Fifteen Seconds of Fame

A Series on Women in the Bible
 (Use the link below to read the verses.)
Exodus 15:20-21

[God worked in and through the lives of countless women in the Bible. These women played significant, if not critical roles in the Lord’s plan of Redemption. In this series, we will look at the faithfulness of some of these God fearing women.]

  

Geico is known for its weird, if not funny, TV commercials. 

The most recent involves the U.S. Olympic gold medalist winner, McKayla Maroney. Two young guys throwing a Frisbee, inadvertently throw it on top of a roof. McKayla saves the day by doing a gymnastic run to the roof to retrieve the Frisbee. Mission accomplished.

 

Olympic athletes typically work hard for four years in obscurity, putting in thousands of hours of practice and preparation, for a few seconds of competition to try to win a medal. Most never succeed. Only a few will ever get recognition for their dedication; their fifteen seconds of fame. That’s how it was for Miriam.

 

You remember her right? She was Moses and Aaron’s older sister. Apparently, most of her life was pretty uneventful. Besides her death, she is only mentioned three times in the Bible.

 

The first time she is the doting older sister who watched Moses as he floated down the Nile River in a basket until the Pharaoh’s daughter rescued him. What a good sister she was.

 

The second time was in the midst of Israel’s Exodus to the Promised Land. Miriam and Aaron complained that Moses was getting all the attention and making all the decisions. Talk about bad timing.

 

The final event was following the death of Pharaoh, and all of his horsemen, who were drowned as the wall of water from the Red Sea swallowed them up. Finally, Miriam’s fifteen seconds of fame.

 

²⁰ Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine and led all the women as they played their tambourines and danced. ²¹ And Miriam sang this song:

“Sing to the Lord,
    for he has triumphed gloriously;
he has hurled both horse and rider
    into the sea.”        NLT

 

Whether we ever experience our own fifteen seconds of fame, it’s easy to relate to Miriam. She had her good moments, and her bad. And like her, most of us live pretty quiet lives; uneventful even.

 

But, we can also be inspired by her. Between tracking her baby brother Moses, which resulted in him staying alive to lead Israel to the Promised Land; and leading a celebration of one of the most memorable acts of God in the Bible; I think you’d have to agree that she played an integral part of God’s plan of redemption.

 

What part are you playing in His plan?

 

Copyright 2021 Joseph B Williams