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…?
Nice
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