YouTube video sermon

Exodus 4:18-31

It’s so good to be back with you. If you have your copy of God’s Word (and I hope you do), then let me invite you to turn with me to Exodus 4. The bulletin says that we’re going to cover the rest of chapter 4, all of chapter 5, and the first verse of chapter 6. Well, I lied. (Not really.) I had hoped to bridge that gap, but with my vacation, a short week, and a Board Meeting at Tamassee yesterday, I just couldn’t get there.

Some of you are secretly smiling and thinking, “Oh boy, we’re going to get out early today.” In the words of the great theologian Lee Corso, “Not so fast, my friend. Not so fast.” We’ll see. We’re only going to cover the rest of chapter 4, today. Let’s read Exodus 4:18-31:

18 Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19 And the LORD said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” 20 So Moses took his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

21 And the LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, Israel is My firstborn son, 23 and I say to you, “Let My son go that he may serve Me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’”

24 At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to put him to death. 25 Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” 26 So He let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.

27 The LORD said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So, he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. 28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD with which He had sent him to speak, and all the signs that He had commanded him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. 30 Aaron spoke all the words that the LORD had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 And the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the people of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.

What you’ve just heard is the authentic and true Word of God for us, His people. Thanks be to God. Let’s pray:

“Again, we thank You, Lord, for the glorious message contained in the pages of the book of Exodus. It so richly declares the absolute supremacy of You – the great “I AM” – and Jesus, the one who Himself said, ‘Before Abraham was, I am’ (John 8:58). And we thank You that in Christ Jesus we, like the Israelites of old, received our great salvation from the bondage of our slavery to sin. Would You, even now, open our eyes and our hearts to understand and embrace this gospel fully. For we ask it in Jesus’ name, amen.”

This morning, I just want to try and quickly walk us through the movements of these verses. In fact, my points this morning aren’t, as much, principles of biblical truth – as I frequently try to craft them – as much as they are simple waypoints or mile markers in the biblical narrative. I’m going to do more teaching today, than preaching. The first mile marker is what I’m simply calling…

Moses’ Return to Egypt

He goes to his father-in-law and politely asks to be released from his job. Remember, Moses has been tending his father-in-law’s sheep for some 40 years. So, he’s not only desiring to leave his employment on good terms, but he’s also looking for a blessing. Not a blessing that all might go well, though that would be nice too, but a blessing because he would be taking Zipporah with him. He’s looking for a family blessing. And that’s exactly what he got – “Go in peace.”

Now, before we jump into some thorny issues, I just want to help us see another connection here between Moses and Jesus. We know that Moses was a “type” of Christ, a foreshadowing of Jesus, a “picture” if you will. Hebrews 3 makes this abundantly clear, “…consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed Him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house. For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses. [N]ow Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son” (Hebrews 3:1b-3a, 5-6a). So, the author of Hebrews draws this line from Moses to Jesus – not to make them equal but to show the Jesus is greater than Moses. Right? So, Moses is a “type” or a “picture” of Jesus.

Now, look at Exodus 4:19-20, “And the LORD said to Moses in Midian, ‘Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.’ So, Moses took his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt.” Now, listen to Matthew 2:19-20, “But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, ‘Rise, take the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.’ And he rose and took the Child and His mother and went to the land of Israel.”

“Okay, pastor, that’s great, but what does that mean for me?” Well, if you’ve ever wondered whether or not what we have in this book is the Word of God, then this connection ought to serve as one of many assurances. I find it incredibly comforting to know that there are these connections between the Old and New Testaments, not to mention that it’s just plain cool.

Think about it. What’s Moses going to Egypt to do? (Confront Pharaoh and serve as the “rescuer” of the people of Israel, right.) In Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, what’s Jesus going to do for Israel? (Rescue them from sin, right. But not only them, all of mankind, too.) Do you see how the book of Exodus and the Bible, as a whole, continually tell the gospel story? This is another one of those places in the Old Testament where there’s a sliver of light shining forth the truth of Jesus.

Hardening Pharaoh’s Heart

What’s that all about. Well, there’s so much that can be said here. In fact, we’re actually going to address it in more detail in future weeks but, for now, just notice that God, in hardening Pharaoh’s heart, is able to fully showcase His power over His enemies and over the enemies of His people.

