What a strange story? But, according to the New Testament, we all should have been here!
Moses is about to be thrown into an intense spiritual battle. He will not be contending only with Pharaoh; the powers of hell will be out in full force, as seen by the “lying wonders” (2 Thess 2:9) performed by the court magicians. So God’s servant needs to be totally committed. But Moses seemingly has neglected one task. His firstborn son, Gershom, has not been circumcised. This was the sign that God gave His people to identify them as His. And centuries later, this act would be used to illustrate what happens to every believer, “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ” (Col 2:11). Christ has acted to separate us from fleshly desires so we are clearly identified with Him. Moses was on a mission, as we saw in the last episode, where God said, “Israel is My son, My firstborn. So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn” (Ex 4:22-23). How then could Moses not have followed through on this symbolic act regarding his own firstborn? So we read, shocking though it is, “The Lord met him and sought to kill him” (v 24). Obviously this was very serious! Zipporah, his wife, didn’t waste a moment. She immediately performed the surgery on her son and then exclaimed to Moses, “‘You are a husband of blood!’—because of the circumcision” (v 26). This is a good reminder to pray for the children of all those in the forefront of the spiritual battle. Often they also come under attack from the enemy in an attempt to dishearten God’s servants. Oh that they might be also loyal to the Lord, and separated in their hearts to Him “by the circumcision of Christ.”