Treasure—hidden
treasure—that’s what they found. Some time ago Bible scholars were
studying the Scripture as they always have diligently in search of the
truth of God. Some time ago Bible scholars made a wonderful
discovery—they found a real treasure. They discovered right in the book
of Exodus where it had been all along. The oldest surviving poem of
Israelite literature we have. You read that poem this morning as we
shared the Psalter together. The poem is the song of Miriam which she
sings to the women who dance and play tambourine with her in celebration
of their deliverance from the Egyptian army in the Exodus. It is the song
of captives who have just been set free. It is the song of the Hebrew
people whom God had delivered from at least a generation of slavery in the
Egyptian empire. It is a poem that expresses the people’s gratitude to
God for that deliverance. This morning this very old poem expresses your
humble thanks to God for God’s continual deliverance from slavery,
tyranny, injustice, and death today. Miriam sang it then and you repeat
it today, this brief, ancient poem:
Sing to the Lord who has triumphed gloriously; horse and
rider
the Lord has thrown into the sea. (Exodus
15:21)
When Bible scholars discovered this ancient Hebrew poem some time ago
right in the book of Exodus where it has been all along, they found a real
treasure.
Miriam, Moses’ sister,
that’s who this poem is ascribed to. You remember Miriam. Along with the
other Hebrews of her generation she was born a slave. She was born long
after the Pharoah came to power who did not know her ancestor Joseph.
Joseph himself had come as a slave to
Egypt
long before but when his skill at foreseeing and preparing for famine
became widely known his Pharoah appointed him governor of
Egypt
to lead the empire through he crisis. Joseph then brought his whole
family to
Egypt
where they lived well and prospered. But when a Pharoah eventually came
to power who didn’t know Joseph, he saw how many Hebrews there were and
counted them a threat, and enslaved them all. That was the Egypt Mirian
knew. It wan an Egypt where her new born baby brother was condemned to
death even before he was born, Pharoah having ordered all Hebrew male
children killed at birth. Miraim and her family hid her baby brother for
the first here months of his life, all along living in fear that he would
be discovered. When the baby could not be hidden any longer Miriam
witnessed the pain of her mother as she put her three-month-old baby
brother in a basket of papyrus, placed it among the reeds beside the river
and left him there. Miriam crouched in fear hidden among the reeds and
watched as Pharoah’s own daughter, of all people, came with her attendants
to bath in the river. Miriam watched in horror as Pharoah’s daughter find
the basket, lifts the lid, and discovers a living Hebrew male child
inside. Miriam shudders as she heard her say for all to hear, “This must
be one of the Hebrews’ children!” Miriam immediately, boldly, went up to
her and asked, “Uh, shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women
to raise the child for you?” Pharoah’s daughter agreed and Miriam went
and got a nurse, her own mother, who then raised Moses, her own son,
Miriam’s baby brother, in Pharoah’s own house.
At a very early age
Miriam knew the fear and experienced the horrors of life in
Egypt
but she also knew and experienced the deliverance of God. She was an
instrument of God’s deliverance in the midst of tyranny and death. I
think the first words of this ancient poem began to take form in her mind
and heart way back then. What a treasure, the gift of life of her baby
brother was to her. What a treasure the God who brought his deliverance!
This is Miriam who danced
on the other side of the sea that day when she knew again God’s
deliverance in the Exodus. When the Hebrews left
Egypt
with the army of chariots close behind them God kept them apart from the
danger of the army all day long; then God made a way for them to cross the
sea that blocked their path as she watched her baby brother raise his arms
and part the waters. When the army of
Egypt
pursued after them between the parted seas God returned the water to its
place and put an end to the threat. Yes, Miriam had many reasons to be
grateful to God
for she had known and experienced God’s deliverance most of her life, from
a basket beside the river to the crossing of the sea. And so she danced
and so she sang,
Sing to the Lord who has triumphed gloriously; horse and
rider the Lord has
thrown into the sea. (Exodus 15:21)
It is this song that
Moses and all the people take up and sing as a joyous victory
celebration. It is this song upon which Moses bases his own song of
triumph and gratitude. When you give thanks to God and are mindful of
God’s goodness in your life your song is but a variation of this original
poem of praise expressed at the very genesis of the people of
Israel
in the exodus. That’s what makes this ancient Hebrew poem such a
treasure.
