The Israelites believed Moses and Aaron because they saw the signs God performed, confirming His message and His awareness of their suffering.
The signs, such as the rod becoming a serpent, served as visible proof that God had sent Moses and Aaron. This confirmation, combined with the message that the Lord had visited them and seen their affliction, led the elders to believe and worship.
Exodus 4:29-31 — This passage directly describes how Moses and Aaron gathered the elders, performed the signs, and the people believed and worshiped.
In Exodus 4, God instructs Moses to perform signs to convince the Israelites that He has appeared to him. The rod becomes a serpent and his hand becomes leprous and is healed, 'that they may believe that the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, hath appeared unto thee' (Exodus 4:5). When Moses and Aaron gather the elders of Israel, Aaron speaks the words the Lord had spoken to Moses, and Moses performs the signs before the people. The Scripture records: 'And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped' (Exodus 4:31). Thus, the signs served as confirmation, and the message of God's care led to belief and worship.
Les Feldick emphasizes that the Israelites believed because they saw the miraculous signs. He points out that God consistently used signs to prove His presence and power to Israel throughout their history. In the case of Moses, the signs (such as the serpent rod and leprous hand) were given to validate Moses as God's messenger. Les also notes that these signs were not only for Pharaoh but also for Moses and Aaron themselves, to assure them of God's supernatural intervention. The pattern of signs continued through Christ's ministry, as Jesus performed miracles to prove His identity to the Jews.
God gave Moses two signs: turning his shepherd's rod into a serpent and then back again, and making his hand leprous and then healing it. These signs were given so that the Israelites would believe that God had appeared to Moses. Les Feldick highlights that these signs were for the benefit of Moses, Aaron, and the people, to prove that God was behind their mission.
Les Feldick explains that Israel has always required signs, as stated in 1 Corinthians 1:22. From Moses' time onward, God used signs to authenticate His messengers and message. For Moses, the signs proved that God was sending him to Pharaoh. For the Israelites, the signs confirmed that Moses and Aaron were truly God's representatives, leading them to believe.
Yes, the Scripture records that after Aaron spoke and Moses performed the signs, the people believed. They also heard that the Lord had visited them and seen their affliction, which moved them to bow their heads and worship. Thus, the combination of signs and the message of God's care prompted their immediate belief and worship.
The 3-Day Journey: How Exodus Foreshadows the Resurrection of Christ
Hello, and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick.
Signs Lead to Belief
Les explicitly states that the Israelites believed because they saw the signs, not just because Moses and Aaron spoke.
Israel's Demand for Signs
Les connects Israel's historical demand for signs back to Moses' time, where God proved His call through signs.
Signs for Moses and Aaron's Assurance
Les notes that the signs were not only for Pharaoh but also to prove to Moses and Aaron that God would act supernaturally.
Signs Given to Prove God's Messenger
Les explains that God gave the rod and leprosy signs specifically 'that they may believe' that God had appeared to Moses.
Signs in God's Dealings with Israel
Les highlights that God always used signs to prove His presence to Israel, starting with Moses and Aaron.
Who Spoke from the Burning Bush? The Mystery of "I AM" Revealed
He said, but God, they behold, they'll not believe me. Hey, I've been gone 40 years. I've been on the backside of the desert. I'm a shepherd. They won't believe me when I tell them. Now, what else did he remember? He went to him when he had all the pomp and circumstance of Egypt, and he thought he could have had everything going for him, and they didn't believe him.
God vs. Satan's Magicians: Why Aaron's Rod Swallowed Theirs
Well, now we're going to come and confront Pharaoh, and I'd like to have you, for sake of time now, come on over to verse 10, verse 10 of chapter 7, where Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the Lord had commanded, and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
Exodus 4:29-31: And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel: And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
This is the core passage answering why the Israelites believed: they heard the message and saw the signs, leading to belief and worship.
Exodus 4:5: That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.
God explicitly states that the signs are given so that the people would believe that He had appeared to Moses.
1 Corinthians 1:22: For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
This verse, cited by Les, explains the Jewish propensity to demand signs, which is rooted in their history from Moses' time.
The signs were the confirming evidence, but they also heard the message that the Lord had visited them and looked upon their affliction. This combination of visible signs and the message of God's care led them to believe and worship.
Watch the Teaching: The 3-Day Journey: How Exodus Foreshadows the Resurrection of Christ