Short Answer
God’s intent to strike Moses was because he neglected to circumcise his son, a clear command tied to the covenant with Israel. Since Moses knew this requirement and was chosen as a leader, his disobedience was taken seriously. This event shows how seriously God treats known sin, especially in those with responsibility.
The Overview
The incident where God seeks to kill Moses (Exodus 4:24–26) can seem shocking at first, but it becomes clearer when understood in the context of covenant obedience. Circumcision was not a minor ritual—it was the sign of God’s covenant with His people, established generations earlier. By failing to circumcise his son, Moses was neglecting a direct and well-known command from God.
Moses was not ignorant of this requirement. He was highly knowledgeable and uniquely chosen by God to lead Israel out of Egypt. Because of this, he was held to a higher standard of obedience. His failure was not accidental but a serious omission—what could be called a “sin of omission,” where someone knows what is right but does not do it.
The swift action taken by his wife, who circumcised their son, immediately resolved the situation. This shows that the issue was clear and urgent. The seriousness of the moment highlights how God enforces His commands, especially when they are central to His covenant and when the person involved holds a position of leadership.
This passage also reflects a broader biblical pattern: God sometimes demonstrates His holiness through strong, immediate judgment, particularly when His commands are knowingly disregarded. Similar examples appear elsewhere in Scripture, showing that obedience is not optional—especially for those entrusted with spiritual responsibility.
Key Takeaways
- Circumcision Was a Covenant Sign
It represented obedience to God’s covenant with Israel. - Moses Knew the Command
His failure was not ignorance but neglect. - Leaders Are Held to Higher Standards
Greater responsibility brings greater accountability. - This Was a Sin of Omission
Knowing what is right but failing to do it. - God Takes Obedience Seriously
Especially when His commands are clearly understood.
The Source — The Speaker Transcript
00:00:01
Uh Ricky, if you’re still watching, why did God want to kill Moses? Because he didn’t circumcise his son. Yeah, that’s in Exodus chapter 5. That is a um that is an interesting passage. uh Zapora, his wife, um understood it and she knew this was a problem and she uh immediately then cuts off the foreskin of their son and um throws it at Moses’s feet and u says, “You almost got us killed here.” So the circumcision, right, is something that God is um requiring as a sign of the covenant
00:00:39
between Israel and himself, not the church. So if you don’t circumcise your son, there’s no problem with that. Um she may be, and it is a confusing passage there in in Exodus 5, whether she’s hating the process or hating having to do this to her son, but there’s some obvious um you know, revulsion to this whole thing. But either way, God is saying, “You better do um what what I’ve asked to be done.” And this is um 600 years after the institution of circumcision back in
00:01:14
Genesis uh when Moses uh was given this sign. So it’s not unique to Israel, but it is something that God has done. And I say that only because you know this isn’t this isn’t only done in Israel. All throughout Old Testament history, it’s done in other countries too. Not all of them. Obviously, Philistines and others are famously known as the uncircumcised. And it it it came to represent, you know, those who were eating their uh their pork, you know, and their their ham sandwiches that that
00:01:40
were uh taboo for Israelites. But foreskin has no meaning, as it says in in in First Corinthians. Uh circumcision or uncircumcision today in the church age means nothing any more than something wearing a breastplate with 12 stones in it. It it doesn’t matter. It mattered a ton in the ceremonial law of the Old Testament. It matters nothing today. So circumcision and uncircumcision mean nothing. Whether you avoid um you know pork means nothing. Shellfish, right? None of this matter. The kosher laws don’t matter. But uh it
00:02:09
did matter then. And Moses was remiss in not circumcising uh his son. He knew better. And think about it. Even in Israel, I’m sorry, in in u Egypt, Moses clearly knew this. He was the most educated Israelite there was. and uh he he should have known. He did know. God wouldn’t come at him in judgment if he didn’t know. And to think, “Wow, that seems serious to kill him.” Well, then go to First Corinthians and look at Paul talking about people that are turning the Lord’s supper into
00:02:40
a potluck where they’re favoring their friends and the rich instead of doing what the Bible says and taking these elements in remembrance of Christ. And he says, “Some, because you’re doing this wrong, are weak, some are sick, and some have even died.” So God is willing, as he did with um Ananas and Safh in Acts 5 or in the Old Testament with the sons of Aaron, he’s willing to show how serious he is about sin when it’s known, right? This kind of full knowledge. So Ricky, that’s what’s going on. And um
00:03:14
that’s the problem. And the problem is if you uh and this is a sin of omission, if you know better, and no one knew better than Moses, right? If you know better and you don’t do uh what God has asked you to do, he’s going to come in judgment. And especially for someone like Moses, not only did he have full knowledge, more knowledge than anybody else in Israel, but he was um a leader. He was God’s chosen leader in all of this. And so, um yeah, God’s going to hold them to a high standard.
