2. 10. Miriam: Revealing God’s Soveriegnty
Exodus 2:1-10 & Numbers 12:1-16
p. 53 & 139

3. Part of a Story Miriam. The sister of Moses. What happened this week?
Fall series – Deuteronomy: Choose Life
What happened this week?
Houston, Missile over Japan,
Tempting – nothing ‘really’ happened here in my life.
Things are happening. God is working.
Little girl plays by a river, an eye on a basket . . .

4. 1. Miriam: Bold & Smart
Miriam oldest of 3: with Aaron & Moses (1 Chr 6:3)
A child of slaves under a brutal regime in Egypt.
Her brother is hidden in a basket in the Nile.
Calamity: Pharaoh’s daughter comes to bathe.
She seems to have compassion on the child.
Bold & smart move: offers to find a wet-nurse for the boy.
Moses grows up with manners of an Egyptian (Ex. 2:19)

5. 1. Miriam: Bold & Smart . . . God has orchestrated the whole thing.
Miriam has her part to play.
She risked her life to speak to Pharaoh’s daughter.
No one had prepared her.
She was prompted by the Spirit – but she still had to do it.
We should do the same:
Being bold and stepping up Because God is at work today.

6. 2. Miriam: Worshipper & Prophetess
Miriam leads the new people of God in worship (Ex 15)
Miriam is a prophetess and a worship leader.
Similar to Mother Teresa
Went to India in 1929.
Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in (50 years later)

7. 2. Miriam: Worshipper & Prophetess . . .
We do not know what happened to Miriam in between
Moses confronts Pharaoh 80 years later (Ex. 7:7)
When she appears she knows God – a prophetess.
She established worship among the Israelites !
Sings the first Psalm of praise in Scripture
Shows Spirit inspired insight of God’s character (Ex 15)

8. 2. Miriam: Worshipper & Prophetess . . .
Pagan gods were vain, petty and selfish.
A very different kind of God (Ex 15: 2, 11, 13, 18) :
A God who loves his people
A God who exerts his strength to redeem and rescue
A God who will reign forever
A God who guides and walks with his people.
Miriam was the first to articulate it. Hallelujah!

9. 3. Miriam: Falling & Redeemed
Our next encounter with Miriam is a shock.
Who of us has not had a spiritual high and then mess up?
The people had been wandering for a long time
The people grumbled (Num 11:4-6)
Moses went into a severe depression (Num 11:12-15)
God appointed elders (v 16ff) and sent quail (v 31ff).

10. 3. Miriam: Falling & Redeemed . . .
Miriam sees this crisis of leadership (Num 12:2)
It is time for a stronger and more willing leader
Miriam is the main instigator (v 10).
She is smart. She is bold. She takes initiative.
She forgets how leadership in God’s people works.
God calls each one to their task.
God delights in using the weak & the foolish (1 Cor 1:27)

11. 3. Miriam: Falling & Redeemed . . .
Common sense indicated a change was needed
Miriam acted and spoke “ … and the LORD heard it” (v 2)
She was severely disciplined for stepping over the line.
She was restored after seven days.
The issue: Who has God appointed?
Her memory was not tainted forever.
Listed with Moses & Aaron as God’s servant leader (Mic 6:4)

12. 3. Miriam: Falling & Redeemed . . .
God is always a restoring & redeeming God:
As Miriam sang – He is a God of “steadfast love” (Ex 15:13)

13. – Living It – Stepping into our Story
We are all part of God’s salvation plan.
Miriam’s example:
She is not the main character
She is not all that well remembered
She only appears at a few points in the story
She doesn’t get everything right.

14. – Living It – Stepping into our Story . . .
BUT
She has an important part to play !
It matters that when the Spirit prompted, she stepped up.
She was smart and attentive to the Holy Spirit
She gave us important insights into the character of God.

15. – Living It – Stepping into our Story . . .
Miriam is a good example for us:
We also have a part to play in what God is doing.
It does not have to be spectacular to be important.
We do not have to be centre stage to have a role.
And when we fail, we too can be restored and forgiven.