It is a treasure because
it is not a poem bound by time or historical events. It is a treasure
because it is not a poem that loses meaning or power beyond its origin.
When we share it today we are not simply remembering together an event
that is passed and gone. No, when you share it today you are giving
thanks to God who is alive and active in your life right now bringing
forth the same triumph in your world today. These are not just old words
of a dead poet. These are
the heart cries of a grateful people who actually talk to God
the treasured expressions of a community that knows who really
is in
charge of life.
When you share these words you acknowledge deep in your heart that
no matter what happens God is the one who is in control. When you sing
the song of Miriam there is nothing else you can do but admit that God
knows how life should be lived and you ought to give your whole life to
live just that way. You see, I told you they really found a treasure when
they discovered this.
This ancient poem was
first shared by Miriam. This joyous announcement of the deliverance of
God first expressed by her was quoted and taken up in so many ways by so
many others in her own community and throughout the years right to today.
To that extent it is not unlike the New Testament announcement made by
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to the disciples upon their return from
the empty tomb. The resurrection, the ultimate fulfillment of the power
and utter determination of God to let nothing, no thing, not even death
derail the deliverance God is bringing to the world. The resurrection,
too, was first revealed by those whose joyous announcement would later be
quoted and taken up by others. In the Bible, you see, so often it is the
women, those held in lowest esteem and of the least power, who first find
human expression for the miraculous deliverance of God. When God freed
the Hebrews from slavery in
Egypt
, when God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, it is those who benefit the
most who are the first to declare it and the first to believe it. When
God freed the Hebrews from slavery in
Egypt
, when God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, those who are set free and
those who are given life again dance and play tambourine, and sing
Miriam’s song as only their own grateful hearts can express it.
Yes, the words may change
and the tune may vary but when you give thanks to God so deeply and you
are mindful of God’s goodness in your life so much that your heart sings,
you are singing the song of Miriam.
The lingering question
that remains this morning is this: where in the world did Miriam find the
courage to stand up for her brother in the face of the threat of all the
authority and power of the empire in the person of Phaorah’s daughter
right there in front of her. How was she ever able to come out of her
safe hiding place and risk revealing hers and her brother’s identity? How
could she stand her ground against that prevailing oppressive culture and
demand justice in her own clever way? And, later, where did she find the
words, from what wisdom did she draw to so appropriately express the
people’s joy in her song? If we understand this we will truly find the
hidden treasure there.
Miriam’s mother made sure
that her daughter was raised in the culture and tradition of her Hebrew
heritage. You see, Miriam learned about the glorious triumph of God in
her family and her own faith community long before she composed this
song. As she knelt among the reeds watching over her brother she called
upon all strength of character developed in her from a very young age that
kept her centered on the truth. When her song spoke forth of the
deliverance of God it was the truth instilled in her heart nurtured there
through the years that found expression.
Brothers and sisters, I
want every one of our children to develop this kind of strength of
character that only the church can provide. We may not be slaves in Egypt
but our children are surely raised in a consumer culture of greed and
instant gratification that teaches them early and teaches them well.
Children need to be exposed to the culture of the Bible if they are to
ever find truth. Children need to learn the culture of the church if
they are ever to develop real treasure in their hearts. They need to
learn the stories and practice the ways and sing the songs of the faith if
faith is ever to grow in them at all. They need to sing the song of
Miriam. On this Promotion Sunday we celebrate a milestone in spiritual
growth. We congratulate our children for their progress in faith. Fall
Kickoff Sunday two weeks from today marks the week we begin so any
activities of our Children’s Ministries here at South Roanoke Church. Our
children need to be in Sunday School. Our children need to be in our
choirs and our other opportunities for learning and fellowship. That’s
where they develop their own Christian strength of character. That’s
where they can develop the courage to face the threat and authority of the
prevailing culture. That’s where they learn to say NO! to wrong and YES!
to truth.
Treasure—hidden treasure—that’s what
they found. Some time ago Bible scholars were studying the Scripture as
they always have diligently in search of the truth of God. Some time ago
Bible scholars made a wonderful discovery—they found a real treasure.
Young Miriam found it. May our own children find it too.
