Exodus 4:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The God of all creation demonstrates His unmatched capability through the healing of Moses’ leprous hand, assuring the Israelites that despite their oppression under the cruel Egyptians—akin to experiencing a severe illness, the plague of slavery—they have access to a master healer, who can expel even the most hopeless of afflictions with ease. Indeed, as soon as Moses placed his hand into his bosom again, he was immediately restored from the disease. This account reveals a truth: many Israelites, who had dwelled in Egypt for an extended period, strayed from the faith and practices handed down to them, becoming increasingly entangled in the customs of their captors, ultimately serving the creation instead of the Creator (Romans 1:25; cf. Psalm 105:20). They fell into various forms of impurity, nearly succumbing to a state of death and lifelessness. Leprosy symbolizes this state of impurity and separation from life. Through this miracle, the Israelites were subtly reminded that if God were to call them back and renew their understanding, they would recognize their uncleanness and would be enabled to shed the filth born of spiritual death.

Furthermore, I will now elucidate how the sacrament of Christ is reflected in the affliction of leprosy and Moses' second healing. All things were created through the Son; without Him, nothing has come into being, as affirmed by the divine Evangelist John (John 1:3). Since the Father accomplishes all through the Son, the Scriptures refer to the Son as the hand, arm, and right hand of the Father. As the prophet Isaiah declares: Who has believed what we have heard, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? (Isaiah 53:1). The Jews, ensnared in hardened hearts and rebellion, were suffering from deep disobedience. David reveals, By the word of the Lord the heavens were made (Psalm 32:6). God confirmed through the prophets, proclaiming, ‘My hand has laid the foundation of the earth’ (Isaiah 48:13). God calls out further: Fear not, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, help you, and uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness (Isaiah 41:10). Thus, the Scriptures frequently identify the Son as the hand.

Observe how Moses’ hand was hidden in his bosom, then revealed in its leprous state, and finally restored upon being returned again into his bosom. When we contemplate this mystery and the nature of the Incarnation, we uncover a profound truth: the Son, being in the bosom of the Father, was the instrument through which the Father created all things. He is the exalted strength, the mighty hand, and the honored right hand. Yet, when He stepped into the human experience, taking upon Himself our weaknesses, as the prophet noted (Isaiah 53:4), He became subject to accusations of uncleanness. The nature of humanity is indeed tainted before God, which the prophet Isaiah acknowledged: We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is like a polluted garment (Isaiah 64:6). Thus, by entering our human condition, the All-Pure One was met with the suspicion of impurity. The misguided Jews unjustly labeled Him a glutton (Matthew 11:19), a Samaritan (John 8:48), and illegitimate (John 8:41), even branding Him a sinner, declaring to the man born blind, ‘Give glory to God; we know this man is a sinner’ (John 9:24). Such accusations would likely not have been uttered if they truly understood His divine nature. Yet, when He, regarded as unclean in human form, completed the redemptive work of salvation, He ascended to the Father, returning to His rightful place. It was then that He dispelled the suspicion of sharing in our death and uncleanness. He is now glorified as God, exalted as Lord and the Holy One, illuminating creation and empowering humanity to rise above defilement.

The Son willingly assumed human form, living under the law while associating with the lawless, and later ascended to His inherent honor and glory, as He spoke to His heavenly Father: ‘Glorify Me in Your own presence with the glory that I had with You before the world existed’ (John 17:5). Do you see how He liberated Himself from the temporal burdens imposed upon Him? His intercession was not against His will; instead, He eagerly returned to the divine glory that belongs to Him. Consequently, the blessed Paul asserts: ‘From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh’ (2 Corinthians 5:16), for after His resurrection, He ascended to the Father in a glorified body. We are reminded that while He faced human experiences—hunger (Matthew 4:2), fatigue (John 4:6), and sorrow (Matthew 26:38)—He has since conquered death once and for all (Romans 6:9). Christ is incorruptible; He is life in essence and the source of life, having emanated from the essence of the Father.

The transformed hand and the rod that turned into a serpent perform wonders, representing, I believe, the divine mystery manifesting in human flesh through the Lord, showcasing the defeat of the oppressor and the liberation of those under his influence. This same idea resonates with the prophetic witness, as the Prophet declares, ‘the right hand of the Most High is changed’ (Psalms 76:11). Despite the understanding that the Divine essence is unchangeable, it has graciously taken on human form to engage with our frailty. In a similar manner, the hand of the lawgiver, when it was put into the depths, changed to an unnatural hue, only to regain its natural beauty once more. The only-begotten Son, who eternally resides in the depths of the Father, represents the right hand of the Highest; upon revealing Himself from those depths, He conformed to our likeness. After bearing our weaknesses, He returned the hand that shared in our humanity and reverted to His own essence (the depths of the right hand are the Father). In this process, He did not alter His unblemished nature through suffering; rather, He transformed our changing and suffering nature into a state of passionlessness through unity with the immutable.