Moses sent Zipporah and his sons back to Midian before he arrived in Egypt. One possibility: he was walking into a very dangerous situation and there was no need to put them in danger too. Exodus 18:2

Later in the story, Jethro bringing Zipporah and her sons to Moses in the wilderness is a metaphor of Moses bringing the Hebrews to Adonai at Sinai.

https://soilfromstone.blogspot.....com/2017/02/a-chias

Soil from Stone: A Chiasm Showing Moses' Family as a Microcosm of Israel
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Soil from Stone: A Chiasm Showing Moses' Family as a Microcosm of Israel

There's a chiasm in Exodus 18:1-11 that reveals Moses' family as a microcosm of the nation of Israel coming out of Egypt. Jethro brings Mo...