THE LORD WAS ABOUT TO KILL HIM / EXODUS 4:24

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) Exodus 4:24

And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him.

Understanding the Strange Incident at the Inn: God’s Standard for Leaders

It is one of the most jarring and unexpected verses in the entire Old Testament. Exodus 4:24 states, “At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him.“

Just chapters earlier, God spoke to Moses from a burning bush, calling him to rescue Israel from Egypt. Moses was the chosen deliverer, armed with miraculous signs and divine authority. Yet, on his journey back to Egypt, his life was suddenly placed in mortal danger—not by Pharaoh, but by the very God who called him.

Why would God threaten to kill the man He just commissioned?

The Crisis of Disobedience

The answer lies in a critical, personal neglect: Moses had failed to perform the covenant sign of circumcision on his own son.

Centuries earlier, God established circumcision with Abraham as an everlasting covenant, calling it a physical sign of belonging to Him (Genesis 17:11). To refuse or neglect this sign was to break the covenant. In Moses’ case, this was a glaring act of disobedience. He was on his way to lead an entire nation into a covenant relationship with Yahweh, yet his own household was not in order.

Whether due to fear, procrastination, or opposition from his wife, Zipporah, Moses allowed compromise into his home. To correct this, God likely afflicted Moses with a sudden, life-threatening condition at the inn, bringing him to the brink of death until the obedience was fulfilled.

Private Character Precedes Public Calling

This intense passage reveals a profound truth that echoes across scripture: God’s special purpose for our lives depends entirely on our personal obedience to Him.

No one is above God’s law: True leadership in God’s kingdom is not measured by spiritual gifts or public platforms, but by private faithfulness.
Holiness is non-negotiable: God will not use a leader to preach covenant faithfulness to others while that leader willfully ignores it in their own life.
A Call to Diligence: As the Apostle Peter later wrote, we must “be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure” (1 Peter 1:10).

Moses’ story reminds us that God takes our secret compromises seriously. He loves us too much to let us carry hidden rebellion into our divine destiny. Before Moses could face Pharaoh, he had to face his own compromised devotion.

A Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father,

We come before You humbled by the holiness of Your character and the weight of Your calling. Forgive us for the areas in our lives where we have neglected Your commands or allowed compromise to take root. We ask that You search our hearts today and reveal any hidden disobedience.

Give us the courage to make things right, even when it is painful or uncomfortable. Help us to remember that public service for Your kingdom can never replace private obedience to Your word. May our households and our hearts reflect Your holiness. Sanctify us, use us, and keep us faithful to Your covenant.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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