15/11 Series (Part 3): Among the gods...

Like today, the last few weeks had been packed with events. At first, it looked like Moses just needed to prove to Pharaoh that God, the ‘I AM’, was capable of anything. However, after the fifth plague, Miriam had no doubt that those plagues were no ordinary show of God’s omnipotence, but was actually a war of the Gods in display – with the Egyptian gods on one side, and the LORD, I AM, on the other. 

Who were they fighting for? The Israelites.

The Egyptian gods wanted them in perpetual bondage. The LORD, I AM, wanted freedom for His people – His beloved; and this, He was not going to do easily. He needed everyone – Egyptians and Israelites alike – to know that He is the LORD God.

Eighty-seven years in the land of Egypt, and Miriam had learned all she thought she could know about the Egyptian gods. Up until recently, she’d even believed in some of them. That’s why when she saw the River Nile, the great mark of Egypt, turn from water to blood she wondered what Khnum, the special guardian of the Nile, was doing. 

How come he hadn’t stopped the water from turning to blood? The whole of Egypt depends on the Nile for water. Okay, Okay, if Khnum was sleeping, how about Hapi, the spirit of the Nile. Will he let his habitation be defiled like this? Or Osiris, the god of the underworld; didn’t they say the Nile was considered his bloodstream? Where is Sepek? Where is goddess Neith; or Hathor, protector of the smaller fishes of the Nile, and also the goddess of love, beauty and joy? Where are all the gods? Are they all sleeping? Is this “new” God of my fathers more supreme than all these gods? She wondered. Days passed and the Nile was restored. Moses did it.

She was in the kitchen with Zipporah another afternoon when her teenage granddaughter rushed in breathing heavily. She told her of how frogs had covered the entire land of Egypt, and how the Egyptians had to kill so many frogs to survive.

“That’s not possible” was her first thought. 

“Oh sweetie, you must be mistaken. The Egyptians cannot kill frogs. Frogs are sacred beings. They represent fertility, you know; and also killing them is disrespectful to Heqt, the fertility goddess.” Miriam was whispering. Recent happenings in Egypt have become topics for discussion in Goshen, but the Israelites spoke about them quietly for fear of being heard by an Egyptian spy.

“Ol’ma, you’ve got to believe me. I was working in the fields in Egypt when I suddenly started seeing a lot of frogs around me; I looked up and saw that everywhere was covered. I and the other Hebrews ran back to Goshen.”

“Hmmm,” Miriam heaved. This was the second plague. 

Not long after she heard of the plague of lice that rubbished the purity of the Egyptian priests; and then the plague of flies that defied the thye god, Uatchit. 

By the fifth plague, she’d seen the trend. Every single plague seemed to defy one or more Egyptian gods and traditions.

Recalling all this in the middle of the Red Sea thrilled her.

Among all the gods in Egypt, none could fight. Not one. None of them? All of them brought to subjection? Among all the gods? Hathor, Ra, Khnum, Nut, Isis, Seth, Anum-Re, Mut, Khons, Serapis, Imhotep, Uatchit? Not even Min? Ahan! None of them? None of them could fight back? Ah, GOD of my fathers; MY God. I’m amazed. 

Distracted by all her thinking, she almost tripped on a little rock that was on her way. She steadied herself up, gripped her box of jewelries tightly and continued. 

Hmmm, she thought. These jewelries and precious stones, her part-payment for eighty-seven years of inhumane labor, had been gotten overnight. How did Azeneth, Djeserit, and Cleo become nice all of a sudden to give me all these items? When I asked, I didn’t even think they’d listen to me. Haha, God above all men. He made them do it by force. 

What a mighty God I serve! She didn’t expect anyone to answer that. She was beginning to understand who this God is. They were closer to the shoreline now. They had to hasten their steps. 

The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is His name.

Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods?

