Lesson 8 of 16
The Hand of Moses and Restoration the Second Time
The chapter presents Moses’ rod and leprous hand, Miriam’s exile and return, and Joseph’s life as enacted prophecies of Christ’s rejection, Gentile ingathering, and Israel’s restoration. The author connects the hand’s second withdrawal with Isaiah 11:11 and identifies the African diaspora with the covenant remnant being restored. Joseph’s story develops the chapter’s themes of delayed recognition, genuine repentance, care for the suffering remnant, and God’s purpose to preserve life.
What you will learn
- Explain the author’s interpretation of Moses’ rod and two withdrawals of the hand.
- Trace the restoration pattern through Miriam’s exile and Joseph’s story.
- Apply the chapter’s Benjamin test to ministry toward suffering people.
Key concepts
The Rod Cast Down and Raised
The author reads the rod becoming a serpent and returning to a rod as a picture of Christ being made sin, bearing a curse, and being raised with restored authority.
Restoration the Second Time
The chapter interprets the leprous hand’s first withdrawal as Christ’s rejection and the predominantly white Gentile age, and its second withdrawal as the restoration announced in Isaiah 11:11. In the author’s framework, the restored flesh represents the African and African-diaspora remnant, with the same covenant identity preserved through dispersion.
Miriam’s Return
The author interprets Miriam’s opposition to Moses’ Ethiopian marriage as resistance to Gentile inclusion and her temporary exclusion as a picture of Israel’s dispersion. Israel’s waiting until she returned illustrates the chapter’s claim that the community’s onward journey awaits Israel’s restoration.
Joseph’s Concealment and Recognition
Joseph’s rejection, imprisonment, exaltation, and provision of grain portray Christ as the rejected Savior who preserves life; the author reads the butler’s delay and Joshua’s long day as a prophetic extension for Gentile ingathering. Joseph’s eventual recognition by his brothers pictures Israel’s recognition of Christ, ending in preservation rather than condemnation.
The Benjamin Test
Judah’s offer to take Benjamin’s place demonstrates genuine repentance because he protects a beloved brother rather than abandoning him. The author applies this test to how nations and churches receive, honor, and serve the suffering remnant, identified in the chapter with the African diaspora.
Scriptures in this chapter
Chapter review
Answer 4 of 5 correctly to earn the badge
1. In the author’s interpretation, what does the rod becoming a serpent and then a rod again portray?
2. Why does the chapter connect Moses’ restored hand with Isaiah 11:11?
3. What detail of Miriam’s exclusion supports the chapter’s teaching about the community awaiting restoration?
4. What does Joshua’s long day represent in the chapter’s prophetic timeline?
5. What action demonstrates that Judah passed Joseph’s test concerning Benjamin?
Reflect and apply
- How does the chapter’s repeated movement from rejection and exile to recognition and restoration shape your understanding of its final emphasis on preserving life rather than settling old scores?
- Using the chapter’s Benjamin test, how could your ministry examine its treatment of suffering people, especially the African diaspora identified by the author, and demonstrate repentance through concrete service?