Exodus 4:18-31

March 14th, 2025
by Victoria Archer

On the way to Egypt, at a place where Moses and his family had stopped for the night, the Lord confronted him and was about to kill him.

Exodus 4:24

Required Reading

Exodus 4:18-31

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Devotional

What does it feel like to be confronted by the Lord? It is interesting that God orchestrated Moses’s life to be the perfect candidate for the job, yet, God was repeatedly frustrated by Moses. Earlier in verse 13, Moses kept protesting, asking God to find someone else and God got angry. Here in verse 24 we see God confront Moses and is about to kill him.

I think it’s safe to say their relationship was off to a rough start. It’s hard to believe that one day, the Lord will hold Moses in such high esteem. The Lord stands up for Moses when his siblings Aaron and Miriam speak against Moses:

And the Lord said to them [Aaron and Miriam], “Now listen to what I say: “If there were prophets among you, I, the Lord, would reveal myself in visions. I would speak to them in dreams. But not with my servant Moses. Of all my house, he is the one I trust. I speak to him face to face, clearly, and not in riddles! He sees the Lord as he is. So why were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses?”””‭‭Numbers‬ ‭12‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Wow! God chose Moses out of all the millions of Israelites. Yet, Moses at one point angered God. So, what was it about Moses that frustrated God so much? Disobedience and delayed obedience, which is also known as disobedience. God was frustrated that Moses did not obey immediately. Moses argued with God about his inadequacies, pleaded to not go and do as God told him to, and he had not circumcised his son. It was fear and lack of faith that was holding Moses back from complete obedience. But over time, as God continued to reveal himself, Moses submitted to God’s authority. The outcome of such submission was a beautiful, intimate relationship between God and Moses.

This intimate relationship with God is available to all of us because of Jesus Christ. Once Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins, we are now able to have a close relationship to the Lord, not just Moses. However, what was required of Moses is also required of us, obedience. Jesus said “If you love me, obey my commandment.” If you want to be in a loving relationship with God, we must obey.

Think about the state of your obedience.

Reflection Questions

Have you read the Bible to know what God’s commandments are? (If you’re curious where to start, head over to Matthew 22:36-40, then go read 1 Corinthians 13).
How well are you doing at putting God above everything else in your life? Above your pursuit of finances, your choice of music and entertainment, how you interact with others etc. Does everything you do, watch, or listen to honor God?
Is there anything God has told you to do that you haven’t done yet?
Take a moment to pray for a heart of obedience and the determination to complete the assignment in totality.

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