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of that power wliioh supplies the church; He was — in the
past He has testified His existence by deeds of almighty love;
He is to come— He will appear to judge the world, and for the
salvation of His church, and places will then be changed. The
occurrence by the way, related in chap. iv. 24 (a confirmation
of the vision of the thorn-bush, which burns and yet is not con-
sumed, in the personal experience of the leader of the people),
is important in many respects. The incident must be looked
at thus. On the way Moses was suddenly afflicted by severe
sickness, threatening immediate death. His conscience accused
him of a sin, and God or His Angel gave him an internal con-
viction that the malady was a punishment for this offence.
From fear of his wife, he had neglected to circumcise his
second son. This disturbance of the relation between him and
God must necessarily be done away before he could enter on
his calling. He must be under no ban. In the anguish of
her heart, Zipporah now does that which she had formerly
refused to allow, and the punishment is removed. But Zipporah
performs this compulsory act in anger : she says to Moses
passionately, " Surely a bloody husband art thou to me" — going
back to the time of the beginning of her relation to him, when
she might still have taken a husband from among her own
people, who would not have demanded such sacrifices from her.
