Why was God going to kill Moses in Exodus 4:24-26?

The story of God seeking to kill Moses in Exodus 4:24-26 has puzzled many Bible readers over the years. At first glance, it seems out of character for God to suddenly want to kill one of His chosen servants. A closer examination of the text provides some clues as to what was happening in this cryptic passage.

The Context of Exodus 4:24-26

First, it is important to understand the context surrounding this event. In Exodus 3, God had called Moses from the burning bush to go to Egypt and deliver the Israelites from slavery. Moses expressed some reluctance and doubt about his ability to carry out this mission. But God assured him that He would be with Moses and work signs and wonders through him (Exodus 3:12). By Exodus 4, Moses had agreed to God’s call. His father-in-law Jethro gave Moses his blessing to return to Egypt (Exodus 4:18). Verses 19-23 recount God’s instructions to Moses to confront Pharaoh and demand the release of the Israelites.

It is at this point, as Moses was on his way back to Egypt, that Exodus 4:24 states:

“At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to put him to death.” (Exodus 4:24 ESV)

This verse comes across as shocking. Why would God want to kill Moses after just commissioning him for a great work of deliverance?

The Immediate Context Points to Circumcision

While Exodus 4:24 does not give an explicit reason for God seeking to kill Moses, the surrounding context provides some vital clues. Exodus 4:25-26 immediately follows:

“Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it and said, ‘Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!’ So he let him alone. It was then that she said, ‘A bridegroom of blood,’ referring to circumcision.” (Exodus 4:25-26 ESV)

Here we see Zipporah, Moses’ wife, quickly circumcising their son and touching Moses’ feet with the foreskin. This appeased God’s wrath, and He “let Moses alone.” The clear implication from the passage is that Moses had failed to circumcise his son in accordance with God’s covenant with Abraham in Genesis 17. God sought to kill Moses for this act of covenant unfaithfulness.

Old Testament Circumcision as Sign of Covenant

To better understand the significance of this event, it is important to examine the role of circumcision in the Old Testament. God had instituted circumcision as an everlasting covenant between Himself and Abraham in Genesis 17. It served as a sign that a man was part of God’s covenant people, Israel:

“This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised…It shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.” (Genesis 17:10,11 ESV)

Circumcision was no optional ritual, but a mandatory ordinance for Abraham’s descendants:

“Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.” (Genesis 17:14 ESV)

As a descendant of Abraham, Moses was obligated to circumcise his sons on the eighth day after birth (Leviticus 12:3). Failure to do so would place him under God’s judgment for violating the covenant.

Why Moses May Have Neglected Circumcision

This background helps explain God’s anger toward Moses in Exodus 4:24-25. But it raises another question – why did Moses evidently not circumcise his son as required by God’s covenant with Abraham?

The text does not explicitly provide an answer. But some key contextual factors may provide clues:

1. Moses had been absent from his family for a time, while he was shepherding Jethro’s flocks in Midian (Exodus 3:1). It is possible the child was born during this absence.
2. Moses’ wife Zipporah was not of Israelite descent, but a Midianite (Exodus 2:16-22). She may not have fully understood the significance of circumcision to the covenant.
3. In Exodus 4:18-20, Moses was in a hurry to return to Egypt after God’s call at the burning bush. In his haste, Moses may have neglected to circumcise his son before the journey.

Of course, these suggestions are speculative. The text does not provide Moses’ specific motivation for not circumcising his son. Regardless, as a leader of God’s people, he should have obeyed this key covenant requirement. His neglect incurred divine wrath.

Principles We Can Learn

While the details behind Exodus 4:24-26 remain somewhat obscure, this passage still provides some valuable principles:

1. God takes His covenants with His people seriously.
2. Even chosen servants like Moses are not exempt from God’s commands.
3. Unfaithfulness to God’s covenant brings consequences.
4. God seeks wholehearted obedience from those who serve and follow Him.

For Christians today, these principles find their fulfillment in Christ. He perfectly obeyed God’s covenant requirements on our behalf (Matthew 3:15; Romans 5:19). And through faith in Christ, believers are brought into the New Covenant sealed with His blood (Luke 22:20). This New Covenant provides atonement, forgiveness of sins, and the gift of the Holy Spirit to all who believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior (Hebrews 8:6-13).

