James 1:23-24 says that the word of God is like a mirror
Because “if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was…”
Walking in purpose, especially if it involves entrepeneurship, is something that also holds a mirror up and reveals what’s on the inside of us
This is something that we see in the life of Esther
In my most recent post, I talked about How to be a trailblazer
You can read it here if you missed it, sis
Of the 5 things that I mentioned, one of them was the fact that being a trailblazer often means going first or being the first
which may mean discrimination, isolation, discomfort; people questioning your validity and/or the validity of your vision until God vindicates you- just like Zipporah suffered.
Going first or being the first also means leading by example, which is something that we see through Samson’s mum
To summarise a previous post about her:
One of the many things that fascinates me about Zipporah, as told in Numbers 12, is that she was a foreshadow of what was to come
How?
Although she was not Hebrew by birth, her marriage to Moses grafted her in to their society and heritage (the blessing of Abraham) in the same way that Jesus’ death, resurrection and our faith in it has done for us
(just as Romans 11 explains in more detail).
In other words, Zipporah was a trailblazer
which is “a person who is a pioneer in any field or endeavour”
Because she blazed the trail that we, as modern women, would need to have fellowship with God.
Zipporah’s pioneer status also teaches us a valuable lesson about what it takes to be the change you want to see in the world and take a stand, as we’ve been talking about in the last few weeks i.e.
In my most recent blog post I talked about the importance of taking a stand with your messaging, even if it’s polarising
You can read that here if you missed it, sis
The truth is, though, that sometimes your presence can be polarising not just because of what you say- but who you are
Don’t believe me?
Just look at Zipporah
Number’s 12:1 is very explicit about the fact that “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married…”. In other words-
They disliked her, not because of the content of her character, but because she was a minority
The worst part?
Recently we talked about what Miriam teaches us bout being a thought leader and woman of influence
Namely, the fact that they edify, exhort and comfort the people within their niche(s) from a place of divine inspiration. You can read more here if you missed that, sis.
One of the other ways that they influence and guide others is by not being afraid to go against the status quo whether it’s popular with their key stakeholders or not
In fact-
Moses’ decision to marry Zipporah is a prime example of that because she was a black (rather than Hebrew) woman
Not only that-
Numbers 12 tells us that it caused a rift in his family that also almost cost him his (leadership) position
But thank God for divine intervention!
Although it’s easy to dwell on the dark side of this episode of Zipporah’s life, there are 3 positive lessons that I was able to draw from it for us as modern women
Last week, I mentioned in passing that Numbers 12 talks about Miriam and Aaron almost staging a coup against Moses because he married a black woman (Zipporah)
Click here if you missed it, sis.
What I didn't share was the aftermath
Basically God went ham on Moses' behalf by calling the 3 of them together; then:
Defending Moses
Striking Miriam with leprosy
Although Moses' prayer for her healing was eventually heeded, God still made her go through the recommended cleansing and separation process to teach Miriam a lesson. In other words-
God caused her to feel what it's like to be reviled, ostracised and hated for (leprous) skin that she had no control over and could do nothing about- just like Zipporah had been made to feel because of her blackness
Being a British citizen of Nigerian descent connects me with the African diaspora, including my African American brothers and sisters. They are me and I am them.
I talk about visibility all the time and how positive it can be but, as a black woman, I also know what it's like to be visible for all the wrong reasons- just like Zipporah, just like Ahmaud Aubrey, just like Breonna Taylor, just like George Floyd and countless others
All of whom have been tragically killed through acts of domestic terrorism (racism).
What we need is for our white counterparts- particularly those who claim to be our Christian brothers and sisters- to learn the same lesson Miriam did. To put yourself in our shoes. To empathise with us and stand with us. Since we didn't make or break the system, nothing changes until you do. Practical steps on how are given below from my friend Monique Melton (an antiracism educator, author, speaker and podcast host) pictured with me.
Do you watch Insecure, sis? If so, then you'll know that one of the overarching themes this season has been feeling a lack of support from the people you most expect it from when you're trying to birth your vision
(e.g. your best friend)
This theme of lack of support is something that we see through Miriam in Numbers 12 too…unfortunately, though, she’s not the hero in this story
One of my favourite experts on the topic of leadership is John Maxwell
Never heard of him, sis? You can access a lot of his teachings for free on YouTube, by just searching his name, as a starting as point.
Although one of his guiding principles is “leadership begins with self-leadership,” he also makes it clear that “If you think you’re leading, but no one is following…you are only taking a long walk”
In other words, sis, you need a platform to succeed as a (thought) leader and influencer, which is something that we see very clearly demonstrated through Miriam. For example…
