God threatens Moses???????

Zipporah was Moses' wife. God commanded Abraham, the patriarch of Israel, to circumcise all male children. This was the covenant sign for Israel.

Moses had been living in exile away from the Israelite people. He took a wife from the people he had been living with (the Midianites.) This verse tells us that Moses' son had not been circumcised as was commanded by God. God could not have his representative living in rebellion. Perhaps Moses did not know the command of circumcision. (That's a guess on my part.) His wife, however, realized what was going on and performed the circumcision.

Does this clear things up a little?

One aspect of this passage is the concept that there is a strictor standard for leaders. This ties in with a later passage you will come across where Moses is not allowed to enter the promised land because. Moses was the greatest prophet and saw God face to face. he also penned the words of Torah. Therefore the jews would look to what Moses did and said not just as him but as a spokesperson for God himself. This means God had to make a point of demonstrating when it was Moses acting out of God's will. Otherwise jews could have made doctrine based on Moses sin.
This is my interpretation. I believe it is a biblical principle.

Also worth looking up are genesis 17 regarding the circumcision (abraham and the appearance of angels in genesis 18) and numbers 22:22 regarding balam's donkey.(the lord was angry) Joshua 5:2. Worth noting is the fact that an angel appeared to all three shortly after. Also notice that the Lord was angry with moses and with balam right before these incidents.Could there be a connection between Exodus 4:14 and the Lord's anger against Moses and this passage about the angel coming to kill him? Could Moses possibly still have been dragging his feet like he was in exodus 4 earlier in the chapter when he argued with God and the Lord became angry with Moses. Perhaps this was a passive agressive thing that Moses was putting off the circumcision ? Sometimes there is more of a conversation which goes on then what is recorded in scripture. We just get the highlights which the Holy spirit chooses to share.
Leviticus 12:3 says to circumcise on the 8th day. This is why in John chapter 7: 22-23, Jesus says to the pharisees that they even circumcise on the sabbath day. Normally this type of work would not eb performed on the sabbath but the law of circumcision not being delayed took precedence even over the sabbath. Genesis 21:4 records isaac being circumcised on the 8th day.Luke 1:59 records the circumcision of John the baptist on the 8th day, and Philippians 3:5 records the circumcision of the apostle Paul on the 8th day. Luke 2:21 even records the circumcision of Jesus on the 8th day. Also as a sidenote, notice that the child in all these instances is named on the 8th day when they are circumcised. Just a bit of jewish trivia there.
Also is there a foreshadowing of any type with the killing of the firstborn of Egypt in verse 23 which was the death angel. Was this the same angel that appeared to Moses on the road? And the blood of the circumcision instead of the blood of the lamb staved off judgement. Possibly a foreshadowing of the two covenants? The covenant of circumcision and the convenant of the passover lamb (Jesus)
Just some things to meditate upon.

One sidenote is that there is considerable commentary written about the fact that a woman performed a circumcision here. Since the role of women is limited among strict jews.

sooner or later everyone wants to kill Moses...even God.

New Creation said:

I"m on my first read through the Bible, and wow man, I came across something that really disturbed me the other day. Can someone give me some insight here?

Exodus 4:24
As Moses and his family were travelling along and had stopped for the night, Jehovah appeared to Moses and threatened to kill him.

WHAT????gen 17:10-14

Why?

Exodus 4: 25-26 And what's the bit (forgive the pun) about Zipporah cutting off the foreskin of her son's ***** and throwing it at Moses' feet?

Click to expand...

his responiblity not his father in law job