Exodus 4:24 is one of the most confusing passages. Moses is returning to Egypt per God's instruction and God meets Moses at a motel with the intention of killing him. God then decides not to kill Moses after his wife, Zipporah circumcises their son with a flint knife (ouch!).
Why did God want to kill Moses after just selecting him? Why didn't God remind Moses to "get right with the covenant" before they started the trip? This was certainly a very confusing time for everyone involved.
Zipporah saves Moses
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Jules
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- Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2023 1:40 pm
Re: Zipporah saves Moses
Yea, I saw that verse and was interested in the context. Circumcision is the context but is there a pretext? Was Moshe being lazy, caught up in the newborn or forgetful? It seems that this is the reverse of what happened in Gan Eden.
We see later in scripture when a wife warns her husband NOT to disrespect King David and when he continued to do so, she seals his death by the words spoken out of her mouth! As a result, she get's a new husband who is the King, a better Adam. A foreshadow of the Last Adam!
Jesus first revealed Himself as the Messiah to a woman. When He rose from the dead on the the third day, it was a woman He first revealed Himself to... a picture of Gan Eden and THE better Adam.
When Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin, and touched Moses feet with it, she said 'Truly you are a bridegroom of blood to me". Then God, who had met Moshe and tried to kill him, let him alone. That is when she added, 'A bridegroom of blood by circumcision'.
If you see where Moshe was when God 'met him and tried to kill him', you will see that it could be considered a city of asylum/ refuge for when he killed the Egyptian years back. So, in a way, Moshe finds leniency and a chance at asylum b/c he stays in Midian until he is told, 'All those seeking your life is dead'. God is following a law set forth in Num 35.9-34; Deut 19:1-13; Josh 20:1-9. A person in asylum is to remain in the city to avoid the family of the person he killed from killing him until the death of the high priest. God freed him to return to Egypt since Moses did murder an Egyptian but not until his wife cleanses him of the blood of the man he killed. This is a purging she did for him.
I had to look at study notes to make the connection about the circumcision.
We see later in scripture when a wife warns her husband NOT to disrespect King David and when he continued to do so, she seals his death by the words spoken out of her mouth! As a result, she get's a new husband who is the King, a better Adam. A foreshadow of the Last Adam!
Jesus first revealed Himself as the Messiah to a woman. When He rose from the dead on the the third day, it was a woman He first revealed Himself to... a picture of Gan Eden and THE better Adam.
When Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin, and touched Moses feet with it, she said 'Truly you are a bridegroom of blood to me". Then God, who had met Moshe and tried to kill him, let him alone. That is when she added, 'A bridegroom of blood by circumcision'.
If you see where Moshe was when God 'met him and tried to kill him', you will see that it could be considered a city of asylum/ refuge for when he killed the Egyptian years back. So, in a way, Moshe finds leniency and a chance at asylum b/c he stays in Midian until he is told, 'All those seeking your life is dead'. God is following a law set forth in Num 35.9-34; Deut 19:1-13; Josh 20:1-9. A person in asylum is to remain in the city to avoid the family of the person he killed from killing him until the death of the high priest. God freed him to return to Egypt since Moses did murder an Egyptian but not until his wife cleanses him of the blood of the man he killed. This is a purging she did for him.
I had to look at study notes to make the connection about the circumcision.
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Tom Tighe
- Posts: 242
- Joined: Wed Dec 29, 2021 8:27 pm
Re: Zipporah saves Moses
Interesting, but this incident precedes the laws for an "avenger of blood'" and "cities of refuge." I doubt God just came up with these rules after the Exodus. It seem like His laws would be in place since creation, but they are not yet in any record given to us.
As for Moses not circumcising his son, I'm not sure what to think. He was raised as an Egyptian, but with the help of his Hebrew family. There is a clash of culture there and I don't know how familiar he was with Hebrew traditions. I definitely don't know the Midian traditions. Was Moses living as a practicing Jew for his 40 years with Zipporah and Jethro? I'm not even sure what that means since the Levitical laws hadn't been written. I guess there was only the Abrahamic covenant marked by circumcision. Clearly Zipporah knew about that, but it hadn't bothered her or anyone else in the family enough to take action before then.
As for Moses not circumcising his son, I'm not sure what to think. He was raised as an Egyptian, but with the help of his Hebrew family. There is a clash of culture there and I don't know how familiar he was with Hebrew traditions. I definitely don't know the Midian traditions. Was Moses living as a practicing Jew for his 40 years with Zipporah and Jethro? I'm not even sure what that means since the Levitical laws hadn't been written. I guess there was only the Abrahamic covenant marked by circumcision. Clearly Zipporah knew about that, but it hadn't bothered her or anyone else in the family enough to take action before then.
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Jules
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2023 1:40 pm
Re: Zipporah saves Moses
Yea, it was actually a custom from other belief systems and cultures during that time. So, something with authority was practiced most likely for the sake of Moshe's safety from curses prior to The Most High officially proclaiming it as a practice to the Hebrews.
A lot of what God and Jesus did was already practiced in the culture/land of the heathens before they did or instituted them. Like Baptism of the King who is proclaimed the son of God; thus, "God on Earth". This was a common practice and claim long before it actually did take place w/ Jesus. It didn't start w/ Jesus but He dominated it and was the truth! God actually DID say these things whereas all the kings before faked it. This is also why the Jews got so angry that they wanted to stone him for saying He is The Son of God, b/c in that time that was the cultural belief. This is the custom the heathen kings used to be proclaimed "God on Earth" as being labelled "The son of God" at the kings baptism makes him god on earth.
All Jews are circumcized on the 8th day. Moshe was already circumcized when he was found in the river. Unrelated is a part of the custom of the heathens at the time his wife did this was to circumsize one's flesh to be purged from the blood of the man they killed. Since Moshe was already circumcized, his son was used in the custom. "Foot" doesn't necessarily mean "foot" in that passage but we'll leave that alone..haha
God uses culture like a language.
A lot of what God and Jesus did was already practiced in the culture/land of the heathens before they did or instituted them. Like Baptism of the King who is proclaimed the son of God; thus, "God on Earth". This was a common practice and claim long before it actually did take place w/ Jesus. It didn't start w/ Jesus but He dominated it and was the truth! God actually DID say these things whereas all the kings before faked it. This is also why the Jews got so angry that they wanted to stone him for saying He is The Son of God, b/c in that time that was the cultural belief. This is the custom the heathen kings used to be proclaimed "God on Earth" as being labelled "The son of God" at the kings baptism makes him god on earth.
All Jews are circumcized on the 8th day. Moshe was already circumcized when he was found in the river. Unrelated is a part of the custom of the heathens at the time his wife did this was to circumsize one's flesh to be purged from the blood of the man they killed. Since Moshe was already circumcized, his son was used in the custom. "Foot" doesn't necessarily mean "foot" in that passage but we'll leave that alone..haha
God uses culture like a language.