Zipporah

Introduction

I began to name this the ‘Bible Person Study’, but chose to go with the ‘Bible Character Study’. I hesitated to name it that, as I don’t want to diminish the fact that these are real people we’ll be examining. But the reason that it’s named the Bible Character Study is because we’ll be focusing on the person’s character throughout. But don’t forget that these were real people, with real lives that made real choices that had real consequences.

Great Power, Great Responsibility

Our Decisions Effects Others

It effected Moses

It effected their children

Failure to Act, places Hardship on Loved Ones

Moses should have circumsized his son. Had he, she wouldn’t have been put in that position

I. Zipporah’s Nature

((What is their History / Background?)

Moses’ Wife (Ex. 2:21)

This is obviously the main reason why she is mentioned in Scripture. Prior to Moses entering the picture, she was just a ‘daughter of the priest of Midian’ (Ex. 2:16)

Jethro’s Daughter (Ex. 2:21)

Jethro - otherwise known as Reuel - the priest of Midian. Zipporah was his daughter.

Jethro’s Daughter

She was a Midianite (Ex. 2:15-16)

This is important for the following reason. Although her father was a godly man and a friend of God, she would have been (most likely) far less familiar with the Covenantal Rite & Responsibility of circumcision.

She wouldn’t have first hand experience in her own family as Jethro only had daughters.

This is important, because it would have colored her view of the practice.

She was a Midianite

II. Zipporah’s Notoriety

(What they are known for?)

Serving her Father (Ex. 2:16)

There are only two actions that Zipporah is does in Scripture. The first is that she was one of the daughters that watered the flock of her father.

So one thing that we see is a sense of service & obedience in her. Service & Obedience are good traits to have unto your parents.

This speaks to her having a good, moral character.

Serving her father

Circumcising her Son (Ex. 4:24-26)

This is the main story concerning her in Scripture. The only other mention of her at all is in Ex. 18:1-4 when she is reunited with Moses after the deliverance from Israel.

Being that it’s only a few verses, we have to make educated guesses as to the chain of events and reasons for it. I want to at this time give you what I believe best explains the encounter we find in Ex. 4:24-26.

Moses and Zipporah at this time only have one son born yet in Gershom (Ex. 2:22)

Moses KNEW to circumcise his son, but Zipporah objected to the practice.

Moses decided to please Zipporah instead of obeying the LORD, therefore didn’t circumcise him (at 8 days old as God commanded - Gen. 17:10-14)

Because of Moses’ disobedience, God brought Judgment upon him.

Zipporah, knowing the cause, relented and circumcised her son against her will.

God stayed His Judgment against Moses, and it was most likely at this time when Zipporah (who is pregnant with her second son) is sent back to her father’s house - not to be reunited with Moses until after Israel’s deliverance from Egypt.

When they are reunited, Moses then give Eliezer his name (Ex. 18:4)

This best explains the information that God has given us in Scripture (IMO)

Circumcising her son

III. What Makes her Noteworthy

(What Lessons we can Learn from them?)

Neglect of Duty Comes with Consequence (Ex. 4:24)

It was Moses’ duty to circumcise his son. This circumcision is something extremely important as it identifies the Jews special relationship unto the God of Heaven.

Moses should have put God’s Command before Zipporah’s feelings and circumcised Gershom. However, he didn’t. And BECAUSE he didn’t, God just about struck him dead.

I feel as though oftentimes I could just get a repeat button installed which says certain things. One of them is that Consequences are real - though maybe not in our society, not in our homes, but they are real to God.

Neglect of Duty Comes with Consequence

Neglect of Duty Burdens Others (Ex. 4:25)

Once again - this was Moses’ duty to circumcise his son. But because Moses failed to do his duty, it fell to Zipporah to do it. Now she didn’t just have to endure her son going through the process of circumcision, SHE HAD TO PERFORM IT AS WELL!

Because Moses neglected his duty, it fell to Zipporah.

There’s a saying that ‘10% of the people in the church do 90% of the work’. Now I don’t think that this is the correct percentages in this church, however, there are some who bear more than they should - and the reason is, some are neglecting their duty.

(Ill.) We have a situation in Children’s church where we don’t have enough volunteers willing to give what it takes to make the program run in 2024. And I’ve decided that I’m not going to overburden those who are already wearing several hats - I’m just going to not have it for periods of time if need be, and parents will just have to make their children mind during service.

Neglect of Duty Burdens Others

Neglect of Duty is Sometimes Untenable

Untenable (def) inexcusable

Don’t lose sight of the fact that for almost 2 chapters, God has called & convinced Moses to go to Egypt to be His spokesmen. To be literally the mouthpiece for God on earth - then all of a sudden, God was willing to strike him dead! That’s a pretty drastic change.

The reason was, God was not going to use Moses in this great position if he was willing to neglect the most basic duty of keeping God’s Covenant.

1 Corinthians 4:2 “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

God was going to require Moses’ faithfulness if He was going to use Moses in that capacity

Neglect of Duty is Sometimes Untenable

Distaste for God’s Commands doesn’t Negate the Responsibility

Zipporah didn’t like circumcision. And honestly, she had that right. She didn’t have to like it. But best I can recollect, God didn’t ask her opinion on the matter, did He?

You may not like some things that God requires - but that doesn’t give you the right to neglect them.

Many don’t like being different & set apart (peculiar)

They don’t want to have different interests & viewpoints

Many don’t want to live Holy

They want to act, live, dress, get tattoos like the world

Many don’t like to witness.

But just because you don’t like it doesn’t give you sufficient reason to neglect doing what God has called you to do!

Distaste for God’s Commands doesn’t Negate the Responsibility

God Takes His Covenantal Rites Seriously

Circumcision was the token of the Abrahamic Covenant. This was extremely important to God - and for Moses to treat it with such little regard didn’t fly with God.

Genesis 17:14 “And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.”

We see the same mindset concerning the LORD’s Supper (which is the token of the New Covenant which we are under) in 1Cor. 11:27-30, and is the cause of why I always stress this fact.

God Takes His Covenantal Rites Seriously - this is why the Sodomites need to repent from perverting the Rainbow as they have!

God Takes His Covenantal Rites Seriously

Spiritual Immaturity Impacts the Family (Ex. 4:25-26; 18:1)

Zipporah reluctantly administered the circumcision to her son. She blamed Moses for it instead of understanding that this command was from God - not Moses! This showed a Spiritual Immaturity in her.

I say that it impacts the family because it (apparently) was the cause of the split in the family in this crucial time.

It’s quite possible that Moses sent her back to her father’s house (and by proxy his son(s) as well) because he knew that the great Spiritual battle that he was about to undertake would have only been hindered had she been around. Therefore, his sons didn’t see the great deliverance of God, they didn’t get to experience seeing God’s great power first hand - and they were a separated family.

Spiritual Immaturity most certainly hinders the family when it’s exhibited by one or both of the parents - this is why we must be diligently growing Spiritually

Spiritual Immaturity Impacts the Family

Submitting to God’s Will Saves Others (Ex. 4:26)

Even though she did it reluctantly, she did submit unto the Will of God and circumcised her son. And the result of that is that she saved her husband.

If we submit to God’s Will - even if it’s reluctantly at first - we will be used to save others as well.

Submitting to God’s Will Saves Others

Conclusion