Then the LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?”
“A staff,” he replied.
The LORD said, “Throw it on the ground.”
Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it.
Then the LORD said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand.Exodus 4:2-4
God took something Moses was familiar with and used and leaned on – his staff. He said ‘what is that’ as if He didn’t know. “My Staff” Moses says. God wanted Moses to say it. The things you say, Moses, with such confidence as if what you say is how it is, is not the case. You say you can’t talk, you say I should send someone else, you also say this is your staff.
But I can turn it into a snake. and it isn’t just a snake, it says that Moses ran from it. It was scary, it was big and dangerous, and God created it. God create something big and dangerous!? Why? Because it would be no big deal if He turned it into an ice cream cone and told Moses to grab it. He tells Moses to grab it and MOSES HAS TO TRUST GOD. It looks like a deadly snake, even though a minute ago it was my staff, and now YHWH is telling me to pick it up.
God is saying, before He goes before pharoah, who is scary and dangerous, who I created, I’ll train him with something else that’s scary and dangerous that I created. Pharoah ain’t no ice cream cone, he’s a poisonous snake, but I have all authority over all things, so just as I help with the snake staff, I’ll help with Pharoah.