Miriam, The Big Sister’s Secret is a sweet book in the Bible Wise series about Moses’ older sister. For the sake of those of us who may not be familiar with the story, when Moses was born, the people of Israel were living in Egypt. They had initially immigrated to Egypt because of their ancestor, Joseph. The pharaoh at that time had appointed him second in command, and therefore eventually, all of the Hebrew people came to Egypt.
However, after Joseph died, the pharaoh did not remember all that Joseph had done. He felt threatened by the Hebrew people and treated them cruelly. So much so, that by the time Moses was born, the pharaoh had ordered every Hebrew baby boy that was born to be killed.
This can’t be happening!
As you can imagine, this certainly must have caused great distress for the family of Moses. They loved Moses, but didn’t know how to continue hiding him. By the time Moses was 3 months old, they couldn’t keep him a secret any longer. So his mother placed him a basket covered in tar (to make it waterproof), and placed him in the Nile River.
And here is where Miriam, the older sister of Moses, enters the story. She followed the covered basket, and saw it meander its way to where the Princess of Egypt was bathing. The Princess took pity on him, and decided to keep him. Since Miriam was there, she went before the Princess and suggested someone to care for the baby. The Princess agreed and baby Moses was returned to his family.
That is just the first of the stories in this short little book, but I wanted to highlight it because it’s such an incredible example of God’s providence. I can’t imagine being put into the position of losing my baby and me being helpless to change the situation. The Hebrews were truly oppressed in Egypt. The despair their family must have felt had to have weighed heavily in their home.
Another story of sister(s) looking out for their brother
This reminded me of the story of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus in the New Testament (John 11:1-57). They had called for Jesus to please come, since “the one He loved was sick.” But rather than going to Lazarus directly, He took His sweet time. He stayed where He was for 2 more days, and then told His disciples, OK, now we can go.
Can you imagine the anguish of the sisters? Just like in the story of baby Moses, they were helpless to help the one they loved. There was nothing they could do. The difference comes from the fact that Moses’ mother just decided she leave him in the Nile and trust that God would do something. Mary and Martha, however, knew that Jesus could save their brother. Yet still, He didn’t come. And their beloved brother died. In both cases, they thought the story was over.
But is it over?
But that’s just the thing. When we think the story is over, God is still God. His plans are so much better than ours! He is sovereign over every situation and continually reminds us: “…that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
In both situations, brothers that were given up for lost, were found and brought back to their families. What incredible testimonies of the power and sovereignty of God! And His perfect timing. Of course, not every story ends with the loved one being returned to their family. But we can stand firm in the hope that one day, all things will be fixed that are broken. And that even on this side of heaven, the LORD really does turn every situation into a good thing when we allow Him to. We may not always see it, but we can trust that God is faithful. He will always do what He promises.
Big Sister, Miriam
I am so thankful for the example of Miriam. Such a beautiful story of a concerned, protective older sister over her younger brother. I’m certain she had no idea why she decided to follow that basket down the river. But she felt compelled to keep her tear filled eyes on that basket, no matter what. She could never have imagined the story ending the way it did. But again, God is faithful. He is good. And we can trust His plans.
Check out some of the other Bible Wise books that Mud Hen Mama carries! They all share stories of amazing bible stories, such as Barnabas, Samson, and Paul to name just a few!
