What isnt immediately obvious in scripture is that Moses had two wives and Zipporah was the first. We are urged to die to all our false identities and to remember our true identity as siblings of the flesh and blood of the Bridegroom. This is supported by a midrash (Jewish interpretation) in the Book of Jasher (Sepir Ha Yasher) 79:8-12 (which is not the authentic Book of Jasher mentioned in the Old Testament). Till 24, Pharaoh's first born son was the subject. Two verses before the excerpt provide Gods words for Pharaoh which warns of the plague that will kill each first-born son of families that do not adhere to the instructions of the protagonist. Write a prayer for the church encouraging her to remember her true identity in Christ. 2. Zipporah urges us to remember who we are in Christ. We can also safely conclude that Zipporah opposed the circumcision of her son. In Hebrew, her name means bird or little bird. We first meet Zipporahwho later became Mosess wifeat a well in her hometown of Midian. Which of you convinceth me of sin? Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Zipporah's father was Jethro, also called Reuel. The meaning is: The marriage bond between us is now sealed by blood. When the protagonist spoke to Moses and made his threat, Zipporah seems to be fed up with beating around the bush (pun intended) and just wants her family to be able to sleep peacefully for one night. Answer: While the Bible does not state all of reasons God used to justify wanting to kill Moses, we can take what information is available and derive a fairly good explanation. Zipporah in the Bible was the wife of Moses and the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian. Did Moses write the first five books of the Old Testament? Leave comments at the end, after References & Notes. After the resurrection, Jesus invited Thomas to touch him in the bloody parts, his hand and his side. The Text tells us he was 120 when he die. The narrative is obscure, but the meaning seems to be, that, led during his illness to a strict self-examination, he was deeply pained and grieved at the thought of having, to please his wife, postponed or neglected the circumcision of one of his sons, probably the younger. 25 But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her sons foreskin and touched Moses feet with it. Naturally, this man who rescued these vulnerable young women was a likely suitor for one of the daughters of the Priest of Midian, and they lived happily ever after. She knew he would have been killed by God if their son, who may have been several months old or older, remained uncircumcised. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Zipporah, daughter of Jethro Reuel of Midian, was the wife of Moses. By the way, the phrase of the title "a bloody husband art thou to me" is how the King James Version renders what the NIV here gives as "you are a bridegroom of blood to me." Some background to the story. Then she said, "You are a bloody husband," because of the circumcision (Exodus 4:25 - 26). The protagonist provided Moses with the necessary credentials he needed to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and protected his family in the process. What problem would this solve? I still wonder who warned Zipporah. Also note that it says circumcisions plural. Zipporah immediately takes a sharp stone cuts the foreskin off of her son and throws it at the feet of Moses and declares he is a bloody husband. (http://www.egrc.net/articles/Rock/Exodus/BrideGroomOfBlood.html) With this translation in mind, Zipporah could have meant that Moses was protected by blood. Circumcision was not the same medical practice it is today, but circumcision was a sign of the covenant God had made with Abraham and his descendants. The problem is not with the answers, but with the questions. He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." Moses became a shepherd and dwelt with Jethro. This interpretation also makes sense narratologically because the previous verse speaks of God promising to kill Pharaohs firstborn son. All rights reserved. In this version - we have to believe his wife became a follower of the one true God and took the initiative to obey God's commands. Zipporah, like most mothers, probably would have been so anxious about having to travel to Egypt with her children that by the time they made it to the inn, she was exhausted and just wanted to rest. Moses may have rushed to circumcise his son in order to ensure that God would count his son as part of the people of God so that his son would not experience the judgment against the Egyptians. God locks his intent on him and by extension all of Egypt's first born. Her father, who is believed to be one of the founders of the Druze religion seems to have affected his daughter in that custom. Listed on Blogspots Romance, Passionate Love, Sexual Pleasures: What Does the Bible Say?. Hilchot Milah, c. 2. sect. Some parents who have taken their children to the dentist or vaccination will understand. If you have