Women in white raiment

by John Lemley

But scarcely had the panting nostrils of the flocks begun to cool a little in the brimming troughs than some rough Bedouin shepherds came with their flocks and drove the maidens and their flock from the well. This was too much for Moses. His face began to color up, and his eyes flash with indignation, and all the gallantry of his nature was aroused. He naturally had a quick temper, as he demonstrated in the case of the Egyptian oppressing an Israelite, and as he showed afterward when he broke all the Ten Commandments at once by shattering the two granite slabs on which the law was written. Hence the harsh treatment of the girls sets him on fire. The injustice of these Bedouin shepherds was more than he could bear, and he came to the rescue of the maidens of the Midianite sheik. Driving the shepherds away, he told the daughters of Jethro to gather their flock once more and bring them again to the watering troughs. Here the beautiful character of Moses comes out, and shows that the careful training of his faithful mother had not been in vain. Though brought up as a prince in the court of Egypt, he takes hold of the water buckets and draws water from the well, and waters the immense flock which had taken seven maidens to drive to the well! What a sight it must have been to these daughters of the priest of Midian as they stood by and saw this brave, unselfish act. What wonder that Zipporah fell in love with such a young man?

Hard as the task must have been, it was quickly finished and the flock early sheltered in the fold. So much so that Jethro asked of his daughters, “How is it that ye are come so soon to-day?” They answered, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.” Jethro further inquired, “Where is he? Why is it that ye have left the man?”

We confess it was a somewhat ungrateful act on the part of these girls not to invite the young man to their father’s home, but it only shows that they were so modest as to be too bashful to make such an advance.

So Moses was invited to the home of the Midianite sheik, and in due time Zipporah was given to him in marriage, and she became the mother of his two sons, Gershom and Eliezer.

The Bible does not record much of Zipporah’s life, but, evidently from the fact that she was a shepherdess, she was industrious, notwithstanding the great wealth and influence of her father. What was the use of Zipporah’s bemeaning herself with work when she might have reclined on the hillside near her father’s tent, and plucked buttercups, and dreamed out romances, and sighed idly to the winds, and wept over imaginary songs to the brooks. But no. She knew that work was honorable, and that every girl ought to have something to do, and so she led her father’s flock to the fields, to the watering troughs, and to the safe shelter of the fold. In how many households are there young women without practical and useful employments? Many of them are waiting for fortunate and prosperous matrimonial alliance, but some lounger like themselves will come along, and after counting the large number of father Jethro’s sheep and camels will make proposal that will be accepted; and neither of them having done anything more practical than to chew chocolate caramels, the two nothings will start on the road of life together, every step more and more a failure. Not so with the daughter of the Midianite sheik. Moses found her at the well drawing water. And Zipporah soon learned that Moses could also draw water. Ye daughters of idleness, imitate Zipporah. Do something helpful. The reason that so many men now condemn themselves to unaffianced and solitary life is because they can not support the modern young woman—a thousand of them not worth one Zipporah. There needs to be a radical revolution among most of the prosperous homes of America, by which the elegant do-nothings may be transformed into practical do-somethings. Let useless women go to work and gather the flocks. The stranger at the well may prove to be as good a man as was Moses to Zipporah.

Still further, watch this spectacle of genuine courage. No wonder when Moses scattered the rude shepherds he won Zipporah’s heart. Sense of justice fired his courage; and the world wants more of the spirit that will dare almost anything to see others righted. There are many wells where outrages are practiced, the wrong herd getting the first water. Those who have the previous right come in last, if they come it at all. Thank God we have here and there a strong man to set things right!

This child of the desert, full of industry and energy, very naturally had a quick temper, and, for once at least, it came out in her life. Moses was on his way to Egypt, as the deliverer of Israel. Zipporah and sons set off to accompany him, and went part of the way. While stopping for the night at a wayside inn the Lord suddenly withstood Moses. It appears, for some reason, possibly because Zipporah opposed it, their sons, Gershom and Eliezer, had not been circumcised. And, since the neglect of this rite would cut them off from God’s covenanted people, the Lord suddenly afflicted Moses so that his life must have been despaired of by the wife and mother. In her distress, to save the life of her husband, she herself performs this rite. The expression, “took a sharp stone,” means a sharp stone-knife (more sacred than a metallic knife, on account of the tradition). Under the trying ordeal, and notwithstanding the life of her husband was still in the balance between life and death, she was unable to conceal her ill-humor, and charged him with being “a bloody husband.” Which may mean that the rite of his people was distasteful to her, and doubly so since she had to perform it with her own hand to save the life of Moses.

It appears, probably on account of the performance of this rite upon their two sons, she had to return to her father’s house, as the children would not be in a condition to continue the journey into Egypt, and Moses had to perform the remainder of the way alone.

The only other incident recorded in Zipporah’s life is the bringing of herself and her two sons to Moses by her father, when the host of Israel had reached the Peninsula of Sinai, after they had departed out of the land of Egypt.

It has been suggested that Zipporah was the Cushite (A. V. Ethiopian) wife who furnished Miriam and Aaron with the pretext for their attack on Moses. (Num. xii, 1). The death of Zipporah is not mentioned, but undoubtedly it occurred before Moses took the Cushite to be his wife.