Sunday, November 20, 2011

Women of the Word

Exodus 14:26-30; 15:1-21

  At God's command, Moses stretched out his hand and the Red Sea waters closed over the whole Egyptian army, chariots, horses and all.
    Imagine the total astonishment of the Israelites! An abandoned people, or so they thought, with nothing and nowhere to go, fleeing for their lives from the Egyptian army that was loaded for bear. Led by Moses, the Israelites head straight for the Red Sea. No boats, mind you. The direst of straits.
    But what is this? Suddenly the Red Sea waters part. And away go the Isrealites, on dry ground across the sea bed, safe to the other side. Moses has assured them all along that God was fighting on their side and would see them through, but what kind of power must this God have? Then, wonder of wonders, the entire ensuing Egyptian army is swallowed up by the returning sea!  Nary a helmet nor a horseshoe escapes. Surely the God of Moses has more power than any other god they have thought to encounter.
   And that's what this is all about. It is not so much about one group of people against the other, but about our God vesus their multiple gods, i.e."Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
   Keep in mind that the Israelites were just learning about God. He had led them through the desert with a cloud by day and fire by night, and now He had performed miracles such as had never been seen before, Surely no god had ever shown such power over the forces of nature.
   In the face of these miracles, the Israelites sang to the Lord, the better to remember the power and awe of this moment. Rarely in the Bible are men known to sing as they did here. And then the women had their turn, for the prophet Miriam took up her tambourine and sang, all the women dancing after her with their tambourines, "Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously."
   Imagine the victorious feelings and the joy of disbelief of this night. 
   It is noted here that there are not too many women prophets in the Bible, but Miriam is right up there.
  It is also to be noted that if there is one thing we learn from this chapter, it is that the Lord is a warrior.

                                                                                  Submitted by Betty Jean Miller

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