Nate - I am confused on Exodus 4:24; it says that the Lord met him and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses' feet. Was that God's way to get Zipporah to realize the importants of the conventant of circumcision? But, it is difficult for me to understand why God would go to Moses to tell him that He wants Moses to go to Pharaoh then in v24 say that he was going to kill Moses.
In Exodus 4, God is preparing Moses and Aaron to go to Pharaoh and speak to him about letting the Israelites go. But in vv.24-26 we see a brief departure from the story because Moses had not circumcised his son. Remember: circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant, and Moses was certainly under that covenant. Then after Ziporrah saved the day, Moses continued on to do what God asked him to do. Just because these two stories are part of the same chapter does not mean they happened consecutively, i.e., one right after another. Between verses 23 and 24 there may have been a long time interval. Once Moses, Aaron and family decided to go to Egypt, God then decided to deal with Moses for his lack of obedience concerning circumcision.
I imagine this chapter would be easier to understand if it were in its original language - Hebrew.
One last thing: there is a lesson here. Moses was willing to serve God, yet he was not right with God. Therefore, God, through Zipporah, got him right with God. Moses is later called, "the servant of God," and the most humble man who ever lived. Certainly, this experience was humbling.
When we serve God, it is important that we be right with Him in every aspect of our lives, and this is humbling for us.
2 comments:
Nate -
I am confused on Exodus 4:24; it says that the Lord met him and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses' feet. Was that God's way to get Zipporah to realize the importants of the conventant of circumcision? But, it is difficult for me to understand why God would go to Moses to tell him that He wants Moses to go to Pharaoh then in v24 say that he was going to kill Moses.
Hi Stacie,
In Exodus 4, God is preparing Moses and Aaron to go to Pharaoh and speak to him about letting the Israelites go. But in vv.24-26 we see a brief departure from the story because Moses had not circumcised his son. Remember: circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant, and Moses was certainly under that covenant. Then after Ziporrah saved the day, Moses continued on to do what God asked him to do. Just because these two stories are part of the same chapter does not mean they happened consecutively, i.e., one right after another. Between verses 23 and 24 there may have been a long time interval. Once Moses, Aaron and family decided to go to Egypt, God then decided to deal with Moses for his lack of obedience concerning circumcision.
I imagine this chapter would be easier to understand if it were in its original language - Hebrew.
One last thing: there is a lesson here. Moses was willing to serve God, yet he was not right with God. Therefore, God, through Zipporah, got him right with God. Moses is later called, "the servant of God," and the most humble man who ever lived. Certainly, this experience was humbling.
When we serve God, it is important that we be right with Him in every aspect of our lives, and this is humbling for us.
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