A Confusing Story and the Reunification with Aaron (Exodus 4:24-31)

24 At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him [Gershom, the son of Moses and not Moses] and sought to put him [Gershom] to death. [Why? God was not going to allow Gershom to get to Egypt alive without a decisive change in his circumcision status. (Stuart)] 25 Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet [Gershom’s genitals] with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” 26 So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision. [Zipporah, growing up in the home of a Midianite priest, surely knew how circumcision was done. Many people groups practiced circumcision, including the Midianites. Was Moses circumcised? Egyptians practiced a partial circumcision. Moses parents may not have circumcised him to keep his identity hidden. His Egyptian mother may have had him circumcised partially. Zipporah decided Gershom should be circumcised. What she says she says to him and not to Moses. Her words may be better translated as “you are a blood relative to me” rather than “bridegroom of blood.” Her words are to confirm the circumcision is official. Moses had failed to circumcise his son. The consequence of failure to be circumcised is to be cut off from the holy people of God (Genesis 17:14). Moses may have lost his firstborn son had Zipporah not intervened for him.]

27 The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. 28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which he had sent him to speak, and all the signs that he had commanded him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. 30 Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to 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 people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped. [These events, which may have taken many months, are nicely summarized so that we can get on with the story!]