Exodus 4:24-31
The LORD Met Him on the Way
Read the passage
24Now at a lodging place along the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him.
25But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin, and touched it to Moses’ feet. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said.
26So the LORD let him alone. (When she said, “bridegroom of blood,” she was referring to the circumcision.)
27Meanwhile, the LORD had said to Aaron, “Go and meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him.
28And Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had sent him to say, and all the signs He had commanded him to perform.
29Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites,
30and Aaron relayed everything the LORD had said to Moses. And Moses performed the signs before the people,
31and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD had attended to the Israelites and had seen their affliction, they bowed down and worshiped.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
On the way, at a lodging place, the LORD meets Moses and seeks to put him to death. Zipporah takes a flint, circumcises their son, touches Moses' feet with the foreskin, and calls him a bridegroom of blood. Then the LORD lets him alone.
The account leaves several questions unanswered. Genesis 17:9–14 helps explain the covenant setting: God commanded circumcision as the sign of His covenant with Abraham's household, and neglecting it broke that covenant. Here Zipporah circumcises her son, and the danger to Moses ends. That connection points to a neglected covenant obligation, though Exodus does not explain why it had been neglected.
The story then turns to Aaron. The LORD tells Aaron to go into the wilderness to meet Moses, and Aaron meets him at the mountain of God and kisses him. Moses tells Aaron all the words of the LORD and all the signs he commanded him to do.
Moses and Aaron gather the elders of the people. Aaron speaks the LORD's words, and Moses performs the signs before the people. The people believe, and when they hear that the LORD had visited Israel and seen their affliction, they bow their heads and worship.
The scene joins unsettling holiness to welcome and worship. It also shows that Moses' mission is carried through family and partnership, not through solitary heroism.
Questions
1 Who is in danger at the lodging place?
AnswerIn this translation, the LORD meets Moses and is about to kill him. The account does not give a full explanation of the encounter.
2 What does Zipporah do, and what happens afterward?
AnswerShe circumcises her son and touches the foreskin to Moses' feet. The LORD then lets Moses alone. Her action is connected with the end of the danger.
3 How do Moses and Aaron bring God's message to Israel?
AnswerMoses tells Aaron the words and signs God has given him. They gather the elders, Aaron speaks the message, and Moses performs the signs before the people.
4 Why do the people bow down and worship?
AnswerThey believe the message and hear that the LORD has attended to them and seen their affliction. They worship before their slavery has ended.
What This Means for Us
Serving God publicly does not place anyone above obedience to Him. The abrupt danger on Moses' journey reminds us to take God's holiness seriously. It does not give us a way to diagnose every illness or crisis as punishment for a hidden failure.
The passage ends with people worshiping because God has seen their suffering. Nothing at the brickworks has changed yet, but they have received His word. We too can thank God for His faithfulness while still asking for relief. Let prayer include both: the burden that remains and the reasons we have to trust Him.
Prayer
Holy God, keep us humble before your covenant and faithful in our responsibilities. Thank you for companions who help us obey; give our household courage, wisdom, and reverence when your ways confront us. Amen.