Moses at the Nile with His Staff

Moses stands on the bank of the Nile, holding the staff that marked his calling before God and his confrontation with Egypt. The river winds through a dry wilderness landscape, placing the prophet at the threshold of the Exodus judgments. In Exodus 7:15, the Lord commands Moses to meet Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the water, carrying the staff that had turned into a serpent. The scene emphasizes obedience, divine authority, and the beginning of God’s public signs against Pharaoh’s hardened heart. The staff is more than a shepherd’s tool; it becomes the visible instrument of God’s command, declaring that Israel’s deliverance rests not on human strength but on the Lord’s power. by Erik Stenbakken