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NASB | Exodus 4:24 ¶ Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the LORD met him and sought to put him to death. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Exodus 4:24 ¶ Now it happened at the lodging place, that the LORD met Moses and sought to kill him [making him deathly ill because he had not circumcised one of his sons]. [Gen 17:9-14] |
Subject: Why would God seek to kill Moses? |
Bible Note: Amen, Lady. Permit me to add some thoughts that I have had on this. But first let me say how impressed I am that you found your answer so easily. It seems that your heart was all ready for it, and that I admire. It is hard to know what someone has in mind when they ask the question “Why”. But to that question I will say that there are many times when God does what he does and he does not tell us why. The fact is that God is sovereign. He can do what he likes and does not have to give us a reason. Let it be said that we cannot question God. By that I mean we cannot second-guess him, for “The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, ‘Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand’” (Isaiah 14:24). Nevertheless, the Lord has revealed to us what he is like, and we can look to see that he is acting in concordance with his character. But first, we can learn God’s attributes from the thing he does, and I suggest that is the proper approach to the question. It is recorded for us what God did, and what can we learn from it? Remember that “Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4). One lesson we can learn is that God cares that we obey him. God had told Moses to circumcise his son and he had not done it. God shows here that he is patient. He may delay his judgment. But he wants obedience. He says, “A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear?” (Mal 1:6). We should fear God, and reverence him, and we show that by obeying him. If God had not shown his displeasure at Moses’ disobedience (or neglect of obedience) in this matter we could also be asking why. And we might conclude that Moses got away with it and so can we. We can weary ourselves with these questions. And we can weary the Lord, by trying his patience and then asking questions like this. Indeed, “Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, ‘Wherein have we wearied him?’ When ye say, ‘Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them’; or, ‘Where is the God of judgment?’” There is a bad result when judgment is slow in coming. “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil” (Ecclesiastes 8:11). So it is good for us to see God in the judgment mode. We can learn that God does not wink at sin. We can learn that we should not harbor sin in order to take advantage of God’s patience. God is patient “But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God”? (Romans 2:5) So, we learn that God is a God of justice; that he will punish sin. And yet, God does not desire the death of the wicked. “Say unto them, ‘As I live’, saith the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?’” (Ezekiel 33:11). Notice, if you will, that Moses was not actually killed. We learn that God is a God of the second chance. When he says he will bring judgment, if we repent, he relents. He says, “Again, when I say unto the wicked, ‘Thou shalt surely die’; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; … he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live” (Ezekiel 33) Yet, when God acts, we ask why? “The children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal”. And we do not learn. There are many things that God has asked us to do today. Like Moses, we neglect to do them. For example, God says that a new believer should be baptized. But some of us debate the fine points of it and yet neglect to simply do it. Like Moses, we may feel that we have gotten away with it. Yet God is still a God of judgment, and he comes to us in judgment. Some say he does not, because he has already judged our sins at the cross. But we should consider that that he might. He might come to us with death. It might be spiritual death. Though he does not take away his salvation or his love, he may withdraw his presence, and that separation, I submit, is like death. Then again, it might be physical death. Many are weak and sickly among us, and many die. “But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:32). I am not sure we needed to ask the question for the eleventh time. But we can learn from that incident in the life of Moses. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). |