Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Wow, what a woman!


Exodus 4:24-26

On the way to Egypt, at a place where Moses and his family had stopped for the night, the LORD confronted him and was about to kill him. But Moses' wife Zipporah, took a flint knife and circumcised her son. She touched his feet with the foreskin and said, "Now you are a bridegroom of blood to me." (When she said "a bridegroom of blood," she was referring to the circumcision.) After that the LORD left him alone.

Wow, this is the only recorded incident of anything Zipporah did and what an incident it was! Imagine, this woman took care of something that she immediately realized Moses had not taken care of himself circumcising their youngest son.

Moses must have been shocked. He after all had been spending time with God getting instructions and all of the sudden how things changed. God was angry with Moses. When God lets us be reminded that something isn't quite right with us HE wants us to respond quickly to make things right.

Imagine this woman understanding what they had not done with this son. A very important act that had been left undone. One commentary mentioned that in the region they were living they sometimes let young boys live to be about 13 before taking care of this rite. God had given instructions on when this was to occur and Moses had not followed the rules.

Zipporah had to have been a strong woman with quick thinking skills. She knew the laws herself and realized what was needed. Her name in Hebrew means "bird" other meanings are trumpet, beauty, and mourning. Imagine the trumpet sounding that went off around that place they stopped at for the night after all of these happenings. A mother protecting her little birds. Think about a momma bird and how upset she becomes when you come to close to her nest…Zipporah knew and she took care of her baby. What a beautiful woman and what a beautiful way to be remembered in your only recorded act in the bible taking care of your family and God being happy with your actions that it is recorded! She saved her man and God let it be recorded.

Wow, what a way to be remembered!

Blessings,

Debbie

2 comments:

Frankie said...

Wow! Zipporah did save Moses life by her quick action. God was about to kill Moses scripture says, in Exodus 4:24. It was a good thing for Moses that Zipporah was listening to the God of Israel.

Speaking of listening, I was reflecting on Exodus 6:9, where Moses told the people of Israel what the Lord had said, but they refused to listen because they had become too discouraged.... That could be me.
Do I refuse to listen because I am distracted by discouragement or something else perhaps. THEY REFUSED TO LISTEN! It is a good thing for the Israelites that Moses and Aaron were listening to God.

Who is listening for me when I refuse to listen? The Holy Spirit? And do I hear Him when He speaks to me? Listening for the God who speaks!

Bill's Friend said...

Those are the same verses that I highlighted. I was thinking, what have you done Moses to make God that angry with you. I also had to pick the commentary up on that one. It said, "This is unclear, but most likely, Moses had kept one of his sons uncircumcised to please his Midianite family." Whatever the reason, God was angry!

Zipporah... You go girl!!.. You immediately saw the problem...fixed it...and saved your husband's life... WOW!!..