Readiness

DEVOTION

EXODUS

READINESS

Ex 4:24-26

24 At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met [Moses] and was about to kill him. 25 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. 26 So the LORD let him alone. (At that time she said "bridegroom of blood," referring to circumcision.)

NIV

This is somewhat a confusing text, even to the point of our scholars having such a wide variety of ideas of it's meaning. As the original text does not use proper names which this translation has inserted, it is not actually clear if God intended to actually kill Moses or his firstborn son because of being out of covenant with him due to the lack of circumcision. Did God intend to kill his firstborn or Moses? Why would he kill Moses if he had just commanded him to go back to Egypt and deliver them from the hand of Pharaoh? That seems strange, and was not Moses already circumcised? The text indicates it was one of his sons, which we are assuming is his firstborn, who was not circumcised and was thus out of covenant with God. According to the law God gave to Abraham any man who is not circumcised will be cut off from the people, has no inheritance, because he is not in covenant with God. This could not be Moses, but has to be one of his sons as well as it is his son whom Zipporah circumcises. Consider God just had that conversation with Moses about killing the firstborn of the Egyptians we have to consider this was Moses firstborn who needed circumcision. Some of our scholars are of the opinion this sought to kill him phrase was meant that Moses was struck with a serious illness because of his disobedience, having not circumcised his son. His wife takes the needed action and thus both herself and her son are saved, or now in covenant with God. She is no longer an alien because she performed the rite of circumcision and her son is now in covenant with God. So the life of Moses is saved through the sheading of blood. All this is, in part, supposition by our scholars because the text is not that clear, neither in the translations or the original. So then is there a lesson for us? Surely there is a point about death awaiting those who are not in covenant with God. But because we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and have been saved through the blood of Jesus we are in covenant with God and have nothing to fear about death. He is not seeking to kill us. Yet what can we learn for our lives? Surely Moses was called by God for a very special purpose and he was on his way to do that which God commanded him to do. Even though he tried to excuse himself from this task, he ultimately obeyed and was headed to do it. But he still had not been completely obedient to God regarding the circumcision of his son. Was that because he was living among the Midianites? Was it because he did not want to offend Jethro a relative to this son? Certainly Zipporah was aware of this rite, this act of circumcision as her husband had been circumcised, unlike the rest of males in Midian. She must have question her husband about the reason for his circumcision and he must have explained the law given to Abraham, his forefather. So then could we make a leap here and consider the fact that although we are saved and perhaps still having some area of disobedience to God, he can still call us to action for the advancement of his purpose. He had to know Moses had not circumcised his son, when he called to him from the burning bush. But now that he was on the way, God had to make sure there was nothing to hinder his purpose, that the people could not accuse Moses of not following the law regarding circumcision of every male. We may not have to be perfect in order to be called, but God will make sure we are in a place we need to be in order to carry out his plan, his purpose so others cannot accuse us of wrong doing. He will cleanse our heart and mind. He will ensure our house is in order, so to speak, once we accept his call, his purpose he has planned for us in the benefit of his kingdom. God will make sure we are ready for the task he has for us. He is the only one who can make sure of our readiness.