Day 9: Miriam and a Basket in the Reeds
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And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank. And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.
Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”
Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?”
And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the maiden went and called the child’s mother. Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, “Because I drew him out of the water.”
—From Exodus 2:1–10 (NKJV)
Meditation
One of the most tender stories in Scripture is that of Miriam and infant Moses. We can picture her keen watchfulness over her baby brother as he floated down the Nile in a handmade basket. We can feel her fear for him, her wonder as Pharaoh’s daughter lifted him out of the woven nest.
Surely God is watching! she may have thought. Surely God has a plan for my brother’s life!
Indeed, God did have a plan, one that rewarded their mother’s faithfulness—to be allowed to nurse her own son! She kept her son alive despite Pharaoh’s edict, and what’s more, some Biblical scholars believe she was also a midwife—the very midwife who defied Pharaoh’s earlier order to murder all male infants on the birthing stool. Miriam, they believe, may have been her assistant.
“Perhaps the moment of Moses’s rescue solidified Miriam’s faith.”
If this was the case, Miriam had much to fear as she trailed that basket through the Nile’s waters. Perhaps the moment of Moses’s rescue solidified Miriam’s faith. She became the first prophetess of her people, and one of only five female prophets named in Scripture.
In this story we also see the importance of water. It inspired Moses’s name, which means drew him out of the water. And earlier this season we read of God’s salvation as Noah and his family were saved from the waters of the flood. Isn’t it interesting that the Hebrew word used for Moses’s boat of reeds is ark? Yes, the same ark as in Noah’s story.
Both vessels were instruments of God’s provision, His grace, His rescue and redemption of His people.
The Jewish tradition has a beautiful teaching about water and Miriam. It is said that after the people fled Egypt, and as they wandered in the wild desert lands between Egypt and their final home, a well of water followed them. It is the case that in the Biblical account, from the time of Moses bringing water from a rock at God’s command (Ex. 17:6) to after Miriam’s death, there’s no mention of the people’s thirst (Num. 20:1–13).
This Jewish teaching continues, that the well and the entire Exodus from Egypt is in the merit of Miriam and her righteousness. “And the final redemption will likewise be in the merit of the righteous women,” one Jewish scholar writes.
As we think forward many, many generations, we come to another righteous woman. A young woman, no more than a teen, blameless in the sight of God. It was this young woman who kissed the infant cheek of the true Final Redemption.
Inspiration
The Mother of Moses
Simeon Solomon, 1840–1905. One final caress before giving her child over entirely to God’s will.
Music
Reflect as you enjoy Mary Did You Know? that like Mary, Miriam could not have imagined how her act of courage and faith would shape her people forever.
Do You Hear What I Hear will remind us Miriam’s story is a whisper of things to come.
Visit our YouTube full playlist of all our favorite carols, or find sing-along carols to enjoy karaoke style here.
Reflection
Miriam was a child of Yes born into a world of No. She had a zest for joy and celebration, but lived the crushing life of a forced laborer, at the mercy of the powerful Pharaoh. If she and her mother were indeed the midwives mentioned in the Biblical history, then she and her mother said Yes to life before Moses, despite Pharaoh’s resounding No. And when Moses was too large to hide, she said Yes to risking her own life for his. Imagine her fear—for her brother’s fate, her mother’s anxious heart, her own life. Imagine her heart and legs trembling as she presented herself to the Egyptian princess. Are you a child of Yes in our world of No? The world says No to purity—so old fashioned, outdated, it says. The world says No to selflessness—do what makes YOU happy, it says. The world says No to God—belief in the unprovable, the unseen is absurd, it cries. Reflect today on how you might say Yes to God and No to the distractions, darknesses, and deceptions of the world.
Prayer
In your unfailing love, O Lord,
you lead the people whom you have redeemed.
And by your invincible strength
you will guide them to your holy dwelling.
You will bring them in and plant them, O Lord,
in the sanctuary which your hands have established.
Thank you, O Lord, for your unfailing provision.
Amen
(Adapted from The Song of Moses, Exodus 15)
Family Celebration
A baby in a basket reminds us of a sister’s love and God’s provision.
In your child’s favorite Children’s Bible, read the story of Moses’s birth.
Say: Do you remember another story about a boat saving people from water? It’s hard to imagine Moses’s tiny basket as an ark like Noah’s, isn’t it? But in the Bible, the same word is used for both. Moses’s big sister didn’t know if the little ark that held her baby brother would save him. Maybe it would leak. Maybe crocodiles or other wild animals along the Nile would find him. Miriam surely didn’t even imagine that her brother, born to a Hebrew slave, would be raised as a prince! Jesus was laid in a manger as a tiny baby, and He is God’s Son. Do you ever wonder if Mary knew Who her Son would be?
Especially for Toddlers and PreK
Resources
Would you like to know Ten Little-Known Facts About Miriam?
Enjoy a printable coloring page of Miriam and baby Moses from a children’s book author.
The animated film, The Prince of Egypt, is incredibly moving and entertaining. Consider joining our family in watching half today and half tomorrow when we will read about the plagues and escape from Egypt.
Would you like to make Jesse Tree ornaments to accompany your readings? Find tutorials and ideas from simple to advanced at our Jesse Tree Ornaments Pinterest board.
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