"Sing to the LORD,
for he is highly exalted.
The horse and its rider
he has hurled into the sea." Exodus15:20-21
Miriam was Moses' brother. She was the young girl who followed the basket that had Moses in it and suggested to Pharaoh's daughter that she organise a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby.
She is introduced here as Aaron's sister and as a prophetess. It seems unusual to leave out her connection to Moses out but I think there are two reasons for this:
Firstly, Aaron's role would ultimately be a priestly one. He would be the one in charge of worship at the tabernacle and responsible for the priests. In the light of the praise song that Miriam brings (probably the oldest song of praise we have recorded in Scripture) and her role as a prophetess it makes sense to introduce her in relationship to Aaron.
Secondly, we also know that later in the story Aaron and Miriam make a grab for some of Moses' authority and it may be that we are being prepared for this by having our attention drawn to their connection.
This passage highlights family and faith and gives us the positives and the negatives. On the positive side: No-one knows us better than family does. They see us "warts and all" and when Moses' family follow in his footsteps in ministry, it validates the sincerity of Moses' faith and example.
On the negative side, even with family ambition and jealousy can creep in and we see this when Aaron and Miriam make a grab for more power. What is good to see is that they are able to sort it out and they return to making a positive contribution.
Finally, as we go into the weekend, let us take note of Miriam at her best, throwing her head back and dancing with exuberant joy at God's goodness. It is great when God's people offer Him hearty praise for the good things He has done. Let's do that this Sunday!
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