My Favorite Verses

Hey, check out my version of My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music:

Psalm twenty th-ree verses one through to six
Psalm one-zero fo-our and Psalm one-zero fi-ive
Romans chapter eight... from one to the end
These have a few of my favorite ver----ses

John th-ree sixteen; John fifteen verse thirteen
I have been bou-ght with Christ's precious blo-od
God's love is shed abroad down in my heart
These are a few of my favorite ver----ses

I have been ble-essed with spiritual blessings
I am now ma-ade God's righ-teous-ness in Him
I sit by Chri-ist in Heavenly place
These are a few of my favorite ver----ses

When the road's long
When my path's dark
When the storms arise
I simply remember my favorite verse
And then I don't feel so-oo bad.

15/11 Series (Part 2): WHO IS LIKE UNTO THEE, O LORD...?

Moses couldn’t wait for the sea to part up completely before advancing. He knew of God’s plan to drown the Egyptian army, and he knew for sure that they were coming hard right behind them. So along with Miriam and Aaron, Joshua and Caleb, and some of the elders, he mobilized the people to go in immediately. At this time, the grumbling men had shut-up and began to make themselves useful. 

“Women and children should all go in now,” Some of the men yelled out.

The young men were told to help out with the heavy luggage while they filed right behind the women and children along with the elderly men. 

Miriam was still in awe. She was stunned, but she had to move. She helped to guide her fellow women and their children. Honestly, she was thrilled to be in front of it all.

Her attention got divided a lot as she advanced in the sea; but it was more focused on the splitting sea. Who could blame her? Virtually everyone kept looking at the sea. They were marveled. Who wouldn’t be?

Me? Walking dry in the Red Sea? Ah, who really is this God of our fathers? Miriam’s mind was racing faster than her legs at this time. She remembered eighty years ago when her brother was born. Even that little country-side river could have buried him in that basket had it not being for Pharaoh’s daughter. At the young age of seven, she thought that was just luck. Even when the princess needed someone to take care of the baby boy, and Ma, as she called her mother, was chosen to be his nanny, she thought it was just coincidental. Miriam wasn’t still sure what to make of those times; but the events of these past weeks couldn’t have been by accident. It has been absolutely divine. 

She remembered how this all started.

Moses and Aaron came one evening to tell them about the God of their fathers, and something about how he’d heard their cry and will want to set them free. The reaction that night was mixed. That, she could not forget.  

“The God of our fathers, uhn? Who is He?”

“We’ve been crying for years. How come He’s just hearing us?”

“Can this be true? Moses, how can we believe you? Some reputation you’ve got around here, you know?”

Apparently, this last guy was talking about when Moses tried to kill a Hebrew, or even killed a Hebrew, depending on what version of the story he had heard. 

As much as he tried to explain, Moses knew his stammering tongue would do him no justice at that time; so he went for Plan B. 

He pleaded with Aaron to say something that will hush them all and draw their attention to him. Miriam can’t remember exactly what Aaron said, but she recalled it was something funny that made her laugh, and made others a little mad.

She was still giggling when she saw what Moses did. He dropped his rod on the ground and it turned to a snake. She fled and so did all the elders. She stayed far back and watched. They all watched. They saw Moses pick up the snake by its tail and saw it turn back to his rod.

“Ahhhh!” They exclaimed.

Moses continued. He put his right arm in his bosom and took it out, and it was leprous, white as snow.

“Ah Moses!” Miriam screamed, “What have you done?”

The look Aaron gave her made her know that she was not allowed to say any more words for the rest of the evening. So she kept watching in silence.

Moses put his arm back in his bosom and took it out, and it became whole again.

“Moses, why all this magical demonstration? What is your point?” An elder spoke.

“I-I want you to-to believe that it is the LORD, the God of your fa-fa-fathers, Abraham, Isa-a-a-ac, and Jacob that sent-t-t me to you. His name is I AM.”

“Well, show us one more sign and we’ll believe you.” The same elder replied.

Moses looked at them sternly for a few seconds, walked away a short distance to where he had a bowl of water from the river. As he walked back, they all drew nearer. He made them all see that it was water that was in the bowl; and then he began to pour the water on the ground. As soon as the water touched the ground, it turned to blood. This time they all believed. 

