Why did God want to kill Moses
Exodus 4:18-26
Exodus 4:18-26, So Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19 Now the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.” 20 Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand. 21 And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Israel is My son, My firstborn. 23 So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.” ’ ” 24 And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, 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 Moses’ feet, and said, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!” 26 So He let
him go. Then she said, “You are a husband of blood!”—because of the circumcision. Last week we saw about Jacob. God who broke the hip of Jacob. We studied the other side of the sweet God. Background. Abraham descendant came to Egypt.
Joseph came with 70 people. Now new Pharaoh who doesn’t know oppress the people of Israel. God hears their cry. God calls Moses to deliver. Moses who killed an Egyptian and escaped to Midian. Moses spending 40 years in the wilderness tending sheep.
Moses now married and having children and forgot about his call. God encounters Moses in Exodus 3 and reminds him to come and recue the people of God from Egypt. Moses gives five excuses why he is not suitable for the job.
1. I am not good enough.
Exodus 3:11, But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 2. I don’t have all the answers.
Exodus 3:13, Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” 3. People won’t believe me.
Exodus 4:1, Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ” 4. I am not a public speaker.
Exodus 4:10, Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” 5. I am not qualified.
Exodus 4:13, But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.”
God gets angry because he refused to accept the call of God.
Exodus 4:14, So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said: “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. So Moses says good bye to his father in law and takes his wife, Zipporah and two sons, Gershom and Eliezer along with him. Halfway between Midian and Egypt God met Moses and try to kill him.
God try to kill Moses? We can’t compare with what God did with Jacob in Genesis 32 with Exodus 4 who tries to kill Moses.
Exodus 4:24, 24 And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the Lord met him and sought to kill him.
Should we erase the verse?
Should we explain this verse?
The God who called Moses and try to kill Moses. Moses’ wife Zipporah took a stone and circumcised her son Gershom and put the skin before God.
Traditional view
Moses did not circumcise his older son Gershom. So, God try to kill Moses.
How has one become an Israelite?
1. By birth
2. By circumcision. By Birth. Mother has got to be Jewish irrespective of father. They believed the child gets the blood through the mother so one must be born of women of Israelites to be an Israelite. This is the reason there were so many restrictions to marry outside the covenant.
By Circumcision. A covenant was made by God with Abraham that all males should be circumcised.
Genesis 17:10-14, This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; 11 and 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 child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. 13 He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.” Male child should be circumcised on the 8th day. Even if your mother is Jewish the child must be circumcised on the 8th day.
Joshua 5:5, For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised. Joshua told them you cant enter the promise land unless you are circumcised.
If you are non-Jewish you want to convert to Israelites, then you must be circumcised. Here is the problem. Moses was a Jew. Zipporah is not a Jewish, she was a Midinette. By not circumcising both the children, Gershom and Eliezer Moses did not identify them as Israelites.
Now Moses taking the boys without identifying them as Israelite.
What did God tell Moses?
Exodus 4:23, So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.” ’ ”
God was going to send the Angel of death to kill the first born.
1. God is angry when we don’t protect our
children. Now Moses is taking a huge risk of putting his first-born son Gershom. When the death angel comes it will wipe out every first-born including Moses. Moses did not take enough care for his son? God is angry that Moses did not take enough protection to save his son.
When you know that your children are going to be threatened then God is angry. When you see the children life is being threatened and you doing nothing sitting in watching in the side lines then God is angry. Prioritise our children and their life.
Protect your children. Discipline your children. Teach your children. Provide for your children. We see no other children in our church should drop out of school.
2. God is angry when you don’t obey. Gershom is more than a year by now. Gershom got a younger brother Eliezer. Moses should have circumcised on the 8th day. Moses failed. But God should have killed Gershom on the 9th day.
Why now? Because Moses had an encounter with God. Exodus 3. Moses met God in the burning bush. God’s expectation is that after you have encountered Him must be greater obedience. God has a grace period. All of us have some disobedience in the grace period.
Thank God for His grace period.
3. What you do for the Lord doesn’t give
exemption. Moses thought that since he is doing something for the Lord that he is exempted from obeying the Lord.
Many thinks like Moses. God told Moses to move from Midian to Egypt. He obeyed the Lord, so he thinks that he is obeying in the greater things, so it is fine to be disobedient in small. Obedience in one area allows you to be disobedient in another area.
You may think that, You are preaching, You are singing, You are praying, You are giving offering, Etc, Should you love better after you encountered Lord. 4. Concern about God not others. God tells Moses not to worry about others.
Exodus 4:19, Now the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.”
God tells Moses all those who were trying to kill you have been dead. So don’t worry about them.
Exodus 4:24, And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the Lord met him and sought to kill him.
God tells him not to worry about the people who try to kill you but then turn around to kill him.
Who you need to be concerned about? God. We sing songs God is my friend, kumbaya, etc. We, especially the church lost the holy reverence of God. We effectively removed the fear of God. When you walk right with God then God will handle all the people.
5. Gracious Lord.
Exodus 4:24, And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the Lord met him and sought to kill him. Don’t miss the main point here.
God did NOT kill Moses but try to!
God try to kill Moses?
Does God need to try to do something? God’s desire was not to kill Moses. But to put Moses under a death threat so that he can obey God. There are people who had been in their death bed made commitment if only God, you let me live I will live for you?
There are people who made commitment God if you do this then I will do that for you, yet you walked away?? Zipporah, who was not part of any of this she came and intercede for Moses. V 25, Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses’ feet, and said, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!”
Hebrews 7:25, Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Romans 8:34, Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.