This sermon was the second in the series on women in the Bible. I ended up with three Scripture lessons to share all the info about Miriam for the sermon. I do not believe I have ever preached on Miriam, so it was a fun week of preparation for me as I dug into some new insights. I particularly liked the ending when I connected Miriam to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
“Miriam – A Sister’s Love” January 20, 2019; Exodus 2; Exodus 15: 20-21; Numbers 12: 1-16; Women series
Exodus 15: 20-21 Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing. 21 And Miriam sang to them:
“Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.”
Numbers 12: 1-16 While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had indeed married a Cushite woman); 2 and they said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. 3 Now the man Moses was very humble,[a] more so than anyone else on the face of the earth. 4 Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.” So the three of them came out. 5 Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the entrance of the tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward. 6 And he said, “Hear my words:
When there are prophets among you,
I the Lord make myself known to them in visions;
I speak to them in dreams.
7
Not so with my servant Moses;
he is entrusted with all my house.
8
With him I speak face to face— clearly, not in riddles;
and he beholds the form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” 9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed.
10 When the cloud went away from over the tent, Miriam had become leprous,[b] as white as snow. And Aaron turned towards Miriam and saw that she was leprous. 11 Then Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, do not punish us[c] for a sin that we have so foolishly committed. 12 Do not let her be like one stillborn, whose flesh is half consumed when it comes out of its mother’s womb.” 13 And Moses cried to the Lord, “O God, please heal her.” 14 But the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp for seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.” 15 So Miriam was shut out of the camp for seven days; and the people did not set out on the march until Miriam had been brought in again. 16 After that the people set out from Hazeroth, and camped in the wilderness of Paran.
Introduction: We continue reflecting on women in the biblical story. this morning, we read some familiar stories, stories we usually see through the lens of Moses, but this morning we look at the role Miriam plays in them.
Move 1: In a broad sense, Miriam’s story expands the role of women, indeed expands the role of all who seek to serve God.
a. Unlike most women in the Bible, Miriam is never called mother or wife.
1. Josephus, a historian, decided Hur was her husband.
2. rabbinic sources give Miriam Caleb as a husband.
3. Both assertions are based on the desire to have Miriam married not on any biblical text or notation about Miriam being married.
4. the tellers of the story trying to get Miriam to fit into the box they have for a woman, but Miriam will not stay in that box.
b. The biblical text defines Miriam in two ways.
1. First, as a sister - we are told she is the sister of Moses and the sister of Aaron. Moses and Aaron, of course, being brothers.
2. Secondly, Miriam is called a prophet.
3. In fact, the first woman in the biblical story to be called a prophet.
4. apparently, a prophet with significant influence because the prophet Micah, many generations later, mentions her as one of the prophets with Moses and Aaron - all three on equal footing from Micah’s perspective.
d. Miriam exemplifies a hard to define, independent woman, who played a significant role in God’s actions to save Israel from slavery in Egypt.
1. Tomorrow we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr’s work with the civil rights movement. His work a testimony to the idea that the human tendency to limit people by categories we impose must be overcome.
2. In Miriam, we are reminded that any box we create to keep people from serving God is unacceptable.
3. All of us, regardless of sex, race, nationality, all of us can serve God, indeed, are called to serve God.
Move 2: Miriam also exemplifies a sister’s love
a. The first script lesson is a familiar story about Moses.
1. remember at that time Pharaoh had become worried about the Israelite slaves becoming too numerous and hard to handle, so he orders the Israelite midwives to kill any baby boys born to Israelite women.
2. When we think about heroic women, do not forget Shiphrah and Puah, who decide to serve God instead of Pharaoh and refuse to kill the Israelite baby boys.
When Pharaoh class them in to question why they are not doing as he ordered, they tell him that the Israelite women re giving birth too quickly and the boys are born and whisked away before they arrived.
Two women, who give a nod to earthly power, but then act on their faith in God. their actions set the stage for a generation of Israelite men to arise and escape the slavery of Egypt.
b. Moses was one of the baby boys who slipped through the Pharaoh’s death notice.
1. Moses is placed in a basket, hiding among the reeds off the river bank.
2. His mother sends his sister to stand watch.
2. His unnamed sister, who we come to know as Miriam.
3. Imagine being the sister watching your brother, whose life was already threatened just by being born. Now, he waits in the reeds to see what happens next to his life. How vulnerable to watch and wait, with no idea what will happen.
4. As Miriam watches, Pharaoh’s daughter finds baby Moses.
5. In the moment, Miriam acts decisively.
6. She offers to find a nursemaid for the baby Pharaoh’s daughter has found. When the daughter agrees, Miriam races to find her mother before something else happens.
6. Ella Lindvall, Read Aloud Bible Stories, Vol. 4 tells this story. Baby Moses is hidden with his big sister watching “Go fast, big sister, go fast”
7. Seems to capture the moment - the desperate race of a sister to save her brother.
8. Miriam saves Moses and keeps his future before him, indeed the future of God’s people, by her quick action.
c. Miriam reminds us that as followers of Christ, we need to be read to act, and then act decisively.
Move 3: Miriam also knows how to celebrate.
a. Another well-known story.
1. The Israelites have crossed the Red Sea.
2. not just crossed the Red Sea, but crossed it when God parted the waters and gave them a path through the wall of water.
3. They have reached the other side steps ahead of Pharaoh’s soldiers and then watched as the waters crashed in and drowns the soldiers and overwhelms their chariots.
4. The Israelites miraculously saved by God.
b. In response, Moses leads the Israelites in song as they sing of God’s glories.
1. then, Miriam takes over by grabbing a tambourine and dancing
2. She does it so well that her dance and song are forever memorialized as Miriam’s song. in fact, the bible I used to prepare the sermon labels the verses we read as “Miriam’s song.” (Moses’ part of the song does not get named after him!).
c. Powerful image
1. as the story is told generation after generation, the Israelites, indeed we will be reminded that God’s saving grace demands excitement and gratitude.
2. Maybe even song and dance.
Move 4: We cannot finish Miriam’s story without noting that she also had some issues (much like some of the men like David, who are a mixed bag of faithfulness).
a. We read of a couple of Issues she had with Moses
1. First, Aaron and Miriam bad mouth Moses because he married a Cushite woman.
2. they do not like the foreign woman that he married, and they make their opinion known to others.
b. Perhaps even more importantly, Miriam and her other brother Aaron challenge the prophetic authority of Moses.
1. “Are you the only one through whom God speaks? hasn’t God spoken through us?”
2. Maybe jealousy at play?
2. Or are Miriam and Aaron making a claim for other voices to be heard?
3. In another story, their question could have been lifted up as a call to expand the leadership and recognize others whom God has called.
4. But in this instance, it comes across as jealousy and a challenge to how God is at work through Moses.
c. God uses the moment to make clear about the special role to which God has called Moses.
1. And, God punishes.
2. Actually, God only punishes Miriam.
3. she is stricken with leprous skin.
4. In that moment, we see more sibling love as Moses intercedes on Miriam’s behalf.
d. Miriam’s story reminds us of our own imperfections, but also of the God who calls us to serve despite our not getting it right all the time.
Conclusion: What do we do with Miriam?
We remember the way she expanded the understanding of who could serve God.
We remember how she acted decisively to save Moses.
We remember her example of excitement and gratitude at God’s saving race.
We remember her humanity and imperfection.
And, oh, by the way, remember the mother of Jesus, the one we know as Mary.
Mary is a variation of the Hebrew name Miriam.
The list of women serving God continues on and on.
No comments:
Post a Comment