The ‘Holy Women of Israel’ – Miriam
The Holy Women of Israel – Miriam.
“Many daughters have done well, with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness, but you excel them all… A woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord in wonder and awe, she shall be honored and praised!” (Proverbs 31:29-31, Amplified Version).
Did you know that the Talmud, the official rabbinic source for Judaism, includes a “Hall of Fame” that includes seven women? These are the prophetesses, the “Holy Women of Israel,” who hold places of honor and are of central importance in biblical history. These women are: Sarah (Genesis 11-23); Miriam (Exodus 2,15); Deborah (Judges 4-5); Hannah (1 Samuel 1-2); Abigail (1 Samuel 25); Huldah (2 Kings 22); and Esther.
In some cases, the Hebrew word for woman prophet, “nebiah,” was used in Scripture, which was an official title of sorts for an accepted spokeswoman for the Lord, a proclaimer of God’s word. But in other cases, the term prophetess included a woman who was divinely inspired, able to receive divine messages about the present or the future, as well as divine interpretations of the past. Prophets male and female were those who spoke what was on God’s mind, and often held up as models of personal sanctity and intimacy with God. In one way or another, during one time or another, the biblical prophetesses were honored as mouthpieces of God and vital to the history of the Jewish people.
THE STORY OF MIRIAM.
“Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them: ‘Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!’” (Exodus 15:20-21).
Miriam-at-a-Glance. Miriam is the first woman in the Hebrew Bible to be called a prophetess (Ex. 15:20). Rabbinic tradition holds that Miriam was at first considered a prophet because she had prophesied to her parents that they would bear the person who would deliver the Israelites from bondage. The fact that both mother and sister went to such extraordinary measures to take care of Moses suggests that they knew Moses was going to be unique, with a singular role as savior and deliverer of his people. The name means bitter waters, or perhaps waters of strength. Her life span was approximately from around 1400 – 1300 BC. The Greek version of the Hebrew name Miriam is Mary. The root word for myrrh is used in the name, a bitter and fragrant spice used for anointing oil or for embalming. Sheridan Larson noted that when Miriam was named, she was born during a time when the children of Israel were in bondage to Egypt. Her parents were making a statement about the bitterness of life in captivity. It is ironic that Miriam, known in history for her uplifting praise and worship, did not spread the bitterness associated with her name. There are two rabbinic traditions regarding Miriam during the wilderness journey. One tradition maintains that, because of Miriam’s righteousness, and so due to her merit, a miraculous well accompanied the wanderers all the while she lived in order to provide water for drinking. Thus when she died, this well dried up (Numbers 20:1-2). The other tradition noted by Ms. Larson is that Miriam’s role during that long journey was to lead the people in praise, just as she did during that victorious Song of Moses at the Red Sea. Like water itself, she was a continual source of refreshing praise. So when Miriam died, no one was there to lead the people in praise to God. When Miriam died, her well of praise died with her. Tradition states that Miriam died at the age of 126, a year before the Israelites entered the Promised Land.
“I am profoundly moved by that encounter on the banks of the Nile between an Egyptian princess and Miriam, a young Israelite slave-child – The contrast between them – in terms of age, culture, status and power – could not be greater. Yet their deep humanity bridges all the differences, all the distance. Two heroines. May they inspire us.” (Rabbi Sacks, from his commentary on Exodus).
Courage. There were two brave girls, not yet women, who were responsible for the eventual liberation and redemption of the people of Israel. One wonders what would have happened if Moses, the man of God’s choosing, had not been rescued as a baby by the “good eyes” of his sister Miriam and the Egyptian princess from the Pharaoh’s household. Both girls defied the Pharaoh’s orders at the risk of their lives as they saved baby Moses from certain death at a time when all Hebrew baby boys were being executed at birth by the orders of Pharaoh.
The Rescue. The princess, while bathing in the Nile River, observed a floating basket, looked inside the basket, and saw a beautiful baby Hebrew boy. The baby was crying, and the princess “had compassion on him” (Ex. 2:6). The princess knew about her father’s strict orders to kill baby boys coming from Hebrew households, but she bravely defied those orders, arranged with Miriam for a time of nursing, and raised Moses as her son in the palace. The princess had a generous heart as she looked at the baby in the basket, and she became determined to rescue that baby and adopt him as her son.
