(Exo) 4:24-26 CJB “At a lodging-place on the way, Adonai met Moshe and would have killed him, had not Tzipporah taken a flintstone and cut off the foreskin of her son. She threw it at his feet, saying, “What a bloody bridegroom you are for me!” But then, God let Moshe be. She added, “A bloody bridegroom because of the circumcision!”
Moses stands among the greatest leaders in human history. He is honored in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. God chose him to confront Pharaoh, deliver Israel, and receive the Law.
Yet his leadership almost ended before it began.
Not because of Egypt.
Not because of Pharaoh.
Not because of lack of ability.
Because of disobedience in his own home.
In Exodus 4, on the way to Egypt, God confronts Moses and threatens his life. The text is brief, mysterious, and sobering. The reason becomes clear: Moses had failed to circumcise his son according to God’s covenant with Abraham.
Circumcision was not a cultural preference.
It was a covenant sign (Genesis 17).
It marked a family as belonging to the living God.
Moses—raised as a Hebrew, called by God, commissioned as a prophet—had neglected this responsibility.
Why?
Scripture does not tell us explicitly. It may have been fear. It may have been conflict at home. It may have been cultural pressure. It may have been delay and distraction.
But the result was the same.
God’s chosen leader was living in partial obedience.
And God confronted him.
In a striking moment, Zipporah—Moses’ wife—steps in and performs the circumcision herself. God spares Moses’ life. The mission continues.
But the message is unmistakable:
Private obedience matters to God.
Public calling never replaces personal faithfulness.
God does not excuse disobedience because a man is “useful.”
He does not overlook compromise because a man is “gifted.”
He does not ignore neglect because a man is “busy in ministry.”
Before Moses could confront Pharaoh, he had to confront his own household.
Leadership always begins at home.
Later in Israel’s journey, Moses’ family is brought back to him by Jethro. He had left them behind while leading the nation. Again, Scripture quietly reminds us: even great leaders can struggle to balance calling and family.
Moses loved God deeply.
But he had blind spots at home.
And God dealt with them.
This principle runs throughout Scripture.
Jesus rebuked religious leaders who were public and impressive but private and hollow.
Paul instructed that church leaders must demonstrate faithfulness in their households (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1).
Not because family life makes a man perfect.
Not because children guarantee maturity.
But because leadership is proven first in close relationships.
If a man cannot lead with humility, love, and integrity in his own home, he is not ready to lead widely.
This does not mean that every faithful man must be married or have children. Jesus and Paul were single and perfectly faithful. Scripture honors both callings.
But it does mean that wherever God places a man—in marriage, fatherhood, work, church—faithfulness there matters.
Our cultural crisis is not just political.
It is not just economic.
It is spiritual.
And it begins in homes where men are passive, distracted, inconsistent, or divided in their allegiance.
We cannot honor God publicly while ignoring Him privately.
We cannot lead well in church, business, or community if we neglect obedience in our own house.
God calls men to integrity.
The same man at home.
The same man at work.
The same man in public.
The same man in prayer.
Leadership flows from alignment.
And alignment begins with obedience.
Run Today’s Play:
1. Examine Your Home Life
Ask honestly: Am I leading spiritually in my marriage, parenting, and daily habits? Or am I coasting?
2. Correct One Area of Neglect
Identify one area where you’ve delayed obedience—and act on it this week.
3. Reclaim Your Responsibility
Pray daily for your family. Open Scripture. Lead with humility, not control.
4. Pursue Integrity
Commit to being the same man in private that you want to be in public.
Lead where God has placed you first.
