But Zipporah took a flint and cut off her sons foreskin, and touched Moses feet with it, and said, Truly you are a bridegroom of blood to me! So he let him alone. In verse 23, God makes it clear that he will slay Pharaohs firstborn son if Pharaoh refuses to let go of Israel. Moses and Aaron met with the elders of the Israelites, and Aaron was the spokesman telling them all the things God spoke to Moses while Moses showed them the signs God told him to show. Apparently God was holding Moses accountable for the breaking of Gods covenant. She calls Moses, who represents Christ, a "bloody husband" and this represents the tribulation time. What is the significance of being left-handed as Ehud was inJudges. Change). Only the Midrash, the Oral Traditions of Judaism, clarifies this answer. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. It does not seem to me that she was opposed to the circumcision. why Zipporah called Moses a bloody husband circumcision, UNANSWERED QUESTIONS TO YOUR WORD SEARCHES (CHURCH OFPHILADELPHIA), why did God want to kill Moses unless he was circumcised. Moses said, "I have been a stranger in a strange land." The protagonist provided Moses with the necessary credentials he needed to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and protected his family in the process. Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) explains to Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) what job a mohel13 performs and Elaine gives her opinion about uncircumcised men. Moses told God that he wasnt eloquent with his speech, which aggravated God. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the . 26 So the LORD let him alone. Crucifixion thoughts & How did they get the nails out? Zipporah, the wife of Moses, receives very little exposure in the Bible. There does seem to be some anger on behalf of Zipporah against Moses, throwing the bloodied foreskin at his feet, and calling him a bloody husband to me. rigour. (http://www.usnews.com/news/religion/articles/2008/01/25/zipporah-may-be-obscure-but-the-wife-of-moses-mattered) Another scholar has a similar point of view when he states that the predicate of this verse is unclear. God bless us all! Answer: Technically, no. By performing the rite, Zipporah had recovered her husband; his life was purchased for her by the blood of her child. Yore Dea, Hilchot Milah, c. 264. sect. A bloody husband. Cast it at his feet - Showing at once her abhorrence of the rite, and her feeling that by it she had saved her husband's life. Zipporah bore for him two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free John 8:32, (NIV). This is the only time this Strong's Punishment for failing to be circumcised falls upon the child, not the father (Genesis 17:14). You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. She felt that this was God's way of showing His. Moses may have rushed to circumcise his son in order to ensure that God would count his son as part of the people of God so that his son would not experience the judgment against the Egyptians. If it was, she would not say he was a bloody husband because it would be an expectation that he should be circumcised. Juvenal Satyr 6. This passage is rather uneventful and straightforward if we read it properly. These scholars are thinking too hard. The bride (the church) is restored to her bridegroom (Jesus) by shedding of blood.10, There is a detailed study on this subject of circumcision from ancient to modern times in an article titled Circumcision in the Bible: What was it really all about? Zipporah regarded the bloody rites of her husbands religion as cruel and barbarous, and cast the foreskin of her son at his feet, as though he were a Moloch requiring a bloody offering. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because . Lastly, one final question that I asked as I read the passage was what the situation symbolizes in relation to the entire text. The difficult questions asked by scholars are easily answered, and some of them simply become irrelevant. Male circumcision has a special meaning in the Old Testament. So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. Exodus 4:24-26. This interpretation also makes sense narratologically because the previous verse speaks of God promising to kill Pharaohs firstborn son. OBS respects your privacy and is compliant with the European Union GDPR regulation. Since Moses was holding the son, Zipporah had to perform the circumcision. Click here to read. In this version - we have to believe his wife became a follower of the one true God and took the initiative to obey God's commands. 