Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Let me go back to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive." Jethro said, "Go, and I wish you well." Now the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead." So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand. The Lord said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. Then say to Pharaoh, 'This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, "Let my son go, so he may worship me." But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.' " At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met {Moses} and was about to kill him. But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin and touched {Moses'} feet with it. "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me," she said. So the Lord let him alone." Exodus 4:18-26
God has sent Moses back to Egypt to act as His spokesperson, first to the elders and people of Israel and then to Pharoah. Before he returned, Moses went to his Midianite father-in-law, Jethro, and tells him to "Let me go back to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive." We read that Jethro allows him to go and heads back to Egypt with his wife and sons on a donkey and the "staff of God in his hand." God instructs Moses that "all the men who wanted to kill you are dead" in Egypt. He also tells him that "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do." God then tells Moses that He will "harden (Pharoah’s) heart so that he will not let the people go" and Moses will tell Pharoah "'This is what the Lord says: ‘Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, "Let my son go, so he may worship me." But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.'" Through His words, we see where God is forecasting the future to Moses. But there is one part of the future that God fails to mention and it is in Moses’ immediate future.
For we read that "at a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him." Is this not an amazing reversal of attitude that God shows for Moses? I mean, in one instance, He’s talking about all the important things that He wants Moses to do in the future but then completely reverses field and wishes to take away Moses’ future all together. What could possibly cause God to be so angry? At the heart of the matter is disobedience.
You see, Moses failed to follow one very important aspect of Hebrew religious custom when his son was born for he failed to circumcise him. You’ll recall from Genesis 17 that circumcision was a sign of God’s covenant with His people and God said in verse 13 that "Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant." Obviously, Moses’ son was too young to dictate his own circumcision so God’s wrath fell on Moses. What could save Moses from God? Well, it took some quick action by his wife.
We read where Zipporah "took a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it, saying, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me." You see, circumcision was not part of Midianite culture and the act was repulsive to Zipporah. Yet, she loved Moses enough to save him through conducting the circumcision herself. Her actions led to the Lord letting Moses alone. He was spared.
Our scripture today offers us some critical life application points:
1. We are to stay obedient to God’s commands. Moses knew the Hebrew culture and customs. Yet, he decided to not adhere to them, possibly because he was in the midst of a different culture. Nonetheless, God expected him to stay true to the covenant and when he failed to, he ended up in poor favor with God. This leads to point 2.
2. God hates disobedience. God didn’t just want to punish Moses. He met Moses and "was about to kill him." Yes, we serve a loving God but He is also our Supreme Judge and can issue the death sentence if He so chooses. Thus, if you’re openly sinning in disobedience to God’s word and will, you had better turn it around quickly or else. And this leads to point 3.
3. Expedient atonement can save you. I think I can say with full confidence that without Zipporah’s actions, Moses would have been killed and we would have seen someone else lead Israel out of Egypt. Her quick and decisive action in circumcising her son appeased God and saved her husband.
Question: In what ways are you being disobedient to God’s will, word and way for your life? Do you take for granted the power of God…a power that can be exhibited in wrath and anger just as easily as it can be shown in love? Do you not think that God could meet you somewhere and kill you because you chose to disrespect Him?
Like Moses, we too live in a world that has a completely different set of principles and customs than what God expects us to have as His servants. And just as Moses was influenced adversely by living amid the Midianites, so too can we be affected adversely by living in the world and for the world vice being in the world but not a part of the world’s principles because we have a higher set of standards…God’s standards. If you’re living in violation of God’s will, turn from your ways immediately. We saw in Zipporah’s quick circumcision of her son an expedient atonement. She quickly righted the wrong and God honored that. What do you need to expeditiously atone for today? Don’t delay in getting right with God. Your very future could be at stake.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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