(3.) He must demand a discharge for them. "Let my son go; not only my servant whom thou hast no right to detain, but my son whose liberty and honour I am very jealous for. It is my son, my son that serves me, and therefore must be spared, must be pleaded for," Mal. 3. 17. (4.) He must threaten Pharaoh with the death of the first-born of Egypt, in case of a refusal, I will slay thy son, even thy first born. As men deal with God's people, let them expect so to be themselves dealt with; with the froward he will wrestle.
III. Moses addresses himself to this expedition; when God had assured him, (v. 19.) that the men were dead who sought his life, immediately it follows, (v. 20.) he took his wife and his sons, and set out for Egypt. Note, Though corruption may object much against the services God calls us to, yet grace will get the upper hand, and will be obedient to the heavenly vision.
24. And it came to pass, by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him. 25. 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. 26. So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. 27. And the Lord said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him. 28. And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him. 29. And Moses and Aaron went, and, gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel: 30. And Aaron spake all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31. And the people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
Moses is here going to Egypt, and we are told,
I. How God met him in anger, v. 24..26. This is a very difficult passage of story; much has been written and excellently well to make it intelligible; we will try to make it improving. Here is,
1. The sin of Moses, which was, neglecting to circumcise his son, which perhaps was the effect of his being unequally yoked with a Midianite, who was too indulgent of her child, while Moses was too indulgent of her. Note, (1.) We have need to watch carefully over our own hearts, lest fondness for any relation prevail above our love to God, and take us off from our duty to him. It is charged upon Eli, that he honoured his sons more than God; (1 Sam. 2. 29.) and see Matt. 10. 37. (2.) Even good men are apt to cool in their zeal for God and duty, when they have long been deprived of the society of the faithful; solitude has its advantages, but they seldom balance the loss of christian communion.
2. God's displeasure against him: he met him, and probably, by a sword in an angel's hand, sought to kill him. This was a great change; very lately, God was conversing with him, and lodging a trust in him, as a friend; and now he is coming forth against him as an enemy. Note, (1.) Omissions are sins, and must come into judgment, and particularly the contempt and neglect of the seals of the covenant; for it is a sign that we undervalue the promises of the covenant, and are displeased with the conditions of it. He that has made a bargain, and is not willing to seal and ratify it, one may justly suspect neither likes it, nor designs to stand to it. (2.) God takes notice of, and is much displeased with, the sins of his own people; if they neglect their duty, let them expect to hear of it by their consciences, and perhaps to feel from it by cross providences; for this cause, many are sick and weak, as some think Moses was here.
3. The speedy performance of the duty, for the neglect of which God had now a controversy with him. His son must be circumcised; he is disabled to do it; therefore, in this case of necessity, Zipporah does it, whether with passionate words, expressing her dislike of the ordinance itself, or, at least, the administration of it to so young a child, and in a journey (as to me it seems;) or, with proper words, solemnly expressing the espousal of the child to God by the covenant of circumcision, as some read it; or her thankfulness to God for sparing her husband, giving him a new life, and thereby giving her, as it were, a new marriage to him, upon her circumcising her son, as others read it; I cannot determine: but we learn, (1.) That when God discovers to us what is amiss in our lives, we must give all diligence to amend it speedily, and particularly return to the duties we have neglected. (2.) The putting away of our sins is indispensably necessary to the removal of God's judgments: this is the voice of every rod, it calls us to return to him that smites us.
4. The release of Moses thereupon; so he let him go; the distemper went off, the destroying angel withdrew, and all was well: only Zipporah cannot forget the fright she was in, but will unreasonably call Moses a bloody husband, because he obliged her to circumcise the child; and, upon this occasion, (it is probable,) he sent them back to his father-in-law, that they might not create him any further uneasiness. Note, (1.) When we return to God in a way of duty, he will return to us in a way of mercy; take away the cause, and the effect will cease. (2.) We must resolve to bear it patiently, if our zeal for God and his institutions be misinterpreted and discouraged by some that should understand themselves, and us, and their duty better, as David's zeal was misinterpreted by Michal; but if this be to be vile, if this be to be bloody, we must be yet more so. (3.) When we have any special service to do for God, we should remove that as far from us as we can, which is likely to be our hinderance; Let the dead bury their dead, but follow thou me.
II. How Aaron met him in love, v. 27, 28. 1. God sent Aaron to meet him, and directed him where to find him, in the wilderness, that lay toward Midian. Note, The providence of God is to be acknowledged in the comfortable meeting of relations and friends. 2. Aaron made so much haste, in obedience to his God, and in love to his brother, that he met him in the mount of God, the place where God had met with him. 3. They embraced one another with mutual endearments; the more they saw of God's immediate direction in bringing them together, the more pleasant their interview was: they kissed, not only in token of brotherly affection, and in remembrance of ancient acquaintance, but as a pledge of their hearty concurrence in the work they were jointly called to. 4. Moses informed his brother of the commission he had received, with all the instructions and credentials affixed to it, v. 28. Note, What we know of God, we should communicate for the benefit of others; and those that are fellow-servants to God in the
