April 16, 2026

The rod that Moses carried, often referred to as The Staff of God, represents divine authority delegated to humanity to execute God's will. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we recognize this authority and the symbol of the rod as the priesthood.

With the rod, or priesthood, Moses did, on behalf of God, many wonders and miracles. He turned water to blood, rained hail and fire from heaven, caused many other plagues, parted the Red Sea, and more.

Pharaoh's magicians indeed mimicked some of these feats. I find the rods turned to serpants particularly instructive. The Staff of God, representative of the priesthood, was transformed into a snake. The rods of the magicians were likewise transformed, but the authority of God delegated to mankind to do His will swallowed up the authority of men attempting to mimic God's authority.

There are many that emulate the will of God from a good place, but the authority of God is a necessary part of salvation.

Among the miracles performed by the Staff, salvation for the Children of Israel was the greatest. This came in different forms at different times, but all point towards the salvation Christ brings. When Moses struck the rock and brought forth water that saved the Israelites, this represents Christ as the water of life.

Chris performs many miracles, "but I know this, of all His miracles the greatest miracle must be the miracle that rescues me".

Christ saves us by 1) paying a debt He didn't owe but we couldn't pay, and 2) inviting us to yoke ourselves with Him through a covenant relationship. We perform ordinances and covenants to deepen that relationship, to progress down the covenant path, or in other words to better Know Him (life eternal). God granted His priesthood, the power of God, to facilitate these ordinances and covenants. Yes, miracles are part of what the priesthood can do, small and great, temporal and spiritual, but the grand purpose of the priesthood is our salvation. Who wouldn't want to know God more and more? This is what the priesthood, ordinances, and covenants help us accomplish.

I am grateful for the Staff of God and the miracle of covenant relationships with my Father and my Savior.

One last, short thought from my reading today in Exodus. I love how the wilderness the Children of Israel wondered in was called Sin.

Reminds me of the 3rd verse of the hymn, Redeemer of Israel:

How long we have wandered

As strangers in sin

And cried in the desert for thee!

Our foes have rejoiced

When our sorrows they’ve seen,

But Israel will shortly be free.