Today’s devotion comes from Exodus 4:24-26.
“Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and threw it at Moses’ feet, and she said, “You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me.” So He let him alone. At that time she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood”—because of the circumcision.” Exodus 4:24-26.
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Shocking! In the middle of a developing adventure, a noble mission of God sending Moses with an array of miracles to deliver the sons of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt, we read this horror story. At first thought, it seems so out of place. We are shocked like the intrusion of horror into a peaceful neighborhood at night that may happen in a fiction horror story.
Scary! “Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the Lord met him and sought to put him to death.” It is scary enough to face enemies, but even the thought of the trusted ally, the LORD, seeking to put Moses to death can scare us out of our wits.
Bloody! “Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and threw it at Moses’ feet, and she said, “You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me.”
We tend to take God for granted. We think that because we are the elect or that we serve God, that we can be careless. This may be what Moses experienced. Moses may have been so caught up in the thoughts of the miracles and the mission that he forgot or neglected to perform circumcision on his son as required by God.
God is holy and demands perfection. From our sinful human perspective, we think that Moses had reasonable excuses of more important things to consider (his mission) and the inconvenience of performing the circumcision “on the road”. But, God does not tolerate sin.
We remember the story of Uzza and the bringing of the ark home. “David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, even with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals and with trumpets. When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, because the oxen nearly upset it. The anger of the Lord burned against Uzza, so He struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark; and he died there before God.” 1 Chronicles 13:8-10. From our sinful human perspective, we think that Uzza had reasonable excuses of helping to bring the ark home and even preventing the ark from falling. But, God does not tolerate sin.
But, there is hope!
Moses’ wife Zipporah intervened and performed the circumcision. It may be bloody, but her action saved Moses’ life.
Like Zipporah, Christ intervened and performed the circumcision of our hearts from sin. It may be bloody, but His action saved our lives.
Christ comes to us a “bridegroom of blood”.
“3 He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.” Isaiah 53:3-5.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 