God’s sovereignty over Pharaoh isn’t meant to cause us to say, “Oh, poor Pharaoh, if God would’ve just left you alone then you would’ve worshipped him.” No, he wouldn’t. Every Pharaoh that we’ve encountered since Joseph died at the beginning of the book has not known God, nor have they shown any signs of wanting to know God or worship God. The way that the Pharaoh’s have treated the Israelites is enough evidence to confirm the state of their hearts.

Look, if this Pharaoh, or any Pharaoh wanted to give us an indication that they believed in God, then simply treating the Israelites with dignity and respect would be step one. So, don’t allow yourself to read God hardening Pharaoh’s heart as an opportunity to begin wagging your finger at God saying, “See, God, You’re a mean, vengeful, brute. It’s all You’re fault God.” Don’t do that. This is about God demonstrating that He’s in control – not Satan, not Pharaoh, not Moses, not Biden, not Putin, not Zelensky, not anybody – only God. God is on the throne and He’s in control. That’s what this hardening stuff is all about.

Listen, in both my personal/pastoral life I try not to use absolute terms like “always” and “never.” But I’m going to here. Never… ever… blame God for sin. Remember, if God is who He says He is and who the Bible says He is, then we never have the right to point the finger at God and tell Him that sin is His fault.

Do you remember Job? That’s what he came very close to doing and do you remember how God responded? “Who is this that questions My wisdom with such ignorant words? Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and [you’re gonna] answer them” (Job 38:2-3, NLT). And then God unleashes four (4) solid chapters of questions: “Where were you when I formed the earth? Can you tell the waves to come this far and no farther? Have you ever made the sun come up in the morning or the moon at night? Do you know where I keep the storehouses of snow?” Then, Job tries to interrupt for an apology and God says, “Will you even put Me in the wrong? Will you condemn Me [just so] that you may be in the right? Have you an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like His? ‘[Go on, then] Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity; clothe yourself with glory and splendor. [Right now; do it!]” (Job 40:8-10, paraphrased).

And do you remember how Job finally responds? “I know that You can do anything, and no one can stop You. [God,] You asked, ‘Who is this that questions My wisdom with such ignorance?’ It’s me – and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. [LORD] You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’ I had only heard about You before, but now I have seen You with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance” (Job 42:2-6, NLT).

Folks, God is perfect. May we never forget that. Yes, we might not have all of the answers and there might be questions that puzzle us all the way up to our deaths, may we always view God as holy and righteous in everything.

God Wants to Kill Somebody

Notice that I was careful not to say that God wanted to kill Moses. It’s so easy to read Exodus 4:24 and think that the word “him” is a reference to Moses. In fact, several Bible translations make it almost impossible not to think it was Moses. The NIV, the NASB, the CEV and others actually translate it as Moses, but the Hebrew word is “him,” and there’s nothing in the text that says it has to refer to Moses. Remember, according to verse 20, Moses took his wife and his two sons with him. So, the “him” could be a reference to Moses’ oldest son, Gershom, or his youngest son, Eliezer. I happen to believe that it’s Gershom (the oldest) that God was intent on killing him; not Moses.

So, if I’m right (and let’s just agree that I am), then at least we can wipe our heads and say, “Thank goodness, God wasn’t going to kill the very person He called to deliver the Israelites. That’s just weird. Save Moses from death at birth and then again at middle-age, call him to be Your ambassador to Egypt (so to speak) and then kill him. That’s strange.” But that still leaves us with the question: why did God want to kill Gershom? And the answer is because Moses had failed to circumcise him. As Dr. Douglas Stuart put it, “God wasn’t going to allow someone (Gershom) to get into Egypt alive without a decisive change in his circumcision status.” But why? Because it was the preeminent sign of the covenant people of God, and God was in the process of answering His own covenant.

For either Gershom or Eliezer (or both) to be a part of the rescue and delivery team that was inaugurating the covenant, and for one (or both) of them not to carry the sign of the covenant would impugn God’s own righteousness and character. Remember . . . the covenant that we’re talking about is a covenant that God Himself established with Abraham (back in Genesis 15). And do you remember who ratified the covenant? Who was it that signed, sealed and delivered the covenant to Abraham as a sure thing? (It was God.) So, not only did God create the covenant, but He also guaranteed it by His own Word. So, to go against the covenant by not having the sign of the covenant would make God a liar.