22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: 23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn. Rev. According to the Samaritan version of this episode, Zipporah took a sharp flint and cut herselfas a physical sign of repentance, because she realized that God was angry at Moses for bringing her and their two sons along on the divine mission to free the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. Chapter 4 verses 24 through 26 states, At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. Alas, this is no patriarchal fairy tale, and Zipporah is no damsel in distress. But the problem is that these supplied names are incorrect. Soon after meeting the One Who instructs him to return to Egypt in order to lead his Israelite brethren out of bondage in Egypt, "Moses took his wife and his sons, put them on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt." (Exodus 4:20.) Source: Memorials of Gilbert Haven, Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) 1880 A.D. These verses, concerning a circumcision,2 are odd and confusing, and some commentators believe they are out of place. There is also another explanation. OutlawBibleStudent.org. Hilchot Milah, c. 2. sect. The last we hear of Zipporah is shortly after the Exodus. Her story reminds us that flesh and blood have always been faithful reminders of Gods covenant promises. The scripture, after all, did not actually name Moses as who was to be killed; all it states is tried to kill him, (Exodus 4:24b). The two boys were known as her sons. Maundy Thursday leads us to a bloody table and to a garden where Judas Iscariot has blood on his hands. What did the Egyptians make the children of Israel serve with? While she is introduced early in Exodus, very little is said about her. Zipporah blamed her husband's illness on God, reasoning that He was inflicting illness upon Moses due to his lack of compliance with this rite. Moses was seated at the well nearby, no doubt dressed, painted, and speaking like an Egyptian dignitary. After functioning as a social worker for many years, she went on to become the first African American female to graduate from Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan, with both the master of divinity and doctorate of ministry degrees. Zipporah is in blue. Zipporah called Moses a bloody husband out of disgust. A new section begins from verse 25. Zipporah's father, Jethro, was a priest in the land of Midian where Moses fled after killing an Egyptian. That Monthly Period of Women Did God Curse Eve? He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." Well, to answer that question, we need a little more background information. A bloody husband - Literally, "a husband of blood," or "bloods." It was a Monday morning Editors note: To submit a nonprofit announcement to The Sentinels Religion section, contact Tom Laub at (717) Each year Christians embark on spiritual journeys that culminate with Easter celebrations. To understand the appellation and the circumstance leading up to Zipporah's use of it, we will look back about 400 years: Genesis ends with Joseph as the prime minister of Egypt who, by God's providence, saved Egypt from the famine and welcomed all his . She is a longtime student of the Word who brings dynamic and prophetic insights to her preaching, teaching, and pastoral life. Romance, Passionate Love, Sexual Pleasures: What Does the Bible Say?. 22 Then say to Pharaoh, This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son, 23 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. Start studying Bible Bowl (Exodus Chapters 1-5). All - I would like clarity as to why God wanted to kill Moses in Exodus 4:24: KJV: 24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him. In fact, he most likely dreamt in the language of Pharaoh. This short excerpt that seems disgusting and meaningless to most readers is actually a tale of obedience and preparation for the duties and years to come as Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt. This is a Different Kind of Christian Educational Website. Now, in verse 24, the underlined him, refers not to Moses but to Pharaohs firstborn son. Exodus 4:25-26 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. Whats more, God had just revealed himself to Moses and demonstrated great power in and through him. The first concerns the meaning of the phrase bridegroom of blood which is mentioned twice in the excerpt. Exodus 4:24-26 (KJV) 24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. And, here comes Moses to the rescue. Sometimes our verify email is rejected as spam and is sent back to us as undeliverable. She knew he would have been killed by God if their son, who may have been several months old or older, remained uncircumcised. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Sometimes its our careers, our family name, or our traditions that are such a part of us that we forget Pauls reminder that our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20), and our identity is hidden in Christ. But . However, this question cannot be answered without discovering who she was trying to save: Moses or Gershom, her son. Verse 24 says that the LORD met Pharaohs firstborn son in an inn and determined (sought) to kill him. When Zipporah and her sisters spotted Moses the first time, they thought he was an Egyptian, and in many ways they were right. Till 24, Pharaoh's first born son was the subject. Answer: Zipporah, the name of Moses' wife, is only referenced three times in the Bible (Exodus 2:21, 4:25, 18:2). But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. As Moses and his family arrive back in Egypt he meets up with the Lord who seeks to kill him. Source Ahavta. The narrative begins with a picture of Zipporah circumcising her son. Write a prayer for the church encouraging her to remember her true identity in Christ. As a result, the Lord decides not to kill Moses. 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