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The Lord sought to kill Moses - Exodus 4

rlvaughn

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Exodus 4:24-26
24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him. 25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.
God has commanded Moses to go back to Egypt and tell Pharoah, "Let my son [Israel] go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn." What follows next seems rather abrupt and shocking -- the Lord sought to kill Moses? Why?
 

Scarlett O.

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So much is missing from those few verses - in my opinion - for people to make a presumptive answer into a definitive answer.

Here's what I told my Bible study class when we discussed this in depth last January.

I have to look at what God just said to Moses. He called the nation of Israel his "firstborn". And his message to Pharaoh was that if Pharaoh did not let his [God's] firstborn go, then he [God] would take Pharaoh's firstborn.

That's an awfully holy and powerful and sovereign and Almighty declaration right there. God's not playing around. I would fear and tremble at that statement from God.

If Moses is going to lead God's "firstborn" out of bondage and into the Promised Land, then he had better start acting the part. He'd better make sure that his life is free from sin, shame, reproach, etc.....

In not circumcising his OWN firstborn, then he is not qualified to lead God's firstborn ANYWHERE.

That's all I have. I know that's presumptive and not definitive, but it's how I see all of that in the context of what God just said before that happened.
 

Iconoclast

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ISRAEL was called the Covenant Son......God had a purpose for calling them. IN type they were to be the Holy nation....they failed
JESUS is the true Covennt Son.....and us in Him...isa49:1-8....This Son become the true Holy nation.
 

Steven Yeadon

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I found this one to finally make sense recently, how providential I get a chance to talk about it.

Genesis 17:1-8 is clear about God's covenant with Abraham. Genesis 17:9-14 is equally clear about the rules of circumcision for all of Abraham's offspring and even the children of his whole household and all his slaves. On the eighth day after being born they must be circumcised or they will be cut off from Israel and of course the promises to Abraham. Slaves are to be circumcised upon being bought. In Exodus 4:19-26 shows Moses has sons able to travel, who apparently aren't circumcised. God has leniency on Moses and his sons by not making them exiles, as far as I can tell. The timing is also golden for revealing more about God and His Ways through the life of one person recorded in the Word of God.
 
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rlvaughn

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There are some recurring words of comparison and contrast in the context that are intriguing – though I'm not sure what to make of it all. For example:

Sending: v. 19 with v. 28 “And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian, Go...” | “the Lord who had sent him
Seeking one’s life: v. 19 with v. 24 “Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.” | “And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him.”
The “sons” motif: verses 20, 22, 23, 25 “Moses took his wife and his sons” | “Israel is my son, even my firstborn” | “Let my son go” | “I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn” | “Zipporah...cut off the foreskin of her son
Let one go: v. 23 with v. 26 “Let my son go” | “So he let him go
Meeting: v. 24 with v. “the Lord met him and sought to kill him” | “Aaron...met him...and kissed him

Maybe I’m off in left field straining at a gnat, but it seems like the occurrences ought to have some significance.
 

tyndale1946

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There are some recurring words of comparison and contrast in the context that are intriguing – though I'm not sure what to make of it all. For example:

Sending: v. 19 with v. 28 “And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian, Go...” | “the Lord who had sent him
Seeking one’s life: v. 19 with v. 24 “Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.” | “And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him.”
The “sons” motif: verses 20, 22, 23, 25 “Moses took his wife and his sons” | “Israel is my son, even my firstborn” | “Let my son go” | “I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn” | “Zipporah...cut off the foreskin of her son
Let one go: v. 23 with v. 26 “Let my son go” | “So he let him go
Meeting: v. 24 with v. “the Lord met him and sought to kill him” | “Aaron...met him...and kissed him

Maybe I’m off in left field straining at a gnat, but it seems like the occurrences ought to have some significance.

According to the comments of John Gill in his Exposition Of The Bible on Exodus 4 to my understanding the mission God sent Moses on pertained to him and Aaron alone... Moses brought his family... And the Lord knew that Moses family would detract from his mission... That is the simplest answer I know... Check out Gill and see what you think... Brother Glen
 

th1bill

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So far interesting but lacking important information when being considered, not the OP's lack either. First the Bible is the Book of Books and is of a single context from "In the beginning..." through the very last word of Revelation 22. It has many nuances but the overall message is Salvation Jesus, the Christ.

The answer is simple, God did not seek to kill Moses before Moses had competed his mission, if He had, Moses would have fallen and there never would have been an exodus led by the same and on this incorrect set of assumptions might never have been an exodus led by anyone. But that is in no fashion true.

When reading any of these odd (only to us) statements we must return to our first love. Always remember that God's attributes include two duzies that must not, ever, be forgotten. God is Omnipotent, There iis nothing God cannot do. And the second is the point we must center on to begin to wrap our heads around many of the saying God has preserved for us to learn of Him.
the fact that God reveals He is Omniscient changes everything. With his Omniscience comes Omnipresence!

There are a list of reasons to know this that are found in His working in the scriptures and our lives. The important one here is notable when it is declared that a day to God is as a thousand years to a man or to man. Couple that with Genesis 1 through 3 and the picture can begin to form in your mind. There is nothing in this Space/Time Continuum that Jesus/God did not create. (John 1:1-3) The Time/Space Continuum is strictly for our benefit. God did not need it before He created it and He does not need it now,, in fact God was and is still outside the Continuum but being Omniscient, He is also in it. In Psalm 139 we see the author asking God where can he possibly hide from Him because He is already there.

This omniscience is a very interesting subject, all on it's own. I means God is literally everywhere at every time. this does rip the Calvinist's wording to explain Predestination apart but it also, in no manner proves the Armenian ideas either. and that's good because Predestination is scriptural and if it is in the Scriptures, it is truth.

But, back on point before I call this a Sunday School Classd and get everyone upset with me, like this message won't, right? soi with ning bound within our Time/Space Continuum and His Omniscience god is with you as you read this message, He has always been in the past and He is, right now, in the future, and always has been. Wanna Time Travel? Convince God to hold your hand! Of course He won't do that but it is a vain thought many will think. God knew the very moment I would repent and devote my life to Him because time is meaningless to His Holiness. Before the clock began to run, before God created the first spec of space or earth, He wrote the Book of Life because he knew.

And pretenders? If you are not the real item, you want to change that, now, God can call at any moment making it eternally too late for the Rapture. May god bless each of you with His knowledge.
 

HeirofSalvation

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Exodus 4:24-26
God has commanded Moses to go back to Egypt and tell Pharoah, "Let my son [Israel] go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn." What follows next seems rather abrupt and shocking -- the Lord sought to kill Moses? Why?
Circumcision.
Scarlett is on the right track.
 
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