THE LIVES OF THE PATRIARCHS #53 | THE LIFE OF MOSES #35
Pastor Christopher Choo
Lesson 3735
THE LIVES OF THE PATRIARCHS #53
THE LIFE OF MOSES #35
3 REVELATIONS OF YHVH'S NAME GIVEN TO MOSES #23
YHVH M'KADDESH ( PART 14)
MOSES AND CIRCUMCISION #3
Was Moses circumcised?
Because the Bible does not answer this question directly, we look for inferences.
1. Some scholars say that being a child of a Levitical family, he would have been circumcised after birth.
2. Others say he was circumcised according to the Egyptian custom of his time - which may not be counted as acceptable circumcision as such.
3. The best answer is to read the Jewish scriptures.
In them we are told that Zipporah, Moses’ wife (Exod 2:21), dealt with the death threat of God against Moses by immediately circumcising her son Gershom and touching the foreskin to Moses’ “feet.”
What does that mean? And why would her action pacify God’s wrath?
The Hebrew word translated “feet” (רגל) is also used as a euphemism for genitalia.
The phrase in Exodus 4:25 makes sense only if Zipporah circumcised her son, Gershom, and then symbolically transferred that circumcision to Moses by taking the foreskin and touching Moses’ private parts.
Performing this rite needed a delicate but seasoned operation at the hands of an authorised practitioner.
Circumcision in Israel was performed only by religious duty—and only by men.
Moses had neglected the ritual, and now he, Zipporah, and little Gershom were already on the road back to Egypt.
A circumcised Moses would be unable to travel, so Zipporah performed the ritual on Gershom and, symbolically, on Moses.
Her deed was unprecedented but necessary.
Zipporah acted in faith, and God relented.
She saved Moses’ life and also atoned for his negligence.
Moses was now a proper “bridegroom of blood.”
What is the spiritual lesson of this matter of Moses' circumcision?
Had Moses been obedient to the covenant ritual of circumcision after leaving Egypt, his life—and his role as God’s servant—would not have been in danger.
But he probably wasn't circumcised as yet and Zipporah rose to the occasion to right his wrong.
We also need the courage to do what’s right, even if it seems out of place.
Failure in any of these regards will create obstacles to God’s desire to use us for His glory.
