God Is Picky

God Is Picky

“At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him.” -Exodus 4:24

There is a random verse in Exodus as Moses is on his way to Egypt to free the Israelites from slavery that is quite surprising. Moses and his wife Zipporah are staying at a lodging place. It says in Exodus 4:24 that God met Moses, and was about to kill him for not circumcising his son.

“At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him. But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses? feet with it. ‘Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,’ she said. So the LORD let him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.)” -Exodus 4:24-26

Now, this is after Moses was rescued as a child from the Nile River and adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter, being spared from death. This is after he killed a man who was torturing another Hebrew and was banished from Egypt, but saved from death a second time. And, this is after he spent 40 years in the wilderness being a shepherd, and after God called him from the burning bush and told him to free the Israelites. This is even after Moses turned down the offer and God told him his brother Aaron would help him. God still wanted him to do it. But here, now, God is ready to kill him. Say what??

Circumcision was a basic tenant of the faith for a Hebrew. It was a sign of the covenant between the Israelites and God. What does this mean for us? Often if we don’t get down the basics, God can’t use us for His purposes. If we fail to love others, if we fail to respect authority, if we fail to see the value in promises, if we fail to see the value in worship and sacrifice – all of these things can discredit us from being used by God. This doesn’t mean He can’t, through His Son redeem our lives as we seek forgiveness. It does mean, however, that God won’t settle. He desires that we submit to His will for our lives. But often it takes the closest ones around us who know us well to help us in this journey, like Moses’ wife Zipporah helped him.

Is there anything you feel could disqualify you from what God has called you to? Often it takes someone else to help us see perspective in the areas where we lack. Ask God to bring those trustworthy people around you to help you in your journey. God desires that we have success in Him!