...continued.

Now let us analyze the account about Moses, mystifying as it may appear to be. The story has no similarity with that of Jacob

To begin with, it is necessary to read the whole story prior to “G-d sought to kill Moses”. For we shall come to understand that Moses, trained up as an Egyptian also thought as one. Hence, when coming to realize that he was to be the deliverer of the Hebrews, it only seemed right to him to kill those who oppressed his people.

Well, G-d had different plans, and removed dear Moses far away into the wilderness, from royal privileges and princely living in Pharaoh's palace to dwelling in tents with no servants fulfilling his every whim and demand. Taught by Egypt's top teachers he now was made to keep sheep, which, although loveable, are pretty senseless creatures and utterly dependent on care. 40 years in the wilderness whacked all "princeliness" out of Moses as well as all pride and conceit. He was totally converted from the high and mighty prince of Egypt to the most humble and meek man imaginable. He probably even felt mortified of ever having thought of himself so highly, in particular that he would be the deliverer of the Hebrews.

I am sure Satan was always at hand berating Moses: "Just who do you think you are, huh? The promised 'deliverer' of the Hebrews, huh? Man, do you ever have a swollen head! You are imagining things, dude! You are so deceived and conceited! You are pitiful! You --- G-d's chosen deliverer! What a joke! Hahaha!" In the end Moses was utterly convinced that he had been deceived and high-minded, and that he was not the promised deliverer after all. So he just kept humbly after the dumb sheep, having acquired a most meek attitude, just as it is written of him that there was not a man on earth as meek as Moses.

THAT was the point in time when G-d spoke to Moses from the burning bush. It is especially important now to follow the story very carefully from Exodus 3:1 through 4:1-14! For you will find that Moses constantly argued with G-d, insisting that he was not fit to be G-d’s messenger to Pharao and the Hebrews. He had come to view himself so meekly that he actually developed a stutter. Well, in verse 14 we see that at long last G-d's anger was kindled by Moses keeping on making excuses. Thus, Moses eventually embarked reluctantly on the mission, asking leave from Jethro, his father-in-law.

Continuing to read in the Hebrew, we come to Exodus 4:24, translated as, "And it came to pass on the way at the lodging place..." This same verse can also be translated as, "On the way, he tarried in a lodging place..." Why was he "tarrying" there? Apparently, because Moses was still distrusting himself in regard to the mission, hesitating, tarrying in the inn. This aroused G-d's displeasure, just as Moses' arguing with Him did. 

Moses was actually fearful to go and speak to Pharao, who was the very man with whom he had grown up as a boy, sat in class together, who had been like a brother to him. Just the thought of it all probably made Moses feel sick to his stomach. He was not at all eager to face this former "brother" who now was the mighty ruler over all of Egypt. While on the contrary he, Moses, was at this phase in his life a lowly shepherd from Midian. Moses just would much rather not go, which was certain. to arouse G-d's anger.

In addition to this, as though Moses had wanted to break altogether with his past and his link with the Hebrews, he failed to circumcise his son. Up to then G-d had not bothered about it. But now this became a serious matter of outright defiance. Moses knew that no uncircumcised male could be part of the covenant people. Hence, as G-d's chosen messenger and deliverer of the Hebrews, it was incumbent upon Moses to at last circumcise his son. Yet he forestalled, evidently in an attempt to subvert this mission to Egypt. At length, G-d's anger was aroused and He LET the sick feeling Moses experienced manifest into serious illness.

Many commentators connect this sudden illness of Moses with his postponing the circumcision of his son, and his tarrying at the inn. The more so as in the previous verse Moses was to warn pharaoh that disobedience to G-d's will carried dire punishment with it; hence he himself should, therefore, on no account have neglected the duty incumbent upon him⁹.

The way it is phrased in the Hebrew does not indicate that G-d had a sudden change of mind and wanted to kill Moses. On the contrary, it was Moses' defiant procrastination and fear that resulted in the dire consequence of a very serious illness, of which can be said that G-d allowed it. And if G-d allowed it one may liken that to -- “He sought to kill him." 

We may compare it with the saying that "G-d hardened Pharaoh's heart." All that G-d really did was establish Pharaoh in the disposition of his already proud and defiant heart. In Moses' case at the inn G-d merely allowed Moses’ fear, disobedience and lack of faith to take its course. Without divine intervention it developed into an illness so serious it would have led to his death, had Zipporah not stepped in by carrying out the circumcision and placing that skin against Moses' feet. The Lord’s withholding healing on behalf of Moses can be interpreted as "He sought to kill him."

The same may be said of the Nazi Holocaust. The ones who should have intervened on behalf of the Jews were the co-heirs and fellow citizens of the commonwealth of Israel – the Christians called out from among the Gentiles - just as Zipporah had intervened on behalf of Moses. But except for a few individuals most of Eurpean Christianity stood passively by, or even actively supported the genocide of the Jews. They believed themselves to be now the true and new Israel, while the Jews were suffering their "just deserve" for having "killed Jesus". Consequently, seeing that G-d did not actively intervene in preventing the Holocaust we may say that by allowing it to take its course He "sought to kill the Jews."

However, Obadiah 10-14 gives us a different picture of what happened. And we need to recognize that G-d does not actively intervene at all times in the affairs of man but mostly leaves us to the consequences of our choices. We are divine-like in that we have a FREE will and can choose whom we believe, obey, follow, etc. G-d really only steps in actively in behalf of a person, city, nation, cause or event when moved by serious prayer and intercession. The reason for this is that Satan is still the lord of this world, and G-d only enters the scene on the basis of man’s free will and explicit request.

Hence, as hard as it may be sometimes to understand G-d’s decision, He was not about to intervene and save Moses from this illness indubitably brought about as mentioned before. But thanks be to G-d, Zipporah understood and did the only right thing at that moment - Moses being disabled by illness - and saved Moses' life.

Tradition ascribes the omission of the circumcision of his son to the influence of Jethro and Zipporah, who may have desired the circumcision postponed to the 13th year, as was customary among the Beduin tribes.

Dear reader, I hope you can see the tremendous difference between the two episodes, that of Jacob and that of Moses. Scripture does not always give us every detail and reason in one place. We are required to search, read and study carefully until we see the whole story more clearly and come to a truthful and correct understanding. This is according to G-d's purpose.

G-d is not given to whims like man, nor does he suddenly change His mind or go back on His promises. But He DOES allow our own choices and decisions to take their course, something that is not understood by many Christians. I have heard it said many times, "Why did G-d allow this to happen? These were good Christian people. Why did G-d not protect and save them?" Well, there usually is a reason behind that, and as a rule is to be found on our side, and not on G-d's. 

Did G-d kill the Jews in the Holocaust? NO!!! Did G-d want to kill Moses? NO!!! It is by the consequences of our choices, decisions, actions and omissions that we can be in danger of getting killed. Because G-d allows our choices to take their course if we keep resisting Him (or, as the Bible puts it, "gives us up to our own ways"), it would seem it was He Who killed Moses. But that is not so. We must differentiate between G-d actively seeking to kill someone (such as the nephilim and mankind in Noah’s days¹⁰), or when He just does not intervene to prevent death.

So, now I have spent lots of time trying to help you understand the difference between those two stories. I hope I will have succeeded in shedding more light on it and clarifying some of the misunderstandings of these stories.

Be blessed today and always!

Yours in Yeshua,
Annelore