In view of God’s gift of Jesus Christ, we must turn from our presumption on his grace and give thanks to him for his perseverance to preserve us.

I. Presumption

Moses seems all too eager to witness God kill Pharaoh’s firstborn son if Pharaoh will not let the people go (23). However, he is so focused on the judgment he feels Pharaoh deserves, he neglects his responsibility to circumcise his own son, which was the sign of the covenant he was supposed to confer on him. It was the Old Testament version of baptism through which the parents and community entrusted the child to God’s grace. In other words, Moses is so busy judging Pharaoh, he forgets he and his family need God’s grace just as much as Pharaoh does. There are two ways we tend to presume on God’s grace. Like Moses, we judge other people and do not acknowledge our own need for God’s grace. Or, we presume on God’s grace in thinking that our sin is too great for his grace to forgive.

II. Preservation

God demonstrates his grace even more powerfully to Moses by preserving him and his firstborn son. God uses Moses’ wife, Zipporah, to confer the covenant sign of circumcision on their son to preserve his life. All of Moses’ presumption on grace and lack of faith in God ultimately killed God’s firstborn son so that Moses could be forgiven and Moses’ own firstborn son could be spared.