Exodus 4:18-31

Introduction

Let’s review everything we have talked about so far!

Israel is enslaved to Egypt

Moses, a Hebrew, was raised an Egyptian, but rebelled against Egypt and ran away when it didn’t work

He ran to Midian and married a woman named Zipporah. They had a son named Gershom.

While shepherding his sheep, at 80 years old, God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and called him to return to Egypt and demand Pharaoh let the Hebrews go on trip to worship Yahweh.

Moses doubts God, lacking faith, and so God shows miracles to Moses

Nonetheless, Moses then doubts his own ability to speak and then just pleads God to call someone else, but this doesn’t work. God calls Aaron (Moses’s brother) to assist Moses on his journey,

That is where we are! Today we are crossing a perplexing passage of scripture. I am going to simply preach the truth that I see in it. Bear with me through this, don’t make light of it but remember, this is God’s Word. Everything is in it for a reason.

The main point of today’s message is this: The Lord calls us to full obedience to Him.

Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” And the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” So Moses took his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’ ”

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,” because of the circumcision.

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. 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. Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. 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.

Moses’s Steps of Faith v.18-20

Moses was clearly lacking faith in last week’s passage, but now we finally see him taking a step of faith into this calling God has given him. Moses takes a few steps one here:

Moses asks his father-in-law to let him and his family go back to Egypt

It was not common for families to part ways like this. It could even be seen as rude and disrespectful. Jethro had become Moses’s father-in-law, and, really, his father. This was a risk in compromising their relationship, but Moses did so anyways

We do see Jethro respond with understanding and grace: Go in peace.

Moses takes his family And begins traveling back to Egypt

It is one thing to go on a dangerous mission alone, but it is a whole other event when you bring your family. This was extremely risky and challenging, but Moses was willing to take that risk.

This was a major sacrifice for Moses’ family, but they really had two options: obey or disobey. Moses and Zipporah chose obedience despite the danger.

Consider your life: are you willing to take drastic steps for the sake of obedience To the Lord? How far will you go for Him?

John Patton

raised in a strong Christian family

called to missions in his 30’s in a land of cannibals where others had been killed and eaten. an old Christian man told Patton he’d be eaten by cannibals if he went too. His response:

“Mr. Dickson, you are advanced in years now, and your own prospect is soon to be laid in the grave, there to be eaten by worms; I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving and honoring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by Cannibals or by worms; and in the Great day my resurrection body will arise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer.”

He took his young wife and a newborn baby to the islands

a few months in his wife and son died of malaria

Despite being told to leave now, he, in his grief, remained, fearful that if he left he could never return

he lived on the run, always being sought out to be killed. He won a few to Christ in this time

after years of evangelizing and translating Scripture into their language, he was the only missionary left who hadn’t died of sickness or been killed or eaten.

Patton finally sailed to Australia. There he would marry again, ignite a missionary zeal amongst Australia and Scotland, and then return with his wife and their many children.

They won many to Christ; many of their children would grow older and return, even. But during their time there, he would lose more children.

Nonetheless, at the end of his life, Patton would write that more than 12,000 cannibals came to know Christ. He died at 76 while recruiting more missionaries.

God often does not just call a husband, rather if the husband is called, the family is called. Though this is very scary and dangerous, it is worth doing to obey the Lord.

Moses wields the staff of God

This is the third sign of faith that we see in Moses. Yes, he was filled with doubt, but there is a trust we see in him from this very verse And Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

He was clearly very afraid and so he clung tightly to the Lord’s tool he was given. Moses had a general understanding, one he would have to learn and strengthen, that he is unable to do this mission without the Lord. Hence him clinging to the staff of God.

We can exhibit this same understanding. The tool that God has given us is not a staff, but a sword: the Word of God.

We, as believers, must develop a love for God’s Word that leads us to cling to it tightly, with white knuckles. Look what David says of God’s Word in Psalm 119:97-104

Psalm 119:97–104 ESV

Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

Future Judgement v.21-23

Now the Lord God gives Moses insight into His mysterious plan for the deliverance of Israel. The Lord reveals that He intends to harden Pharaoh's heart when Moses speaks to him

This is extremely gracious of the Lord to reveal to Moses. This should give Moses great assurance that if things go wrong, he can trust the Lord is delivering them still.

We see a future judgement in these verses as the Lord shows Moses exactly how He is going to save Israel. Pharaoh’s heart would be hardened towards the message of God over and over, but this was to prove a point: Israel’s deliverance from Egypt was completely and utterly the Lord Yahweh and no one else. For centuries following this amazing story, even pagans would speak of the God of the Jews saving the Israelites from a powerful nation (Rahab is an example of this).

