🔪 The Night the Deliverer Almost Died: The Mystery of the Inn ✨
Imagine the scene. You have just had a face-to-face meeting with the Creator of the Universe. He spoke to you from a burning bush. He gave you a staff that turns into a snake. He promised to be with your mouth and sent you on the greatest rescue mission in human history.
You pack your bags. You grab your wife and kids. You head out with the staff of God in your hand, feeling invincible.
And then, God tries to kill you.
This isn’t a deleted scene; it is Exodus 4:24. It is one of the most shocking, confusing, and terrifying verses in the entire Bible.
“And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.” —Exodus 4:24 (KJV)
Why did God seek to kill Moses?
Moses wasn’t doubting. He wasn’t running away like Jonah. He was obeying! He was physically walking toward Egypt. So why the death sentence?
The answer lies in a hidden detail that Moses had neglected—a detail that defined the very identity of God’s people. This story teaches us a sobering truth: Public anointing does not exempt you from private obedience.
Part I: The War of the Firstborns 📜
The Context You Missed 👶
To understand the attack at the inn, you have to look at what God said to Moses literally seconds before it happened.
In Exodus 4:22-23, God gives Moses the warning for Pharaoh: “Israel is my son, even my firstborn… and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.”
God had just emphasized the seriousness of covenant identity. He was preparing to judge Egypt for harming His “firstborn.” Yet, Moses himself was out of alignment with that very covenant.
Moses had a son—Gershom—who was uncircumcised. According to Genesis 17:14, any male who was not circumcised had broken the covenant and was to be “cut off” from his people.
God’s wrath fell on Moses, not the child. Moses, not Gershom, was the leader accountable for neglecting the covenant. God could not judge Pharaoh for rebellion while letting His own ambassador live in open neglect of the Law.
The Divine Ambush 🦁
The text says the Lord “met him.” This wasn’t a friendly encounter.
Most scholars believe God struck Moses with a sudden, mortal illness or a terrifying paralysis that brought him to the brink of death instantly. Moses, the man with the staff of power, was rendered utterly helpless. The “Deliverer” suddenly needed delivering.
Part II: Zipporah Saves the Mission 🩸
The Wisdom of the Midianite Wife 🧠
When Moses couldn’t act, his wife did.
Zipporah was a Midianite, yet in this moment of crisis, she functioned decisively, performing the act Moses had failed to perform. She realized that the illness wasn’t natural; it was divine judgment caused by the neglect of the covenant sign.
“Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.” —Exodus 4:25 (KJV)
She used a flint knife (a sharp stone) for the emergency surgery. Then, she touched Moses with the evidence of the circumcision as a sign that the covenant had been restored.
The Bridegroom of Blood 💍
Zipporah called Moses a “bloody husband” (or hatan damim).
This is a profound theological statement. It means blood restored the relationship. This act foreshadowed a vital biblical principle: Covenant membership requires blood.
Just as the blood of the Passover lamb would soon protect Israel, the blood of the covenant protected Moses. It anticipated the ultimate reality that we only have peace with God through the shedding of blood—specifically, the blood of Christ (Hebrews 9:22).
Part III: The Danger of Half-Obedience ⚔️
Why Had Moses Neglected It? 🤷♂️
Why hadn’t Moses circumcised his son earlier? The Bible doesn’t explicitly say. Perhaps it was due to cultural differences with Zipporah or marital tension. Whatever the reason, Moses had allowed a crucial command of God to slip.
God’s message at the inn was clear: You cannot export what you do not possess.
As the Apostle Peter later wrote, “Judgment must begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17). Before Moses could face the snakes of Egypt, he had to face the holiness of God.
Part IV: 3 Common Misconceptions About the Inn 💡
Misconception 1: God is moody and unpredictable.
- Correction: God wasn’t having a mood swing. He was upholding His standard. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He cannot overlook disobedience just because someone is a “leader.” In fact, biblical leaders are judged more strictly (James 3:1).
Misconception 2: Zipporah acted out of anger.
- Correction: While the act was intense, Zipporah acted with wisdom. She saved her husband’s life. Had she not acted, Moses would have died—and God would have raised another deliverer. But Zipporah’s act preserved Moses’ role in God’s plan.
Misconception 3: This story doesn’t apply to Christians.
- Correction: While we do not require physical circumcision (Galatians 5:6), the principle remains: God requires the circumcision of the heart (Romans 2:29). We cannot serve God effectively if we are harboring secret disobedience in our private lives.
Conclusion: Holiness Before Ministry 🌟
Why did God try to kill Moses? Because God’s holiness requires that His servant walk in obedience before representing Him.
If Moses had gone to Egypt with an uncircumcised son, he would have been a hypocrite—demanding Pharaoh obey God while he himself ignored God.
God dealt with Moses in the dark so that Moses could stand in the light.
This is a sobering reminder for every believer. You can have a calling, a title, and a staff of power—but if your “house” is not in order, the mission is in danger.
Reflection: Is there an area of disobedience in your private life that you are ignoring because you are busy doing “God’s work”?