This little story reminds us that we’re only right with God through blood and His covenant promises. Apart from the shedding of blood, Gershom and/or Eliezer were no different from the Egyptians – that is, they were dead men. The same is true for you and me. Apart from the shedding of blood and God’s covenant promise we’re as good as dead. That’s where Jesus’ substitutionary sacrifice upon the cross of Calvary comes in. Without the shedding of Jesus’ blood and the work of the Holy Spirit circumcising our hearts, we have no hope.

Listen to what the Bible says, “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, [in order] that you may live” (Deuteronomy 30:6). The Prophet Jeremiah puts it like this, “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts, you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem, or [God’s] wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done” (Jeremiah 4:4). God said, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” (Ezekiel 36:26-27). The Apostle Paul, writing to the Church in Rome says, “circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter [of the Law]” (Romans 2:29).

When these passages refer to a “circumcision of the heart” it’s referring to our salvation by faith. Like Gershom, we don’t get to be a part of the group heading to the Promised Land unless our hearts have been transformed, unless there’s been a supernatural surgery. And so, we see Zipporah spring into action. We aren’t told how she knew that death was coming for her son, but however it happened, she quickly took the flint and performed the surgery.

Now, verse 25 is almost as confusing as verse 24. Again, the NIV, the ESV, the NKJV, and many others have Zipporah touching Moses’ feet with the foreskin. What’s that all about? Well, again, Moses’ name isn’t mentioned in the original Hebrew. So, if you have a Bible that includes Moses’ name, then just know that the translators were trying to help but might have made it a little more confusing.

So, she was either touching Moses’ feet or she was touching Gershom’s feet. But that’s still a little weird. What do feet have to do with anything? Well, they don’t. That’s a Hebrew euphemism. It’s a manner of speaking. In English we might say something like “she’s under the weather.” What does that mean? (She’s sick.) Here’s another one, “John passed away, yesterday.” What are we saying? (He died.) Or sometimes we say, “I’m between jobs vs. I’m unemployed.” In Hebrew, to “touch [a man’s] feet” was a nice/polite way of saying that you were touching his stones, his jewels.

Remember, it was not the wife’s responsibility to perform the circumcision, so she’s just doing the best she could, based on the little that she knew from her father’s priestly duty. She takes the foreskin and touches Gershon’s crotch and repeats the words she understood to be godly and proper in hopes that it might create the covenant he needed. Basically, it was as if Zipporah was saying, “since we’re related, I can do this on your behalf.”

And this little episode (as strange as it might be) actually fits nicely because God had just informed Moses (in vss. 22-23) that when he saw Pharaoh, he was supposed to tell him that if he didn’t let the Israelites go… (what would happen?) God would kill Pharaoh’s firstborn son. And this little story about Gershom is like Moses saying, “Hey, I know that God meant what He said about killing Pharaoh’s firstborn son due to his disobedience. How do I know, because He was going to kill my first-born son over my disobedience too.”

Hopefully, that helps. If not, I have a stack of commentaries and you’re welcome to do your own research. That brings us to the final movement…

A Family Worships Together

Two weeks ago, when we were considering Moses’ five (5) excuses, one of them was that he couldn’t speak well (4:14) and God said, “Hey, don’t you have a brother named Aaron? Of course, you do. I know he can speak well – after all, I made Aaron just like I made you, with all your moaning and complaining. Aaron is already on his way out here to meet up with you, and he’ll be glad to see you.”

Moses tells Aaron everything that God has told him. Moses shows Aaron the signs that he’s supposed to do in front of Pharaoh, and the two brothers gather the elders of Israel. Aaron speaks and Moses shows the signs and the people believed (v. 31). When the Israelites heard from Moses (via Aaron) that God had visited him and that He had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

Throughout the book of Exodus and throughout the Bible and throughout redemptive history, God is a God who pays attention to His people; He looks after His people; He gets involved in the situation and rescues them. Our ability to see and understand God in this way should lead us to give Him glory and honor and praise and exaltation.

He’s come to us in our slavery and freed us, through Christ Jesus. And now, as His people, we’re called to pay attention to those in affliction – those with spiritual, physical, mental and emotional needs. Do you know our God – the One that has come to us in the person of Jesus, the One who said, “I am the bread of life. I am the door. I am the vine. I am the way, the truth and the life. I am the light of the world. I am the resurrection and the life” (John 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15). Do you know Jesus?