June 6, 2026

PRIVATE DISOBEDIENCE

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“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. But Moses’ wife, Zipporah, took a flint knife and circumcised her son. She touched his feet with the foreskin and said, “Now you are a bridegroom of blood to me.” (When she said “a bridegroom of blood,” she was referring to the circumcision.) After that, the Lord left him alone.”

Exodus 4:24-26 NLT

---

TODAY’S THOUGHT

To understand this startling, "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" moment, we must look at the context of Exodus chapter four. Up to this point, Moses is riding a wave of spiritual momentum:

• He received his massive calling at the burning bush.

• He packed up his family and received a blessing from his father-in-law.

• God assured him that his enemies in Egypt were dead.

• He left for Egypt carrying what the Bible now calls "the staff of God." It was no longer Moses' ordinary shepherd's rod; it was now the physical symbol of almighty power.

Yet, right in the middle of this high-stakes journey to deliver a nation, the entire mission almost grinds to a fatal halt at a roadside motel. Suddenly, God confronts Moses and is about to kill him.

Why would God plan a national rescue mission, give Moses miraculous signs, and then threaten to strike him down before he even arrives? The answer comes down to one non-negotiable reality: Hidden disobedience.

1. Critical Neglect

Generations earlier, God had established circumcision as the absolute, foundational sign of His covenant with Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 17:10). It was the physical mark of belonging to God. For reasons we don't fully know, Moses had failed to circumcise his own son.

Perhaps during his forty years in the pagan wilderness of Midian, Moses simply grew careless about God’s laws. Or perhaps his Midianite wife, Zipporah, strongly objected to the practice, and Moses chose to keep the peace at home rather than obey God. Whatever the reason, Moses was about to demand that Pharaoh obey God, while Moses himself was living in active disobedience.

2. Severity of God's Standard

The text states that God became an adversary to Moses and was prepared to end his life. This reveals a terrifyingly beautiful truth about the character of God: He values our personal holiness far more than our public usefulness.

God was entirely willing to find a new leader if His chosen leader refused to align his own household with the covenant. We cannot expect God to back our public ministries if we are compromising on His standards in our private lives. The greater the calling on your life, the stricter the standard of obedience God expects from you.

3. Emergency Rescue

Zipporah instantly diagnoses the spiritual root of the crisis. Realizing her husband is on the brink of death, she takes a sharp flint knife, circumcises their son, and applies the sign of the covenant. Her quick action stays the hand of judgment, and God releases Moses from the affliction.

This crisis deeply strained the family. It appears that immediately following this intense event, Zipporah took the children and returned home to her father, Jethro. She would not rejoin Moses until nearly a year later, after Israel had successfully crossed the Red Sea. Disobedience always carries a relational cost.

Personal Application

I have watched many gifted leaders fall, and it is rarely because of a public mistake. It is almost always because of a private compromise—a small area of disobedience that they allowed to persist in the dark.

You cannot lead others closer to God than you are willing to walk yourself. If God has placed a destiny on your life, He will eventually confront the hidden, uncircumcised areas of your heart. Do not wait for a crisis to get your house in order.

Questions for Reflection

• The Hidden Area: Is there a "small" directive or conviction from God that I have been neglecting or putting off?

• Public vs. Private: Am I pretending to be a person of faith and authority in public, while tolerating compromise behind closed doors?

• The Adjustment: What immediate, decisive action (like Zipporah's flint knife) do I need to take today to bring my life back into total alignment with God's Word?

---

TODAY’S PRAYER

Holy Spirit, search every area of my life today. Turn Your light onto the hidden corners of my heart and expose any area where I am tolerating compromise, disobedience, or neglect. I want to be clean and holy before You. Give me the courage to cut away whatever is hindering my walk with You, so that I can step into the fullness of Your purpose. Amen.

“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”