L 12 WOMEN OF THE BIBLE:  Zipporah

Ex 4:25, 18:2

1. Moses, after he fled from Egypt, crossed the desert to the land of Midian where he met a girl named Zipporah who was watering her father’s sheep.  Zipporah came from a family of seven girls.  Their father was a wise man, a priest and important among his people.  
2. Moses took Zipporah to be his wife and they had two sons, the oldest being Gershom.
3. The angel sent Moses back to Egypt to lead the Israelites to freedom in their promised land. He took Zipporah along with their two sons.  
4. Along the way, an angel visited Moses at the inn where they were staying and was ready to kill him or his son (it doesn’t say exactly).  Likely, they had talked enough that it was revealed Moses had not circumcised his oldest son.  
5. Gen. 17:7-14 Circumcision was a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham. All in his family were to be circumcised to show they belonged and could inherit the promises.  Now, we do not have to be circumcised.  Instead, we show we belong by being baptised into Jesus. Gal 3;27.  The circumcision we must have is to ‘cut off’ the wicked desires that come into our mind.  That is why we refer to ourselves as being ‘adopted Jews’.  We are not natural Jews, or natural descendants of Abraham, but baptism allows us to be heirs of the promises with him.
6. Zipporah took a sharp stone, maybe they didn’t have a knife, and cut the skin off, throwing it down at Moses; feet.  Clearly, what should have been done, wasn’t but to save Moses or their son from death, she did it.  
7. Zipporah later returned to Midian to live with her family.
8. Zipporah showed courage in doing what Moses should have done and hesitated to do.  Zipporah was truly a’ help meet’ for Moses, helping him live by the rules God had made for Israel.  Sometimes women had to do things God required men to do, out of necessity.  Although men are to be the spiritual leader, they sometimes fail.  Here is where a wise and courageous woman will help him follow God’s law and do the right thing.  We have learned about that with Sarah who had Abraham send Ishmael away because Isaac was the son of Promise, Rebekah who enabled Jacob to receive the blessing as God had said, and Tamar who ensured her child would belong to Israel.  It is the partner's responsibility to help each other in God’s way. It is the man’s primary responsibility to direct his family in following God while his wife, with love and respect, assists him in that.  
9. We can take a lesson from this incident. When we understand what is wrong in our lives, we must be diligent to correct it and attend to our responsibilities.   The ‘putting away of our sins’ or circumcision is completely  necessary if we expect God to have mercy on us.