Three siblings from the Old Testament
Series: Like you and me | Bible text: Ephesians 4:16
Fascinating flashes from the lives and faith of others! In two sermons we look into the lives of three brothers and sisters, first from the OT (today 19 July) and then (2 August) from the NT. I am pursuing two goals with this:
- I want to know how their sisterly coexistence worked.
- I want to know if certain observations can be transferred to our fraternal coexistence in the congregation – which would be a blessing for us all!
Here in the congregation we have the good habit of introducing people from time to time; and I notice that when this happens, everyone looks forward with fascination and pricks up their ears, because flashes from the life and faith of the people concerned are fascinating! Today we look into the lives of three brothers and sisters from the OT. I am pursuing two goals with this:
- I want to know how their sisterly coexistence worked.
- I want to know if certain observations can be transferred to our fraternal coexistence in the congregation – which would be a blessing for us all!
The three siblings are children of Amram and his wife Jochebed. The couple belongs to the people of Israel, who had to do drudgery in Egypt at that time. The Pharaoh of the country became increasingly afraid because the Israelites were growing in number and power, so he ordered the Egyptian midwives to throw all the Israelites» newborn males into the Nile. Jochebed gave birth to a boy exactly at this time. She tried to hide him and keep him as quiet as possible, which only succeeded for a short time. The day came when the mother knew no other way out than to place her youngest child in a basket made of reeds and, as it were, deliver him as «baby mail».» in the reeds on the banks of the Nile.
Mirjam
Now we get to know the first of the team of three: Mirjam! She lets this «Nile Post» from a safe distance. Pharaoh’s daughter comes with her maids to the bank of the Nile for a bath. They hear a child crying and discover the basket in the water.
They open it and look at a crying baby. The king’s daughter has mercy, falls in love with the beautiful child and would like to take it with her. Miriam, who overhears everything, bravely goes to Pharaoh’s daughter and asks her if she should call a Hebrew woman who could nurse the child for her. «Yes, do that!» is the reply. This was, of course, good news for Jochebed, who immediately goes to the shore with Miriam. The king’s daughter promises the woman a wage for breastfeeding and Jochebed promises in return to give her the «foundling».» to bring it back as soon as it is weaned.
Two things excite me about this «heart cinema» History:
- a) The great, intimate and sacrificial love of Miriam for her little brother! She does not let him out of her sight.
- b) Then the extraordinary courage of the young girl to address the noble person!
This love for the brother challenges us! As children of God we are brothers and sisters in faith! A Miriam story can also happen to you in your environment, in your immediate vicinity! Perhaps there is a person in your environment who is in a situation of need and who is you should not let out of your sight? Perhaps you can courageously stand up for this person? Miriam is an example of Jesus» love. He does not let you out of His sight. He has done everything to save you. He even died on the cross for us humans to save us. And now he says to us in the Gospel of John: «I command you to love one another as I love you» (John 15:12 NL).
Moses
We know little of the youth of the former baby of Amram and Jochebed. Jochebed did what she had promised: «When the boy was big enough, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, who took him as her own son. Pharaoh’s daughter said, «I pulled him out of the water», and named him Moses». (Exodus 2:10 NL). Stephen tells us about his life at the Egyptian court and his development in his sermon in the Acts of the Apostles: «Moses was instructed in all the knowledge of the Egyptians and grew up to be an eloquent, energetic man» (Acts 7:22 NL). We meet Moses again much later at Pharaoh’s court as a 40-year-old man. One day he observes how an Egyptian overseer mistreats a Hebrew. He goes after this Egyptian and slays him. He buries the body in the sand. When Pharaoh learns of this murder, he wants to kill Moses. Moses has to flee. He finds a home with Reguel (the priest of Midian, also called Jithro) and becomes a shepherd. What a descent! The Egyptian prince becomes a shepherd in the province! Through his flight and this descent, Moses» character is honed. Moses takes Zipporah, a daughter of his employer, as his wife and soon the two enjoy their first son, Gershom.
Moses» vocation
And God did not lose sight of him! As a shepherd, Moses experiences a personal calling from God on Mount Horeb. God meets him and gives him the task of leading the people of Israel to freedom. Moses is completely perplexed and perhaps thinks of his past: «Who am I? I can’t do this! I have a lame tongue and can’t speak well enough! They don’t believe me! No, äxgüsi please find someone else!» God encourages him that he will always be with him. God even gives him two miraculous signs (a staff that becomes a snake and vice versa, a hand that becomes leprous and is healed again), but Moses firmly refuses. Then God gets angry with Moses and puts his brother Aaron at his side. «He will speak for you. He is already on his way to you and you will be happy to see him.»
