Good morning Mike,

I hope this finds you and Sandi doing well. I was reading this email in faq’s this morning.

What is the Spiritual Significance of Zipporah?

Please expound on this part if you find time.

First, it is not Moses who the Lord is threatening to kill, but the uncircumcised son of Moses.

Thanks and hope to see you soon.

ybiC,
G____

Hi G____,

Thank you for your question.
I should have expounded on that statement in that letter, so thanks for bringing this to my attention. I will add this to that exchange.
Here is what Christ told Abraham when He instituted the covenant of circumcision.

Gen 17:13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
Gen 17:14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

The reason I can say with confidence that it is Moses’s son who would have died is because that is how God dealt with the leaders of the nations who opposed Him on other occasions. He did not kill the Pharaoh, He killed Pharaoh’s own flesh, his son.

Exo 12:29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that [ was] in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.
Exo 12:30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

He did not kill David, He killed David’s flesh, his son.

2Sa 12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
2Sa 12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

It is Moses, who is sent by God as the leader of Israel. As that leader he is in the position of being told, as we are, that “all things are for your sakes”. If Zipporah and Moses had not circumcised their son, their son, then it would have been that very son, who “for their sakes” would have been killed.

2Co 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

In review:
“… the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people;
“…the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt,”
“…, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

These verses all accord with the spirit of these verses:

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

It was at the expense of his ten brothers that Joseph was chosen, and it was at the expense of our flesh, our own flesh, that we are chosen.

Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Abraham, when he was told that the child of the works of his own flesh would not be counted as his child said “Oh, that Ishmael might live before thee”, but it was not to be. Ishmael did not die physically, but he did not ‘live before God’.

Gen 17:18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

I hope this helps you to see why I say it was Moses son whose life was in the balance in this story. It is because that is in accord with the Biblical principle of our salvation being given us, at the expense of our own flesh, and it is in accord with how God dealt with those He had placed into positions of leadership elsewhere in scripture.
Let me know what you think.
We are looking forward to seeing you very soon, Lord willing.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike