Zipporah and Miriam
1. Exodus 4:24 has a few different interpretations. Some scholars say that God sought to kill Moses, which is shocking to read. What stopped God from killing him?
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2. In Genesis 17:12, God told Abraham that each of his descendants should be circumcised by 8 days old. Do you think Moses followed this directive with his sons?
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3. How did Moses’s marriage to Zipporah influence his decision not to circumcise his children by 8 days old? See Exodus 2:15-22.
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4. Exodus 4:24 (KJV) reads… “the Lord met him and was about to kill him.” A second interpretation of this scripture is that God met with and was about to kill pharaoh’s firstborn at that moment, not Moses. What do you think of this interpretation of the scripture?
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5. Either way, in Exodus 4:22-23, God wants Moses to warn pharaoh that he will kill his firstborn if he does not let the Israelites go. Why does this make it so important to God that Moses’s firstborn is circumcised?
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6. How did Zipporah obey God and go against her beliefs to follow God? Have you ever gone against what you were taught in order to follow God?
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7. Culture can get in the way of a relationship with God. Do you agree? Any examples?
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8. Some believe that Zipporah was Ethiopian. Other scholars say Moses married another woman who was Ethiopian. How did Miriam allow her cultural beliefs to get in the way of a relationship with God?
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9. Why do you think that God only struck Miriam with leprosy and not Aaron?
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10. Why does God want us to honor those He puts in authority whether we agree with them or not? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
11. How can this affect the functioning of a church or any other organization?
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