Monday, January 09, 2006

Moses and Zipporah

Just a quick P.S.--Accidental Poet asked about Exodus 4:24-26. I wrote a complete scene to dramatize this event in THE SHADOW WOMEN, but here's an excerpt from the Q&A at the back of the book--

Q: I’ve never heard about the night when God attempted to kill Moses! Could that be true?
A: In what may be the least-mentioned story in Scripture, the Lord confronts Moses and is “about to kill him” until Zipporah circumcises her son (see Ex. 4:24-26). Some say Moses was stricken with an illness and near death, others believe an angel actually attacked Moses. Because the Hebrew passage never contains Moses’ name—only a masculine pronoun—we’re not certain if it was Moses or his son who stood in danger of losing his life. But Zipporah obviously understood the purpose and intent of the night visit, and she did what she had to do. One note, however: If God had wanted to kill Moses, he would have. It’s far more likely he wanted Zipporah to understand that his commands were not frivolous.

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