Why did Zipporah call Moses a "bridegroom of blood" in Exodus 4:25? The Scene at the Night Camp Exodus 4:24–26 records an abrupt, life-or-death encounter: • “Now at a lodging place along the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him.” (v. 24) • Zipporah intervenes with a sudden circumcision of their son, touches the foreskin to Moses’ feet, and says, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.” (v. 25) • “So the LORD let him alone.” (v. 26) The Covenant Sign Neglected • Genesis 17:10-14—circumcision is the God-given sign of His covenant with Abraham’s descendants. • Every male child was to be circumcised on the eighth day, “or he shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant” (Genesis 17:14). • Moses, the covenant’s chosen mediator, had apparently left at least one of his sons uncircumcised. The omission was serious; God confronted him. Zipporah’s Decisive Action • Seeing Moses’ life in jeopardy, Zipporah seizes a flint knife and circumcises their son herself. • She touches the blood to Moses’ “feet” (a Hebrew euphemism possibly referring to his genital area, underscoring covenant culpability). • The act satisfies God’s covenant requirement, and the immediate danger passes. Why the Phrase “Bridegroom of Blood”? Zipporah’s words can carry several intertwined ideas: • Covenant rescuer—By shedding their son’s blood, she symbolically “re-marries” Moses into the life-saving covenant; he becomes her “bridegroom” afresh, but through blood. • Shock and revulsion—Circumcision involved pain and blood; she voices her intense emotion at being compelled to perform it. • Covenant identification—Verse 26 notes: “At that time she said, ‘a bridegroom of blood,’ referring to circumcision.” The phrase links Moses to the covenant sealed by blood. • Contrast with Midianite upbringing—Zipporah, a Midianite, was not raised under Israel’s covenant customs; the event highlights the cost of joining her husband’s God-ordained mission. Key Takeaways for Today • God takes His covenant commands seriously; negligence invites discipline (Hebrews 12:5-6). • Spiritual leaders must model obedience before they minister to others (1 Timothy 3:4-5). • The shedding of blood prefigures Christ, whose blood secures an eternal covenant (Hebrews 9:22; 10:19). • Obedience may be costly or uncomfortable, yet it brings life and delivers from judgment (John 14:23). |
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