Womanly Heroism. We would never have had a Moses were it not for the heroics of Miriam and the princess. They joined a small group of women that enabled Moses to survive the dangers of his birth. In a breath-taking act of civil disobedience, the two Hebrew midwives defied the king’s order, “The midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.” (Ex. 1:17). According to historian and religious writer Rabbi Jonathon Sacks, this was the first recorded incident of civil disobedience in biblical history, and deserves special mention. One rabbinic tradition maintains that those two midwives, Shifrah and Pual, were actually Yocheved, Moses’ mother, and Miriam, Moses’ sister. Many historians have had their doubts about this, but we won’t know for sure till we get to ask them in the New Jerusalem. At any rate, Moses’ mother and sister were in a plot to defy the King’s orders in order to protect the life of Moses. There was Yocheved, a Hebrew slave who had the courage to deliver and keep a baby boy. And there was Miriam, a young child, who plotted to defy the king to protect her brother. When Moses was three months old, he was placed in a floating basket to escape the Pharaoh’s edict, trusting in God’s will to protect Moses. It was Miriam who kept track of where the basket traveled, and it was her who shrewdly developed a plan to save Moses. Rather audaciously, she proposed to the King’s princess, who found Moses in the water, that Miriam take the baby to a nursing mother who would care for the child until the princess could care for him. When the boy Moses was weaned, Miriam agreed to return Moses to the princess to be raised by her in the palace. The compassionate princess was persuaded to go with Miriam’s plan, so Moses’ sister merely took him back to his original mother to be nursed. Miriam showed inspired ingenuity, not to mention great courage, to succeed in delivering her brother from certain death. By doing this, Miriam ensured that Moses in his younger days would grow up being aware of his family, his heritage, his Hebrew identity.
The Backstory. To say that there was a huge backstory leading up to the Red Sea would be quite the understatement. 400 years of slavery in Egypt. Moses and the Call at the burning bush to liberate the Hebrew slaves; The ten plagues, which was the Lord’s direct challenge to the Egyptian deities; The miraculous Passover with the lamb’s blood. Pharaoh’s reluctant release of the Hebrews, and then his abrupt change of heart; The Egyptian army’s chasing of the Hebrews in order to recapture them. And finally, the culminating event that completed the Hebrew liberation from Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea (also called the Sea of Reeds) and the drowning of the Egyptian army. The Red Sea was a landmark in Biblical history, a signature moment in the Jewish faith, as well as Christian. The Red Sea miracle is a defining event in Judeo-Christian belief, and is an illustration of redemption, of salvation and deliverance, of a people being “redeemed” and “purchased” by God, as Moses and his sister Miriam sang in his song (verses 13 and 16).
From Fear to Awe. So there they all stand on the far side of the Red Sea, huffing and puffing after a 300-yard dash on dry ground through roiling walls of water on both sides, finally breathing deep sighs of relief, watching as the dreaded Egyptian army, complete with its 600 horses and chariots, drown in the sea. Fearfulness and dread has turned to awe and wonder. Finally the Hebrews believe in the Lord and in “Moses, His servant.” (14:31). The people for the first time are finally willing to trust in Moses’ leadership. They realize now that they are saved, they are delivered from slavery. God has achieved a miraculous victory for the Hebrew people. And what do they do first? Slap each other on the back, give each other high-fives, and chant “We’re number one! We’re number one!”? No, the first thing they do is they sing a song of worship and praise. They realize that they did absolutely nothing to bring about this victory. The earlier words of Moses are fresh in their minds… “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Lord Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” And then the people obeyed, watching as God does all the heavy-lifting. The Red Sea had miraculously parted, they are on the other side, and led by Moses and Miriam, they sing the lyrics to their famous song of deliverance that has come down through the ages. We still know the lyrics to this ancient song, even though it was the first collective song the Jews ever sang.
Authors of the Song. Also called the Song at the Sea, this song was co-written around 1446 BC by Moses, a hero of the Faith, a Hebrew prophet and emancipator, renowned servant of God. Many biblical historians say that his sister Miriam had a hand in writing this song, since she was called a prophetess, the first time a woman was called a prophetess in the Bible, in connection to her leading the singing and dancing in 15:20-21. Moses, though, seems to have received the credit down through history, and the song is mentioned in Revelation 15:3 as the Song of Moses. This particular song is still recited daily by Orthodox Jews.
The First Song in Scripture. Moses put his higher education in Egypt to good use, composing a song that many scholars claim is the finest example of Hebrew literature ever. Many say that this “Song of Moses” is the first recorded song in history. However one looks at this song, we can agree that it is at the pinnacle of worship, a very high point of praise and thanksgiving to God for His salvation. This song celebrates a singular spiritual event that all can look to as a dramatic picture of God’s mercy and power.
A Congregational Hymn. How did this huge congregation of people sing the same song, all at the same time? We’re not sure how they pulled this off. Some rabbis believe that Moses sung a line, then the people repeated the line, through the whole song. Others think that Moses sung it phrase by phrase, and the people repeated each phrase until the song was done. Some believe that Miriam led the women to sing the refrain after each section of the song was sung by the men, based on 15:20-21. Rabbi Nehemiah believed that the whole song was sung in unison without the need for repetition or call-response. He thought that all the people “were seized by divine inspiration and miraculously the same words came into their minds at the same time.” We will never know exactly how the song was sung, but thankfully we know what was sung.