That was the first time Miriam learned of how powerful the God of her fathers was. So as she crossed the Red Sea on dry land, with a thousand memories running through her mind, she began to connect the dots seeing how God’s providence had played out in her life, her family, and her people over the years. 

The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare Him a habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt Him.

And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as a heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.

Who is like unto thee O LORD…?

15/11 SERIES (Part 1): Is This Really It?

 

Miriam couldn’t speak. She was awed. She’s been more mute than vocal for the past few weeks. She hasn’t gotten past the wonders she saw God perform through her kid brother in Egypt. So as she made her way to the mountain – to sacrifice to her GOD, as was told her by Moses – her mind was fixed on all the events of the past weeks. She slowed down a bit and looked back. The throng of people – her people – coming behind her made her marvel.
 

“Is this really it?” she questioned. “Are we really going to be free?” 

Four Hundred and Thirty years of bondage in Egypt looked like it was coming to an end. 

“Four Hundred and Thirty years. Wow!” She exclaimed silently.  Over the years, she’d used several words to describe the state of her people in that land – Despair; Pain; Hunger; Slavery; Sorrow; Anguish; Disappointments; Bitterness; Lack. 

“Ah!” She breathed a sigh of relief for the umpteenth time. This is it. We’re leaving. It’s coming to an end, she thought, as they all kept running. 

Since she was Moses’ big sister, and therefore, one of the women leaders of the people, she was right beside Moses in front of the multitude racing to destiny. However, soon, their steps shortened, and their race slowed, as they saw what they had run into.

“Moses,” she screamed. 

“Oh Aaron!” she cried “Did we take the wrong path?”

“This is the only way out of Egypt to the mountains,” Aaron replied. 

“So what are we going to do now? We’re in between the devil and the deep blue sea – or, literarily, the deep Red Sea. What are we going to do, Aaron? Moses?” She was groaning.

Aaron was dazed. He looked at the great obstacle before them, and fought within to summon courage to look at the crowd they had led out there. Before he could turn he heard words like, “Pharaoh. Horses. Chariots.” He wasn’t sure what he had heard, but he turned around, and then he knew. 

Moses was alone at this time, pacing up and down within a short distance of one meter. No one heard what he was saying, no one knew he was crying; but it was obvious he was talking. He’d heard. He knew Pharaoh was coming behind. He knew there was no going back. He kept talking and kept on pacing. Oh, God will do something; that, he was sure of. But that wasn’t enough to erase the fear. He needed to hear his Father speak.

At this point, everyone had stopped running. They were tired. They wanted to sit down, but they couldn’t. The children were hungry, so they cried out for food. Unbelieving men murmured as caring mothers attended to their wards. 

“Why did you bring us out here, Moses?” One head of a clan spoke.

“We were fine where we were. No one asked you to fight for our freedom,” Another blurted. 

“Look at him. He thinks he knows it all. Who are you really for, Moses? Tell us, on whose side you really are?” Yesterday you were Egyptian; today you’re an Israelite. Where do you belong, pretender? So you planned with Pharaoh to bring us all out here to die, uhn?” A third sneered.

Despite the noise, despite the complaints, Moses heard God. At last, he heard the only voice that mattered. He heard the only words that were truth. He heard the only instruction that would save.

At first, the words he heard kind of confused him a little.

“Why are you crying out to me, Moses? Tell the Israelites to move on.” God said. 

Wait, did I hear right? Tell the Israelites to move on? Is heaven too high up that God can’t see that what we’re facing is a sea, and not a large piece of blue-looking dry land? He dared not speak out, he respected God too much.

“Huh, Sir you said?”

I said, “Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”

“Oh wow! Okay LORD.”

He stopped pacing. Miriam’s eyes were fixed on her brother. She could guess that God had just spoken. So she expected something – something different; another wonder. 

She watched as Moses walked slowly towards the sea. He stood still. So did everyone, including his mockers. As he stretched his rod towards the sea, a very strong wind blew. Surprisingly, the wind didn’t stagger any of the Israelites; it focused its attention on the sea. 

As the Red Sea began to part, Miriam’s heart jumped. She was seeing something – something different; another wonder.