We see the ultimate judgement coming for the Pharaoh is his firstborn son. The Lord says it like this:

English Standard Version Chapter 4

22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’ ”

The nation of Israel was the Lord’s child. And this Pharaoh had enslaved them and oppressed them heavily. The Lord wanted to show the severity of what Pharaoh was doing. For Pharaoh would not understand, even after the Lord takes his son.

It is hard for us to not see the parallel here to Christ. Thousands of years later, the Lord would give His true only Son Jesus Christ to save all of humanity. It is so easy for us to say “How dare the Lord take anyone’s sons or daughters? That is evil!” But we forget 1) the Lord gives them breath, so He is rightful to take their breath and 2) The Lord gave His own Son for the ransom of many. So why don’t we just cover our mouths, as Job did, and trust the Lord.

Bridegroom of Blood v.24-26

Now this next part is when things get a little confusing.

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 4

24 ⌊And⌋ on the way, at the place of overnight lodging, Yahweh encountered him and sought to kill him. 25 But Zipporah took a flint knife, and she cut off the foreskin of her son, and she touched his feet, and she said, “Yes, you are a bridegroom of blood to me.” 26 And he left him alone. At that time she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.

In order to understand what is happening here, we must understand the covenant of circumcision.

The Covenant of Circumcision

In Genesis 17, God is speaking to Abraham about the Lord’s covenant with Abraham and his offspring. This covenant with Abraham was a conditional covenant, meaning that in order for the promise to be true for each Israelite, he/she must follow the Lord’s conditions. Here we find the condition:

English Standard Version Chapter 17

9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 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.”

I will not explain circumcision to you if you do not understand it. Just know it is a permanent physical marking on a male’s body. God made it a requirement for all offspring of Abraham (aka all Israelite males) to be circumcised. All new boys should be circumcised at 8 days old.

Moses’s son, Gershom, was past 8 days old at this point and we see from this story that neither Moses, nor Zipporah had circumcised him.

I understand that for us, this is not a big deal, but to the Lord, this obedience was key. Consider what the Lord says to Abraham in verse 14: 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.

This was a serious concern. Israel was not a democratic nation like ours. Democratic points to the power being in the citizens of that nation. Israel was a theocratic nation, meaning the power was in the Lord God who is over them.

And Moses was on a journey to lead all of Israel for the rest of his life. How could he go on this journey if his own family was not obedient to the Lord completely? This is the same premise that leads Paul to say that in order to be an elder your house must be in order. For who are you to lead God’s house when you cannot lead your own?

And so Gershom was not circumcised and the Lord came to take Moses’s life for this. Now, why would Moses not obey the Lord in circumcising his son? Why didn’t he follow this condition so that he could remain in the covenant?

The answer is twofold: 1) The Midianites did not do circumcision like this. They had a different tradition for circumcision. And so Zipporah and Moses likely had talked about this and Moses submitted to her traditions. 2) Moses lacked faith. He, as the head of his household had the right to tell Zipporah that she was wrong and they needed to be in full obedience to the Lord, yet he didn’t. He got lazy and neglected to obey.

Bridegroom of Blood

So this explains why this is happening, but it does not fully explain what happens. Zipporah sees the Angel of the Lord there to kill Moses and she quickly circumcises her son Gershom and holds the skin cut off below Moses. Here are a few things to note:

Zipporah’s Success points to God’s mercy

If the Lord wanted to kill Moses, He would have. It is clear the Lord sought to warn Moses and his family of their disobedience. Nonetheless, the Lord allowed Zipporah to complete this procedure in order to save her family.

Moses was Jewish and Zipporah was Midianite

While they both worshiped Yahweh, Midianites had different cultural practices. For the Midianite, a male was not circumcised until he was engaged to be married. Once again, this had already been a conversation between Moses and Zipporah as she knew exactly what needed to be done to save Moses. They were raising Gershom to be a Midianite, not an Israelite. This was a problem.

Midianite Tradition Explains Zipporah’s Words

As I just said, it was a bridegroom who would be circumcised in her culture. So when Zipporah acts and circumcises and holds the skin against Gershom, she is declaring that he is like a bridegroom in her tradition but of blood because it almost led to Moses’s death. It seems Zipporah was simply obeying in a way that made sense to her. She realized that they had talked about the issue of Gershom’s circumcision before and that the Lord wanted them to obey that covenant, and so she obeyed how she saw fit. Nonetheless, the Lord found her faithful in this and relented.

Aaron Joins, Israel Responds v.27-31

English Standard Version Chapter 4

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.

Here in the end of this text we see a few things happen:

Aaron arrives and Moses tells him everything that happened

Moses and Aaron arrive in Egypt and tell the Israelites what the Lord had done

Upon seeing the miracles, the people believe God and worship Him

This is a happy ending to chapter four of Exodus. The Israelites, after many years of oppression and suffering receive assurance that their God sees them and plans to save them.

Application

Are you living in full obedience to the Lord?

Will you lead a life of full obedience?

Know the truth so you can obey rightly