The account in Exodus reminds us to diligently walk in covenant faithfulness before God. This now includes following Jesus’ commands through the enablement of the indwelling Holy Spirit. As Moses learned, even small areas of disobedience can disrupt our fellowship with our covenant-keeping God.

Examining the Text of Exodus 4:24-26

Looking more closely at the text of Exodus 4:24-26 can shed further light on this difficult passage:

“At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.” (Exodus 4:24-26 ESV)

Here are some key observations:

• God “sought to put [Moses] to death” for some unspecified transgression.
• Zipporah circumcised their son in this crisis moment.
• She touched Moses’ feet with the foreskin, calling him a “bridegroom of blood.”
• This action with the foreskin of circumcision apparently appeased God’s wrath.
• Her words link this event to the covenant act of circumcision.

Scholars have debated the symbolism of touching Moses’ feet with the foreskin. One suggestion is it represents a symbolic identification between Moses and his son, thereby covering Moses with the sign of the covenant.

The broader context of Scripture indicates circumcision was the key factor that saved Moses’ life. God’s command to Abraham in Genesis 17 clearly required all sons to be circumcised as a sign of the covenant. Moses’ life was spared when Zipporah carried out this long-neglected sign of covenant faithfulness.

Why Circumcision Was So Important

On the surface, circumcision may seem like a strange and arbitrary sign of God’s covenant. Why did God choose this particular practice to mark Abraham’s descendants?

While the full biblical symbolism of circumcision is debated, here are some factors that help explain its significance:

• A mark in the flesh – Circumcision imprinted a permanent, physical sign of covenant identity on Abraham’s male descendants.
• A sign of faith – Submitting to circumcision demonstrated faith in God’s promises to Abraham’s offspring (Romans 4:11).
• A mark of purity – The removal of flesh was symbolic of being set apart and cleansed for God’s service.
• A symbol of fruitfulness – The covenant promised Abraham a multitude of descendants; circumcision was a mark of fruitfulness.

For God’s covenant people, circumcision represented a tangible reminder of their special relationship with Yahweh. It also served as an act of obedience by which each Israelite male entered the covenant community.

How Circumcision Relates to Baptism

For Christians today, the Old Testament rite of circumcision finds its parallel in the New Testament sacrament of baptism. Like circumcision, baptism serves as an initiation rite into God’s covenant community. Colossians 2:11-12 makes this connection:

“In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism…” (Colossians 2:11-12 ESV)

Through spiritual rebirth in Christ, believers now experience a “circumcision of the heart” that supersedes the physical circumcision of the Old Covenant (Romans 2:29). Baptism represents this new spiritual circumcision into Christ.

Baptism also illustrates profound spiritual realities: cleansing from sin, death to our old life, and resurrection to new life in Christ (Romans 6:3-4). In this way, it serves as a far richer sign than physical circumcision. Yet both are initiatory covenant signs that every member of God’s people is called to receive.

Lessons for Christians Today

What lessons can Christians today learn from this perplexing passage about God seeking to kill Moses?

• God cares deeply when His people neglect covenant duties, even if we consider them minor or outdated.
• Leaders and teachers of God’s people face stricter judgment for disobedience (James 3:1).
• God often uses a crisis to confront areas where we compromise obedience.
• The Lord is merciful and ready to forgive when we repent and return to obedience.
• As believers under the New Covenant, we must stay faithful to Christ through acts of covenant obedience.

Though details remain shrouded in mystery, Exodus 4:24-26 teaches the vital lesson that God seeks wholehearted devotion from those in covenant with Him. This devotion is now expressed through following Christ and proclaiming the gospel to all nations until He returns (Matthew 28:19-20).

Conclusion

In summary, while the details behind this passage remain obscure, Exodus 4:24-26 provides a sobering reminder that God takes covenant unfaithfulness seriously, even among His chosen servants. Moses faced death for neglecting the covenant sign of circumcision. God showed mercy when Zipporah carried out this sign on their son.

For Christians, this passage reminds us to walk in daily obedience to Christ. As Moses learned, we cannot take God’s gracious covenant for granted. Though we do not follow rituals like circumcision today, God still calls us to lives marked by covenant faithfulness to our Savior and Lord.

The good news is that when we stumble, grace and forgiveness are found at the cross. The New Covenant was secured with the precious blood of Jesus (Luke 22:20). When we repent and turn to Him, God remembers our sins no more (Hebrews 8:12).