Shabbat Shalom!
I am overwhelmed at the delicacies for the spirit that are present in this week’s Torah portion. Yosef and I have gained so much strength and encouragement in Yeshua through the Torah portion this week, even as we face our own battles with Egyptian kings in the natural. Sometimes it seems as though many of us are facing the Red Sea on one side and the racing chariots on the other side, but our position and our strength lies in going forward.
This week our Israelite ancestors left the land of their slavery, empowered and armed with victory and with rejoicing. As their feet touched the sand of the wilderness, they had no idea that Pharaoh, his priests, fighting men and captains would pursue them with such ferocity and hatred. Yet as they reached the Red Sea, their hearts melted at the sight of an angry Pharaoh racing towards them. One of the most powerful scriptures from this week’s reading is found in chapter 14, verses 13 and 14, where the people are commanded not to fear but instead, walk forward. The rabbi’s say that Moses walked in to the water up to his waist, stretching his staff and then, only then did the waters open, but first he had to take a step of faith in to the very unknown. The story concludes with the children of Israel passing over on dry ground, a massive miracle and the waters then closing its mouth to swallow whole, Pharaoh and his misguided flock. Dramatic!
We then have the beautiful sound of praise echoing from the mouths of Yahweh’s people. The song was sung by all of Israel with Moses and Miryam leading the crowd. The song should correctly be called the song of Moses and Miryam as both of them led the people in singing, just as Deborah and Barak did in Judges 4 and 5, this week’s haftorah portion.
Exodus 15: 20 – 21 (NASB)
Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dancing.
Miriam answered them, “Sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; The horse and his rider He has hurled into the sea.
Miryam is a special character in the scriptures, she is referred to as a prophetess (which also proves how women can serve in the five – fold ministry), and she is also referred to as a leader of the people, along with Moses and Aaron (Micah 6:4). Here she uses her prophetic gifting, her natural ability to inspire others, to lead them all in song and dance. Yet in verse 21, the Torah tells us that Miriam answered them, an answer can only be given if a question has been asked. So where was the question and who was Miryam answering and why is this important for us today?
The first time we meet Miryam is on another river bank. A riverbank of death, only this time it was a river swallowing the beautiful baby boys born to the Israelites in slavery. Miryam first appears on the banks on the Nile with absolute concern for her brother Moses, from this very first meeting with Miryam we can tell she is special.
Exodus 2: 1 – 4
Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.
At the beginning of Exodus, we read how terrible the slavery was for the Israelites and yet Miriam did not leave her brothers side, instead she stood. The Hebrew word for stood here in this scripture, is a very strong Hebrew word used only a handful of times in the scriptures. It is the Hebrew word “veyatzav” it means to stand resolutely, to be rooted fast to your position, to remain, to stand up or to station yourself at a place. It’s a strong standing and that was who Miryam was, a person of true strength, in everything she stood. The rabbi’s say that Miryam had a hard life, she was someone who believed in the promised messiah and she never gave up hope that he would come. She spoke a different message that cost her. We know from the scriptures that the people of Israel were crushed because of their slavery and their hearts had long given up hope of witnessing the promised saviour. The people questioned anyone who spoke of this Saviour and yet Miryam stood, she never let go, she never gave up and she used strength, wisdom and care in addressing Pharaoh’s daughter and ensuring the togetherness of her family.
So when Miryam the prophetess picked up her tambourine on the banks of the Red Sea, she was answering the doubt in the people around her. She was answering their nagging faithlessness, their misbelief that God would redeem them, she was answering her fellow brother and sister by saying Yahweh He is good! She never gave up!
Family, in these final days we need a spirit like Miryam. A spirit of strength, courage, faith in times of hardship, a spirit longing, yearning and trusting in God Most High! I truly believe that it is the Miryam’s who will lead many back to Yeshua in these final days, for Psalm 68 verse 11 tells us that, “YHWH announces the word, and the women who proclaim it are a mighty army.”
It will take an army and an ordained move of God in these final days, to stand up and to stand firm against the schemes of the devil and the many evildoers on this earth. It will take a strong, resolute, determined stand to win the war of faith. Many like to quote James 4 verse 7, which says “submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.” But the word for resist in this verse, is a Greek word which means take your stand against the devil and oppose him. We are not merely to stand back and cover our faces, cowering behind our faith shield, we are to push the enemy back with our shields of faith! The Roman soldiers would interlock their shields and form a protective network which they would use to protect one another and to attack their enemies. We need to push our enemy back with our shields of faith, hit him with it, stand in your conviction to oppose him and watch your God take control and wash him away in a flood of vengeance. May you have a spirit like Miryam, a spirit of faith and of unmoveable courage!
This week I have once again been reminded by Father to use every promise
of scripture as a sword against the devils schemes. Here are forceful jabs from the Sword, for you to use this week in prayer. It is important to pray the word and to war with Father’s revealed word:
of scripture as a sword against the devils schemes. Here are forceful jabs from the Sword, for you to use this week in prayer. It is important to pray the word and to war with Father’s revealed word:
Exodus 14: 13 – 14 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Exodus 14: 19 – 20 Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.
Exodus 15: 2 – 3 The LORD is my strength and my defence; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. YHWH is a warrior; YHWH is his name.
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