Highlights of the Song of the Red Sea. The Song of Moses and Miriam is quoted in the Psalms, in Isaiah, and is referred to throughout Scripture. Israel’s descendants recalled this event through the generations (eg, II Kings 17; II Chronicles 6). And even the Canaanites remembered this demonstration of God’s power and were fearful (Joshua 2). Time and again, God called on Israel to remember His work of salvation at the Red Sea, and to be faithful to Him. This song of deliverance continues to be sung at every Orthodox service to this day.
Refrain. The song opens with a victory chant: “I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; Horse and rider He has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song; He is become my salvation.” These words were probably a refrain sung during the song, since Miriam picked up these words specifically and led the singing and dancing to them, becoming spontaneously the women’s choir director on the shore of the Sea.
Yahweh. Moses refers to “Yahweh, the Warrior – Yahweh is His Name!” in verse 3. Moses has known this intimate, personal name for the Lord ever since the burning bush, and he has hung onto that Name for God ever since. He undoubtedly was thrilled that he was able to sing His Name in public worship after experiencing God’s salvation.
Right Hand. Moses refers to God’s right hand three times in the song, an important symbol of God’s “glorious power,” and His ability to vanquish His foes and defeat His people’s enemies.
Mercy. One of the greatest, richest Hebrew words in Scripture is hesed, which is a combination of mercy, loyalty, faithfulness, unfailing love-in-action. And Moses chose to use hesed, God’s central quality according the rabbis, in verse 13: “In your mercy you lead the people you have redeemed.” God’s on-going leadership of the Hebrew people is viewed by Moses as a continual act of unfailing mercy and His faithfulness to His covenant with Abraham.
Flow of Song. After starting with a celebration of the destruction of Pharaoh’s army, Moses developed his theme of thanksgiving for God’s power and love. And then, somewhat surprisingly, Moses sings about the conquest of Canaan, and how the Canaanites are full of terror and dread. And then finally, Moses discusses how the Hebrew people will be brought to the Lord’s Mountain, Mt. Zion, where His dwelling will be built, the Temple of the Lord. Was Moses given a vision of the future? Apparently, the Lord parted the curtain of time and allowed Moses to see what lay ahead for the Hebrew people, while still standing on the shores of the Red Sea.
King. Moses closes with a shout of proclamation, that Yahweh is King, that He is establishing His Kingdom, and that He will reign for all eternity. This is a powerful way to conclude his song. For God is their King now, not Pharaoh. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks likes to make the point that they are God’s possession now, not Pharaoh’s. They are not slaves to Pharaoh, they are servants of God. The Red Sea was the boundary line. On one side was the territory of Egypt, where Pharaoh was king. On the other side of the Sea is the desert, where there is no human king. There is only God, and He has brought the Hebrew people to a place where they will depend on Him as their Sovereign. Moses said all this when he concluded the song proclaiming Yahweh as King, Yahweh reigns for ever and ever. This is the first time in the Bible God is declared to be a King. And what a wonderful time for that declaration.
The Gospel according to Miriam. We don’t know much more about the wonderful Princess of Egypt, but there is no doubt that Miriam is one of the greatest women in Biblical history. She was used mightily by the Lord in a prophetic ministry that lasted her lifetime, starting at a very young age. Her life was a gospel story because she demonstrated so many Christ-like character qualities. Miriam reflected the gospel virtues, including:
(1) Shrewdness. Miriam displayed an amazing amount of responsibility and ingenuity for a young girl when it came to caring for and protecting her special brother Moses. Her instinct to cleverly plot a scheme to care for Moses was savvy, and street-smart. She was truly “clever as a snake and innocent as a dove” (Matt. 10:16). She no doubt nurtured Moses as he grew up before being returned to the princess. And she helped to guide his development in his early years. In some ways, Moses’ character reflected Miriam’s character.
(2) Inspiration. Miriam prophesied to her parents that they were to give birth to a special boy to be used by God for something important (according to rabbinic sources), and she was surely guided by the Spirit to put together such a clever scheme to care for her baby brother Moses. Perhaps her greatest moment of inspiration came at the Red Sea, contributing her part in the great Song of Moses, leading all the women in rejoicing before the Lord and praising His miracle of freedom and deliverance. She undoubtedly continued in her role as worship leader and choir director throughout the wilderness journey, strengthening the wandering Israelites through her musical gifts. Miriam was indeed a prophetess, God’s spokesperson to the people.
(3) Leadership. Miriam was never shy about taking charge when the situation called for it. She led the way in devising the ways to protect and guide baby brother. She wasn’t afraid to take a step away from the crowd to lead her people in praise and worship. She also helped her brother Moses to carry the burden of leadership by being faithfully at his side during the wilderness journey. Her important role was even highlighted by the prophet Micah as he includes Miriam in the leadership team tapped by Yahweh to bring the Israelites “up from the land of Egypt, redeemed by God from the house of bondage, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron and Miriam.” (Micah 6:4). She was unafraid in her ability to take on leadership when it counted.
This was Miriam, a woman for the ages.