Why was God going to kill Moses in Exodus 4:24-26?

Answer

God had called Moses from the land of Midian to return to Egypt and lead the Hebrew people out of slavery. After some initial objections, Moses accepted the will of God, packed up his family, and started his journey west. Then something strange and troubling happened: “At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him” «And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. », (Exodus 4:24).

This disturbing incident, in which God was going to kill Moses, is not fully explained in the text, but we can piece together an idea of what occurred. Here are the clues:

– God was seeking to kill Moses

– Zipporah, Moses’ wife, took a flint knife and circumcised their son

– after the operation, Zipporah touched Moses’ feet with the foreskin

– Zipporah called her husband “a bridegroom of blood,” referring to the circumcision

– at that point, “the Lord let him alone” «So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. », (Exodus 4:26).