Zipporah’s Intervention

There is a curious account in the Book of Exodus, that its meaning may look obscure; but in truth, the meaning and understanding is crucial to our preparation for the return of Jesus Christ. In the said account, God confronted Moses and was set to kill him but for the intervention of Zipporah his wife: “On the trip at an overnight campsite, it happened that the Lord confronted him (Moses) and sought to put him to death. So Zipporah took a flint, cut off her son’s foreskin and threw it at Moses feet. Then she said, ‘You are a bridegroom of blood to me!’ So He let him alone” (Exodus 4:24-26). This account is curious because in the previous chapter, God was the One that sought out Moses, equipped him with instructions and power to go and confront Pharaoh of Egypt to let the children of Israel go. The foreskin that was cut off represents flesh or carnality that must be cut off from our lives if we desire to follow God and do His work appropriately and adequately. Carnality disrupts and contaminates the lives of the people and by extension, distorts their service to God. The Lord spoke to Abraham that the circumcision of every child is the outward sign of His everlasting covenant with him and his seed forever. Any male child under this covenant that is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin must be cut off from his people because such has broken the covenant of God (Genesis 17:14). This was a foreshadow of what kind of lives the Lord wants us to live under the New Covenant. According to the Lord, it is now a spiritual act that must be carried out by those that claim to be under the covenant: “…nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God” (Romans 2:28b-29).

As we have been told by the Lord to live lives that are worthy of the call He has called us to and on a daily basis to prepare for Him; it is important to our faith that we do away with every form and appearance of carnality. God was set to destroy Moses in spite of the fact that He trained him and prepared him for the journey. Moses ought to have known that he was to circumcise his sons; even if the customs of the land did not agree, he would have rather followed God on the issue. Zipporah’s intervention showed that she was aware of it and may not have agreed to it. Friend, on that great DAY, it doesn’t matter what your position or calling is, once there is a hint of carnality in you, you cannot enter and reign with Him! Don’t be deceived, we cannot serve God with the carnality of the world and expect Him to approve of us. For instance, our music, dancing and dressing, especially in the house of God, is it truly devoid of carnality? Pastor, do you approve of ‘shows’ in the house of God that promotes carnality in the guise that you are encouraging the people to love and serve God? You will soon find out that flesh cannot serve God and survive as we saw in the case of Uzzah! Friend, God is searching for people that will be like Zipporah, that will cut off the foreskin of carnality from their midst and cast it at the feet of the Master. The walls of the Body of Christ are cracked and broken, please arise and be part of the company that will build it by chasing carnality out of the midst of the people so that wholeness and healing can come into the service and worship of our God in Truth and in Spirit. May you receive the grace and the unction to stand like Zipporah and Phinehas, to cut out every hint of carnality as we see the Day draw ever nearer.