Exodus 4:22-23 Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’ ”
There seems to me to be a hard left turn between verse 23 and verse 24. Interestingly, commentary doesn’t touch on this significant shift. Commentary just explains verse 24, saying, essentially, Moses can’t have God’s protection if he is deliberately outside of God’s will, having not circumcised his first born eight days after birth.
Exodus 4:24 At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him.
But my question, which I can’t find an answer to, is Why? Why this? Why now? Wasn’t that firstborn son here and uncircumcised when God was talking to Moses from the burning bush? It seems odd to me, and I am by no means a Bible scholar, that Moses negotiates this whole deal with God, is finally on his way to comply, and THEN God tries to kill him because of the uncircumcision. Why?
Exodus 4:25 But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said.
Lord of the Seeking, Thank You that I can read and study Your word and ask questions that I don’t understand. Thank You for encouraging me to seek and ask so that I can draw closer to You. Thank You that I am able to draw closer even when I don’t find the answers. Amen.
Exodus 4:26 So the Lord let him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.)
Have a blessed day.