A carefully made, covered cradle of rushes, with a helpless baby in it, rocking among the reeds of the ancient Egyptian Nile, is the object of God’s deep interest and solicitude, of a mother’s steadfast faith, and of a sister’s watchfulness. God’s purposes with regard to the future of His chosen people, their release from bondage and their safe conduct to the land of promise are centered in that little three-month-old baby.
He was to be Israel’s deliverer and leader, and his mother Jochebed seems wonderfully taught of God when she accepts for her child what so vividly spoke of death, putting full confidence in the God of resurrection and power. In the dignity of faith she commits her little son to the waters of death and calmly waits for God to work. There is no nervous hurry, worry or excitement. Her trust is in Jehovah, and nothing seems to shake it.
Miriam, Moses’ elder sister, was standing “afar off” to see what would happen to her little brother. Although perhaps she possessed not the far-seeing faith of Jochebed that pierced the gloomy clouds of oppression and cruelty weighing so heavily upon God’s people at this time, she was not too far off for God to use her in the furtherance of His purposes, and she is ready when the moment comes for her to act.
Stand and Wait
It is a very great honor to be used of God in the carrying out of the smallest part of His all-wise plans, and for this we need to have His mind about things and to take stock of everything from the divine standpoint. By nature we have a warped, exaggerated vision. How much we need to be taught of God — even how to stand and wait.
Miriam stands and waits to some purpose. She watches the finding of her baby brother by the Egyptian princess, and then, with a God-given thought, she hastens to the royal lady’s side. May she find a nurse for the child among the Hebrew women? This is God’s ordering, and the hearts of all are in His hand, so a ready assent is given. Miriam’s heart directs her feet and she hastens to fetch her mother, which results in the fact that her dearly-loved babe is given back to her tender nurture and training, and with him the wages — that which will provide for every temporal need.
That is how God rewards faith — faith being His own gift. Oh! to have to do with such a God of love, for He is the same today: “Changeless through all the changing years.”
Miriam, having fulfilled her part, disappears from view, and many years elapse before we meet with her again. Doubtless all this time she was being taught by God for the part she had yet to fill, which was by no means an unimportant one.
Author unknown