The next part of our story in Exodus is a very enigmatic portion of Scripture. I’ll give you my interpretation with the warning that commentators are all over the place with this one. We may have to wait till heaven to get the full and certain meaning.

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. The covenant of circumcision was made with Abraham, Moses’ ancestor. (Genesis 17:10[notes1] ) All the descendants of Abraham were to be marked in this way. It was a symbol of their special relationship with God indicating that their hearts were sensitive to Him. (Deuteronomy 10:16[notes2] )

Apparently, the Reuel side of the family did not follow the ritual. Moses knew that when he returned, if he was going to say he was in a special relationship with God, he and his sons would have to bear the mark that his family bore as a sign of covenant.

My guess is that Zipporah was reluctant to allow Moses to carry out the surgery because of the suffering the child would endure. What mother wants to hear their child scream in pain? I think they had been having an ongoing argument, and Moses was giving in to his wife’s demand that their youngest son not be circumcised. Apparently the other son was already circumcised for “son” here is singular. That former experience may have so upset Zipporah that she said, “Never again!”

It sounds as if Moses became ill and was about to die if their son was not circumcised. Perhaps God used this to force Zipporah to do what she would not allow Moses to do to her son, to circumcise him. She thought she had to, to save Moses’ life. She called Moses a bloody husband because of the demand that her sons be circumcised.

Why was circumcision such a big deal? Listen to what God told Abraham in regards to circumcision. 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.” Genesis 17:14 (ESV)

If Moses came to lead God’s people out of bondage and to deliver the Law to them but personally could be disobedient to the covenant God made with Abraham and his descendents, how could he ever deliver the Law to them? How could he expect them to live in accord with the Law while he justified disobedience? How could he lead the nation when he did not have his house in order? This became a New Testament requirement for elders, that they lead their family to follow God. (1Timothy 3:4-5[notes3] ) If Moses could not exert his authority in his home, how could he exert his God given authority over the nation?

The lesson is a timeless truth. When God calls us to service and promises His presence, the first step is our own personal obedience to God. He calls us to clean up our act before we go out to call others to follow. He touched Isaiah’s lips with the coal from the altar before he could be sent to deliver a message to people of unclean lips. (Isaiah 6:5-7[notes4] )

If we are going to speak to a people of sensuality and lust, we better examine our own behavior first. If we want to speak to others about a relationship with Jesus, we’d better be taking time for our relationship with Him. We can ask others to go where we have not gone, but it will carry very little weight of conviction. The power comes when we are living examples of our message. (Philippians 4:9[notes5] )

Jesus told the crowds to listen to the Pharisee’s message, but not to follow their example because they didn’t live what they preached. (Matthew 23:2-3[notes6] ) This would have been true of Moses had he gone into Egypt to set the nation free while he was in denial about keeping the covenant God made with Abraham that promised them freedom and a land of their own.

[notes2] Deuteronomy 10:16 (ESV)16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.

[notes3] 1 Timothy 3:4-5 (ESV) 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?

[notes4] Isaiah 6:5-7 (ESV) 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.

[notes5] Philippians 4:9 (ESV) 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

[notes6] Matthew 23:2-4 (ESV)2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 3 so practice and observe whatever they tell you— but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.

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Psalms 119:11 (KJV)
¹¹ Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
After the Journey to Jerusalem production (see pottershandproductions.com), I am often asked how I memorize so much.  Sadly, I have to confess that I have let much of my memorization slip, and not been as diligent to continue as I once was. The question isn’t really how did I, but why don’t we? Memorization is not easy for anyone. It takes time and hard work. It takes consistency. It takes a desire.

If Muslim children can memorize the Koran, and children of Galilee in the days of Jesus memorized the Torah (five books of Moses) then what’s our excuse? It’s simply a lack of priority. Other things are allowed to take that time and effort. We all have the same 24 hours in a day. Ray VanderLaan, a historian, believes that Jesus had the entire Old Testament memorized. There were only a few in his day that attained that incredible feat, but some did! It was believed that would entitle them to speak authoritatively on Scripture and give them a right to give their own interpretation instead of quoting other rabbi.

What is for sure, is that a love for the Word will prompt us to put His words to memory. We are to love the Lord with all our mind. The Word is the Sword of the Spirit. It is our offense against evil in our own life and in the world. Most of us only carry a little pocket knife. We wonder why we lack power and authority but we don’t take the time and make the effort to consistently hide the word in our heart, to let it dwell in us richly.

Colossians 3:16a (KJV)
¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom;

Convicted? Most of us should be. Let me share with you what has worked for me. You may find something that works for you. First is to commit. Does God want you to do it? Are you sure? Is there any reason you shouldn’t? Settle that and then stick to your plan. Consistency is the key. Anyone can memorize if they will work hard at it.

Let the Holy Spirit guide you to the passages you should memorize. Which ones could you use to help yourself and others in times of trial? That is a good place to start. Don’t worry about how long the passage is! Take one verse at a time. Write it on a 3×5 card and carry it in your pocket. Whenever you have a chance go over it. Sometimes you can use association or first letter patterns to help you remember. Ask your spouse or friend to help you review it. Then go over it daily until it is your treasure, your friend. Then add another verse, but keep reviewing the first one daily. Eventually you can just visit the old friends once a week. Before long you’ll have a chapter, then two, then entire books of the Bible, IF you stay consistent. Just don’t neglect to apply it to life.

It is not to impress people, but to let the Word dwell in you richly. It is a cleansing, refreshing stream. It is our sword for battle. It is our treasure. It gives us understanding and wisdom. Sharing Scriptures with others will encourage them to memorize as well. Get going! Pick a verse today and put it in your treasure chest.

Psalms 19:10-11 (KJV)
¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. ¹¹ Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

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²⁰ 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. Now he has more than one son. This is important to what follows. He took what is now called, “the staff of God.” It was once his staff, but now it is God’s. I think we can apply that to our own gifts and possessions. If we give them to God, they are no longer our own.

²¹ 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. God is preparing Moses’ heart for the rejection he would face so that he does not prematurely give up. We’ll discuss the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart when we get into the plagues.

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.’ “ This is the first time that God refers to Israel as His firstborn son. Moses now knows that God is going to give Pharaoh a choice of either releasing the Hebrews or losing his son. God is letting Pharaoh know the seriousness of His relationship with the Hebrews. The pharaohs had been killing God’s son. That’s a dangerous thing to do. (Zechariah 2:8[notes1] ) If this Pharaoh would not let them go, he would reap what he has sown. (Job 2:8[notes2] )

The New Covenant has so many parallels to what is happening here. As the firstborn son, Israel failed to represent God to the world. Jesus, a member of that firstborn son, Israel, did faithfully represent God throughout His life as God’s only begotten son. His sacrifice in our place makes it possible for us to be sons of God. (Romans 8:29[notes3] ; Galatians 3:26[notes4] ) Look how serious God is about liberating His sons and daughters! We see in God’s intense desire to deliver the Israelites, the same intensity to deliver us through the cross of Calvary. (1John 4:9-10[notes5]

When we come to Jesus for the forgiveness he earned for us on that cross, he tells Satan to let go of his son or daughter so they can worship God. Satan must let you go. Then he takes what you have and claims at his own so that his glory can be seen in you. We do and say what he has taught us, and others are liberated as well.

[notes2] Job 4:8 (NIV)8 As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.

[notes3] Romans 8:29 (NIV)29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

[notes4] Galatians 3:26 (NIV)26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,

[notes5] 1 John 4:9-10 (NIV)9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

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