Tagged: exodus
HELLO WOMEN OF THE TABERNACLE
I can’t believe this is the last post for Hello Women of Exodus. Two entire books of the bible covered this year! Only 64 to go, LOL. Wow! The feels! From pride for the follow through to excitement for what’s to come to expectation for how God could use these studies. It’s been a heck of a year but I am extremely grateful that you’ve stuck by my side and encouraged me to continue going…. not what this post is about… sorry for the tangent.
It was a challenge towards the mid to end sections of Exodus. There were fewer and fewer women to be heard of. I had to dig a little deeper and become somewhat creative. I think it worked out well as we got HELLO WIVES & DAUGHTERS OF EXODUS 32 and HELLO DAUGHTERS OF EXODUS 34.
For the last post of the category and the last post of the year I want to introduce you to the women who were a part of the creation of the tabernacle.
HELLO ZIPPORAH PART II
Last week we met Zipporah, Moses’ wife. Today I want to continue sharing her story with you however the post will be short due to Nano Poblano and my posting everyday this month. I hope you’ve been checking out my Nano Poblano posts.
In Exodus 4 we see Zipporah again. This time she is protecting her husband from death.
Exodus 4:24 At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him. 25 But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said. 26 So the Lord let him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.)
You see the Hebrew covenant called for all baby boys to be circumcised. Zipporah however was not Hebrew and she did not have her son circumcised.
Time was passing and Moses has an encounter with God who calls back to Egypt to lead his people out of slavery. Moses reluctantly accepts the call and let’s his father in law know that he would be going back to his birth-land. So Zipporah backs their bags and accompanies Moses back to Egypt. However on the way there Moses nears death. According to commentaries it seems that Moses’ near death experience could have been the result of overwhelming stress due to the fact that his son was uncircumcised. Basically his conscious was literally driving him crazy to the point of death.
I love that Zipporah jumped into action at the sight of her husbands torment. Commentaries also suggest that the son hadn’t been circumcised at her request. So that fact that she turns around and swallows her pride to save her husbands life speaks volumes. Zipporah circumcised her son herself and immediately took the bloody proof to Moses. Yup, she saved his life! Maybe she caused the problem to begin with but when she realized the harm done she corrected her mistake.
Let’s take her story as an example. Let’s correct our mistakes. Let’s stay humble and not allow our pride to be the cause of torment in other’s lives.
My Prayer for You:
Dear Jesus, help us to be aware of our mistakes. Help us to discern your sovereignty in our lives. I pray that every reader and I may be able to humble ourselves and accept responsibility for our actions. Help correct our mistakes. Please do not allow our pride to hurt others or ourselves. Thank you for your grace and mercy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Memory Verse: Proverbs 28:13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
I’m excited that this post was under 500 words… woot woot!!!
Love you guys!
Keep Shining, Nat
HELLO MIRIAM PART I
Hello again!
The book of Exodus is all about how Moses, a Hebrew boy, who should have died was saved from the Nile river by the very daughter of the one who ordered his death. This same Moses then grew up to lead the Israelite people out of captivity in Egypt alongside his brother Aaron and his sister Miriam. So far in the series Women of Exodus we have seen some very courageous midwives who refused to murder infants. We met Moses’ biological mother and his adoptive Egyptian mother. Today I want to take a close look at his older sister, Miriam. She plays a great part in the story of the Hebrews’ exodus out of Egypt. She can very well be one of the most important women of the Old Testament. I’m so excited to take a look at her life and share her story with all of you.
We first meet Miriam in Exodus 2:4 His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.
HELLO SHIPHRAH AND PUAH
Well hello there women of Exodus!!
Exodus 1:15 “The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah,”
Shiphrah and Puah are the women we will be focusing on today. The next few verses describe them as midwives and God fearing. The fact that they are midwives tells us that they are working women. I love that God didn’t forget about the working women.
If you are a working woman, remember that YOU matter to Him too!
In verse 16 pharaoh gives Shiphrah and Puah what he probably thought was a command that must be obeyed. He said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” Pharaoh thought he would be able to control the rate at which the Hebrews were increasing. I literally shake my head. Seriously pharaoh? Last I checked, mankind does not have that type of power. Also, don’t mess with God’s people!
I’m so glad this next verse is here, 17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.
Shiphrah and Puah valued God more than pharaoh’s orders. They knew that what pharaoh was asking of them was the wrong answer and they stood up for what they knew to be the truth. They were so gutsy! I mean pharaoh had the power to kill them if they chose to disobey him. These women were brave and demonstrated a true faithfulness and trust in God.
Heart check moment!
Am I standing up for what I know to be the truth or am I conforming to the ways of this world?
There are so many topics in our society today that are sensitive issues. Topics like abortion and gay marriage. I’m not going to get into them but let me just say this… are we conforming to this world’s view and what this world is saying the correct answer is? Or are we standing firm in what we know God’s word says is the absolute truth?
Obviously pharaoh was going to find out that there were new little Hebrew baby boys all over the place. He went to the midwives immediately questioning them. Verse 18 “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?” What nerve!
I love Shiphrah and Puah’s response. These women were so darn bold. They stood up to pharaoh without any reservations. 19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”
Shiphrah and Puah defended God’s people and all were blessed. First the nation of Israel and then the midwives themselves.
20 So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.
Verse 21 is such a great reminder that when we are obedient and faithful we too shall be blessed. We have no indication as to the age of these Godly women. We don’t know if they’ve been praying and crying out to God for children of their own. We can simply imagine the pain they might have felt every time they helped bring a new child into the world, a child that wasn’t theirs.
Shiphrah and Puah’s example sets forth a great challenge for us today. Will you join me in definding God’s truth? Will you commit to standing up for God’s word? Let’s be gutsy and bold like these two midwives, they stood up for what they knew to be true and were blessed.
My Prayer for You:
Dear Jesus, I come before you asking you to search our hearts today, Lord. Search us that all that is not of you may be removed and replaced with your love and compassion. I ask you for courage for myself and every single reader you’ve sent here today. I pray that we may stand firm in you because your word is living and true. I pray that we may not deny you but that we may live unashamed of our faith and belief in you. Heavenly Father thank you because you equip us with all that we need through your scriptures and place examples like Shiphrah and Puah in your word to remind us that your return is near. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
Thanks so much for stopping by.
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SUPERSTARNAT 