Now Moses sets out with his family and heads for Egypt. On the way they actually meet Aaron. Moses tells him everything he has experienced so far. When they arrive in Egypt, they appear together before the elders. Aaron talks, Moses does the signs and what happens: «The people believed them. When they realised that the Lord had seen their oppression and cared for them, they knelt down and worshipped the Lord». (Exodus 4:31).
Just as it happened to my wife and me, it can also happen to you (or has already happened) that God has given you a very special assignment and you react in the same way as Moses: «No, surely not! It can’t be. You’ve come to the wrong place!» And God then tells you: «You are not alone, I am always with you. And there will be others with you. You know me! You have already experienced my strength and my possibilities personally.» When God calls you, he wants to bless you and make you a blessing for others! These can be big or small assignments, but we will always grow from such challenges!
Aaron
Aaron, No. 3 in this team, did it differently! God said to him in Egypt: «Go out to meet Moses in the desert!» «Then Aaron set out on his way. He met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him». (Exodus 4:27 NL). Aaron would have had excuses too: «I can wait until he gets here! What is this arduous journey into the desert and back? I haven’t seen Moses for so long now, maybe I don’t know him anymore.»
Perhaps you are experiencing this right now, that Jesus is telling you: «Go towards this or that brother in faith – towards this or that sister in faith; join together!» Where does God want you to join with others for a common mission? It is easier in pairs! Where does God want to make you aware in a completely new way that you are a member of a whole that is connected with others? As it says in the Letter to the Ephesians: «Through him (Jesus) the whole body becomes one. And each part fulfils its particular task and contributes to the growth of the others, so that the whole body is healthy and grows and is filled with love.» (Ephesians 4:16 NL).
The brothers have found each other! They meet at the mountain of God. This is not just a geographical indication! They meet with God, in his presence! God leads them both into an encounter with him. And they stay together. From this point on, these two are usually spoken of in the plural: they went… they spoke… they both do miracles! But Pharaoh has no ear for their request and he presses God’s people even more into bondage. The Egyptians have to endure 10 terrible plagues from God until the Israelites are finally allowed to leave the land after 430 years of slavery. I can only summarise the long history of the three brothers and sisters, full of positive and negative things.
Mirjam is later introduced as a prophetess after the miraculous passage through the Reed Sea and as a precentor and pre-dancer in worship:
«Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a timpani in her hand, and all the women followed her with timpani in round dance. 21 And Miriam sang to them: «Let us sing to the LORD, for he is exalted; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea» » (Exodus 15:20–21 LU). What fulfilling tasks for Miriam! But one day she joins forces with Aaron and together they rebel against her brother Moses. In the sense of: «What does he actually mean! Does he think God only speaks through him? He also speaks through us!» God teaches Miriam a lesson with a sudden attack of leprosy. But at Moses» prayer she is healed. This incident reminds us of the danger of comparison: «I would rather have the same job in the community as this or that person! Why aren’t these or those in a cleaning team – they could also lend a hand! Why didn’t they ask me for the leadership of the congregation, for the moderation of the service, for pastoral care? I could definitely do that better than them! I am just as faithful a Christian as the others!» Again, back to the Body of Christ: All members are extremely important and valuable – no matter where God places us!
Aaron experiences his climax when he becomes the first, leading priest at the sanctuary in the tabernacle.
His biggest misstep happens when he is alone with the people and Moses stays a long time on Mount Sinai to fetch the tablets with the 10 Commandments. The people were disgusted by the long wait and persuaded Aaron to make them a golden calf, which was later worshipped by the people as a god. He tempts the people into idolatry and sin. «Aaron – what were you thinking?» Could God have said that to you already? Miriam a jealous sister; Moses a murderer; Aaron an idolater; you and I a sinner – isn’t God’s grace ingenious! And God needs all of them for his plans. He keeps them all in his sight and continues with you and me!
In the list of heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, only Moses is mentioned, the other two of the three brothers and sisters are not. It is also not important that you and I are immortalised in a paper, but I want one thing for all of us with all my heart: that we are immortalised by being there in eternity in God’s kingdom! Amen.
