Question #1: Can you please explain Exodus 4:24-26?
Response #1: This has always been a controversial
passage and difficult for exegetes. What we can say for certain here, I
believe, is that whatever else one wants to read into Zipporah's
actions, she was upset with Moses and only performed the circumcision on
her sons under the duress of the moment. It should be remembered that
Zipporah hereafter does not follow Moses to Egypt, and later, when her
father Jethro brings her and his grandsons to Moses in the wilderness
(Ex.18), there is no indication that she stayed on. Moses' sons
certainly did (cf. the genealogy of his sons in 1Chron.23:15ff.), and
Moses is later re-married to a Cushite woman (Num.12). Whether it was
the case that Zipporah had died, or whether the two had been effectively
divorced as a result of this incident, or whether the Cushite woman was
Moses' second wife, scripture does not say. But the most likely thing to
my mind based upon the incident you ask about is that the two became
estranged because of the Exodus 4:24-26 incident. The act of touching
Moses' feet with the foreskins, and her comment “Surely you are a
bridegroom of blood to me” can and have been variously interpreted.
However, both the touching of the feet (felt to be a very private and
personal part of the body; cf. the idiom “to cover one's feet”) with the
bloody skin, and the pronouncing of Moses as “bloody” are unquestionably
negatives, no matter what Zipporah meant specifically by this act and
these words (they are not otherwise biblical). For, clearly, she did
mean this as a very strong reproach, and the fact that she does not
continue the journey with Moses and later cannot be said for certain to
stay with Israel after the visit of her father to Moses all combine to
suggest that she harbored very, very strong feelings against the
circumcision of her sons, for whatever reason (clearly, it was not a
“normal” practice in her culture).
We do not know whether or not Zipporah was a believer in the Lord. If
she was, she was certainly not acting much like one (at the very least,
she was opposing the fulfilment of a solemn obligation to God by her
husband for her own personal reasons). Moses had based his life upon
choosing for the Lord instead of doing the safe thing (cf.
Heb.11:24-28). Surely he not only knew about the covenant of
circumcision, but would have been in absolutely no doubt about its
importance. Why then did he omit the circumcision of his sons? It can
only be that for the sake of the peace of his marriage in the first
place that he had failed to circumcise them, even though this was an
egregious violation of the law of God for all Israelites. The Lord had
allowed this disobedience to stand before, but there was no way that He
could allow Moses to become the leader of His people while at the same
time being such a bad example in this.
There is a lesson for us all here. It is a not uncommon situation that
the people we love the most can often be the biggest stumbling blocks to
us. For reasons good and bad, through sins large and small, and
sometimes through chance and circumstance beyond our choosing, we
sometimes find ourselves involved with people whose influence upon us is
a great hindrance to our spirituality and spiritual progress. Very often
this involves relationships which cannot and should not be easily or
quickly tossed aside (as in the case of business partnerships,
longstanding friendships, family relationships, or, as in the case of
Zipporah and Moses, marriage). In the situation before us, we see the
gracious hand of God at work. Rather than commanding Moses to divorce
this woman or leave her behind (or allowing her to accompany him and to
be a hindrance to his ministry and a guarantee that his family example
would be a terrible one), God brought it about that through the
necessity of doing His will, she left of her own accord. Moses was not
made to circumcise his sons himself in the face of their mother's
opposition, nor was he pressured to abandon his family. Instead, God
brought about a “way out” that was perfect, even though it must have
hurt a great deal (cf. 1Cor.10:13). And without this deliverance it is
doubtful whether Moses would have had the freedom of action or undivided
conscience necessary to perform the exceptional ministry he did.
To me, this is a reminder that when we find ourselves in very difficult
circumstances, especially when they involve relationships that in good
conscience we cannot break, we should remember the case of Moses and
Zipporah, avoid taking matters into our own hands prematurely, and rest
in the faith that God is able to deliver us at the right time and in the
proper way even though we may have absolutely no idea what that way
might be, for even impossible situations are not impossible for Him.
In our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Bob L.
Question #2:
But why did the Lord meet and want to kill Moses?
Response #2:
I believe the context indicates that
the reason for this was along the lines of what was implied in the last
e-mail, namely, that failing to circumcise his sons was a direct and
willful affront to the revealed will of God. At Genesis 17:9-14 the Lord
mandates and describes circumcision as the sign of the covenant between
Him and Abraham and his descendants, that is, it is the first and most
basic required act of all male Israelites that demonstrates their
allegiance and obedience to God. Every male not circumcised is to be
"cut off" for he has "broken my covenant" (v.14).
It seems to me that the Lord is clearly holding Moses responsible for
the failure. Even though the passage in Genesis points the finger at the
person not circumcised, the initial failure would clearly always be with
the parents (as opposed to the eight day old infant). As the man whom
God had chosen to lead Israel, to be its law-giver and teacher, the
standard by which he would be judged would be much higher than when he
was a mere shepherd (cf. Jas.3:1). Once he had accepted God's charge to
return to Egypt and deliver Israel, this new, higher standard applied -
and it appears that the Lord graciously waited until the last possible
moment to place him under the compulsion of death, giving him a chance
to do the right thing on his own (a hard thing, for it would surely have
resulted in the alienation of his wife as he must have known and as in
fact later happened). Given the importance of this divine command, Moses
could never have been a effective leader, acting in God's stead and
holding the people accountable for their failings if he himself were
guilty of overlooking and ignoring such an important and, for Israel,
basic mandate. The compulsion of imminent death was also a gracious boon
from the Lord, because, as events prove, this was the only way that
Moses was going to be "led" into doing the right thing and the only way
Zipporah was going to relent in deed (if not in heart).
Here are some related links:
Yours in Him whose ways are ever gracious, our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ.
Bob L.