Daily Reading
Daily Thought
At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to put him to death. 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!" So he let him alone.
~Exodus 4:24-26
Question: Why does God threaten Moses with death shortly after he had commissioned Moses to go to Egypt?
God made a promise, a covenant, to Abraham that he would be a great nation. Circumcision was a sign of that covenant (see Genesis 17:9-14). Delivering the Israelites from slavery to Egypt was part of God keeping his promise. But Moses, God's chosen leader, had broken covenant. It seems Zipporah, his wife, was repulsed by the very idea of circumcision, and Moses had accommodated his wife, rather than do what was right. Zipporah acquiesced, circumcised her son, and Moses recovered.
I'm reminded of Jesus stepping up to John the Baptist, desiring baptism, another sign of another covenant. "I should be baptized by you!" John argued. But Jesus said, "No, this is the right thing to do. It fulfills all righteousness."
Following God means you do the right thing. Then you do the next right thing. Yes, there is forgiveness in there. We wouldn't survive without the grace God has given us in Jesus Christ. But when we fail and accept forgiveness (and fail again and accept forgiveness again - it doesn't run out), you know what we do next? The right thing.
Mighty God, thank You for salvation and grace and Your goodness. You saved me from bondage of my own making, my sin. Thank You, as well, for Your righteousness and holiness. Saved by grace, may I live for You. May I hunger and thirst for Your righteousness. May I live rightly.
I should not cheapen Your grace by taking advantage of it. Instead, I shall each day wake up and see the day before me as a gift from You, and delight in it. I shall remember that I am Your workmanship, made to do good works, that others will praise You. I shall love You fully, and live out Your love to this world. Help me do that, God!
Amen
Question: Why does God threaten Moses with death shortly after he had commissioned Moses to go to Egypt?
God made a promise, a covenant, to Abraham that he would be a great nation. Circumcision was a sign of that covenant (see Genesis 17:9-14). Delivering the Israelites from slavery to Egypt was part of God keeping his promise. But Moses, God's chosen leader, had broken covenant. It seems Zipporah, his wife, was repulsed by the very idea of circumcision, and Moses had accommodated his wife, rather than do what was right. Zipporah acquiesced, circumcised her son, and Moses recovered.
I'm reminded of Jesus stepping up to John the Baptist, desiring baptism, another sign of another covenant. "I should be baptized by you!" John argued. But Jesus said, "No, this is the right thing to do. It fulfills all righteousness."
Following God means you do the right thing. Then you do the next right thing. Yes, there is forgiveness in there. We wouldn't survive without the grace God has given us in Jesus Christ. But when we fail and accept forgiveness (and fail again and accept forgiveness again - it doesn't run out), you know what we do next? The right thing.
Daily Prayer
Mighty God, thank You for salvation and grace and Your goodness. You saved me from bondage of my own making, my sin. Thank You, as well, for Your righteousness and holiness. Saved by grace, may I live for You. May I hunger and thirst for Your righteousness. May I live rightly.
I should not cheapen Your grace by taking advantage of it. Instead, I shall each day wake up and see the day before me as a gift from You, and delight in it. I shall remember that I am Your workmanship, made to do good works, that others will praise You. I shall love You fully, and live out Your love to this world. Help me do that, God!
Amen
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