Exodus 4:24
At a lodging place on the way the Lord met
him and sought to put him to death.
Moses was embarking on a mission aimed at
calling Israel out of Egypt, but Moses' sons remained uncircumcised. Moses had
earlier in life identified with Israel in the public sphere by striking out
against injustice, but had failed to follow through in the private sphere by
raising his sons in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. How could Moses
lead a nation to follow Yahweh, when his own household was out of order? God
here insists that Moses' family be in order before he steps out to lead the
congregation and it serves as a warning to any who would desire to lead God's
people without first leading his own family.
And what a shame that Moses' wife is the one who ended up having to right all of this. It's comforting to know that God doesn't wait for us to have it all together before calling us to his purposes, but it's also a great reminder that he doesn't overlook our clear areas of disobedience and deficit just because we're already 'on the team'.
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