EXODUS 4
24 At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. 25 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!” 26 So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.27 The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. 28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which he had sent him to speak, and all the signs that he had commanded him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. 30 Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped. – Exodus 4:24-31
EXODUS 4 AARON AND MOSES MEETS WITH THE ISRAELITES
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
At a lodging place on his way to Egypt, God wanted to put Moses to death
He hasn’t obeyed the covenant promise of his son’s circumcision
His wife Zipporah had to circumcise her own son which she loathed
Then Moses proceeded to meet his brother Aaron at the mountain of God
He told Aaron what was God’s directive to him and to his brother
They gathered the Israelite elders and relayed God’s message to them.
In this account we can be surprised by verse 24. God wanted to put Moses to death. One can wonder why he would want this when he initially chose him to deliver his people. Is it because of his false humility that he cannot do the task? Is it Moses’ constant justification that he isn’t cut to do what he wanted him to do? Verse 25 gives us a clue of why God’s wrath was kindled. He hasn’t even circumcised his son. It was a requirement of God from his people to have all male circumcised. Interestingly, his wife Zipporah did the circumcision ritual which was supposed to be done by Moses himself. In verse 26, we are given a clue that she must have left Moses on his own to meet his brother because he was going to deliver God’s people. The Israelites believed after seeing the miracles.
REFLECTION
- Why do you think God chose Moses who lacked faith and always resisting?
