh. 

"Then it will be, if they do not believe you, nor heed the message of the first sign, 

that they may believe the message of the latter sign…”

(Exodus 4:6-8) 

In the Torah apparently, leprosy is felt to occur as a result of “evil speech"; gossip and pride. The word “pharaoh” in Hebrew can also be read to mean “evil speech.” This was apparently an indication that the pharaohs of Egypt would be judged because of their arrogance and pride in enslaving the Hebrews. It was also a sign to the Hebrews concerning their redemption for this was the plague that evidently affected Pharaoh over the incident with Abraham’s wife.

But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house 

with great plagues because of Sarai, Abraham’s wife. 

(Genesis 12:17)

It was a sign that what the Lord did for Abraham He would also do for Israel.

But there was also a third sign.

"And it shall be, if they do not believe even these two signs…

that you shall take water from the river and pour it on the dry land. 

The water which you take from the river will become blood on the dry land." 

(Exodus 4:9)

This was to be an indication that God remembered all the Hebrew infants that had been thrown into the Nile on the order of Pharaoh. It is also believed to be the first plague that points to the future Messiah; His spilled blood from the lashes and nails and the water and blood that would come from His side when pierced by a spear.

More indications that the Bible has additional meaning than just what might be inferred from a simple reading and also something more to think about.

*Adapted from Mysteries of the Messiah pg 85-89 by Rabbi Jason Sobel