any suggestions and queries you can contact us on the below details. The trappings of Pharaohs house made it easy for Moses to forget Abels sacrifice, the ram who saved Isaac, and the Hebrew blood that ran through his veins. Why did Zipporah do what she did? Comments or questions, contact me at: thoughtsonword@gmail.com. Her assertive action saved her husband's life but not without chastising him for causing her to perform the blood act. rigour. She heroically saves Moses and her sons from a random attack from an angel by cutting off her son's foreskin; the explanation for this act is unclear. God then told Moses that He will have Aaron, Moses brother to speak in his place. Something extraordinary took place, however, while he and his family travelled to the land of Pharaoh. Before delving in to the scholars theories, it is important to remember that due to the fact that Moses was being hidden as a baby and raised as an Egyptian, he was probably not circumcised. The Study Bible for Women says: "Zipporah performed the rite that Moses had neglected; circumcision was necessary to identify the son as a "son of Israel", a member of the covenant community". Finally Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and caused it to touch his feet and said: 'It is because you are a . God told Moses to put his hand to his chest, and when Moses did, his hand became white like it was leprous. Soon after meeting the One Who instructs him to return to Egypt in order to lead his Israelite brethren out of bondage in Egypt, "Moses took his wife and his sons, put them on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt." (Exodus 4:20.) This passage is rather uneventful and straightforward if we read it properly. After doing the needful for her son like that, she owned Moses. "Kiss the Son" or "Do homage in purity" in Psalm 2:12? The threat of death was not on Moses but on Pharaoh's son. Some translations might be easier to read, but they may not be easier to understand. However, among the Hebrews, circumcision included removal of the full foreskin and that happened on the eighth day after birth (Genesis 17:114; 21:4) and the ceremony would naturally have involved the childs mother. Zipporah, fearing that her husband would be slain, performed the rite herself, and the angel then permitted Moses to pursue his journey. That is why when the circumcision was over, verse 26 says, he let him go. This he is Moses because the nearest male antecedent is bloody husband. This phrase is not about God letting Moses go, but about Moses letting his son go after the circumcision was over. Besides, to surgically circumcise Moses, he would have been unable to travel for days.5. Another example is when Abraham said to his servant, Put your hand under my thigh and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live. Halter portrays Zipporah as a proud, black-skinned woman who refuses to marry Moses, even after bearing his two sons, until he accepts God's mission to lead his people out of slavery. Zipporah only appears three times in Scripture: the first time at the well (Exodus 2), the second time while on the journey to Egypt (Exodus 4), and finally in the wilderness when Moses met her father Jethro who was accompanied by Zipporah and her sons (Exodus 18). Her story reminds us that flesh and blood have always been faithful reminders of Gods covenant promises. Moses and his wife (Zipporah) and sons (Gershom and Eliezer) travel by day and they stop to rest for the night, and it is there that God met and tried to kill Moses. Him in verse 24 refers to Pharaohs firstborn son. . (Genesis 24:2-3). (Macho 1970: 24-25). Answer. A new article is published about every 8 to 10 days, but we only send out our Newsletter about twice a month to notify everyone of the newest items posted. here, moses is an analogy of christ, who is our "bloody husband."; i'm not sure what the foreskin represents. Just click the proper button at the end of each article. But God did not. The underlined words above are words that were supplied by the NIV translators. https://drmsh.com/thoughts-on-the-bridegroom-of-blood/, https://www.awordaboutgod.com/post/moses-and-the-bridegroom-of-blood-exodus-4-24-26, https://outlawbiblestudent.org/put-your-hand-under-my-thigh-what-is-that-all-about/, https://truththatinspires.com/biblical-insights/bridegroom-of-blood/, https://outlawbiblestudent.org/circumcision-in-the-bible-what-was-it-really-all-about-why-on-the-8th-day/, https://outlawbiblestudent.org/a-letter-from-an-atheist-about-the-12-commandments/, https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-mohel/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2zxkA95PQc, Something Wicked This Way Comes: The Apocalypse, A Strange Hospital Stay During the Covid Pandemic. Zipporahs story should always be told alongside Mosess, for without her, he would surely have died before returning to Egypt, still unclear about his true identity. The two boys were known as her sons. 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