1. Why is God seeking to kill someone?

Is it Moses that God seeks to kill? It may be that Moses’ firstborn son is also in danger of a premature death. The story is strange, and the text is ambiguous on what is happening. Who is God trying to kill in the first place? It is not clear. The text before this is about letting Israel, God’s firstborn, go free.

2. The need for the circumcision of the firstborn

Moses is on his way to Israel and his own firstborn is not yet circumcised. It seems that God is confronting Moses — in the strongest possible way — because Moses had not circumcised his son. God demands that this be set right before Moses enter Egypt and begin to fulfill the call of God. God is set to kill either Moses or his son.

3. Zipporah’s response

Zipporah says “you are a husband of blood to me”. It may be that Zipporah objected to the rite of circumcision as she was not an Israelite and may have thought it a barbaric custom. God held Moses accountable (for not doing what was right, even though his wife didn’t like it), but Zipporah had to perform the circumcision itself.

Zipporah removes the garments of skin around her son and touches Moses’ feet with it. The fruit of the union is Moses’ son and in order for his son to be given up to God then he has to be purified / cut off from the negative aspects of the stranger by being circumcised. The excess (secular/human knowledge) has to be removed and given up to God. It is almost like Zipporah is putting sandals on Moses’ feet so he can move out and go back into the strange land.

4. The importance of the father leading the family

Was Moses neglectful in carrying out a ritual that he knew as a Hebrew he should carry out? Circumcision was a crucial part of the spiritual ritual of following God. Zipporah’s attitude suggests that as a Midianite she was not into the practice of circumcision and Moses had relented. This highlights the important of a father not neglecting taking charge of the family. It was probably at this point that Zipporah and her two sons were sent back to Jethro in Midian, because they did not end up accompanying Moses all the way to Egypt. (Exodus 18).

Categories: Exodus

Tags: bible, Exodus, god, jesus, moses