Miriam: A Courageous Example of Faith

[Eddington] Well, good afternoon, everyone. Happy Sabbath to all. Thank you, Marty and Megan, for the special music today. Really appreciate that. Very meaningful and powerful and contemplative words as well. So thank you, very nicely done. Appreciate your contribution today.

I see we're missing a few teenagers. Camp Cotubic has been going on all week. So their final day tomorrow, I guess, as we pick the kids up tomorrow. So summer camps are in season, of course, and the Allettes are in Canada. Mr. and Mrs. Elliott’s are in Canada for a Canadian National Council meeting this weekend. So it's great to be with you all here this afternoon, here in the PM.

You know, the Creator God began the human race with Adam and Eve, both male and female versions of mankind. We often talk about the males, the men of the Bible. But today I want to talk about one of the females, one of the women of Scripture. In particular, we're going to look at one of the women of faith. It's an inspiring story to study, and it's one from which we all can learn.

There are four key places where our woman of faith is mentioned in the Bible, and she's also given the title of prophetess. And she played an important role in the nation of Israel. The question for you and me today is, are we each leaving a legacy of courageous faith for our families to follow, like she did? Will you be remembered by others for your faith? And will God recognize your dedicated, faithful service to Him?

Today I'd like to weave in the story of the prophetess Miriam. She gives us an example of faith that has endured down to our time, but not always perfect faith, as we'll see. God inspired Moses to identify Miriam as a prophetess while she lived, and even today she is still highly regarded. What can we learn about faith and courage from the fascinating story of the sister of Moses and Aaron, Miriam? I've titled this message, Miriam, a Courageous Example of Faith.

So what was the life of Miriam like? What can we learn from her? How can we relate to Miriam today? I've divided the sermon up into five main sections, and the first section, number one, is Miriam's early faith. Miriam's early faith. Let's go back to the beginning of the story in the books of Exodus and Numbers, in particular Numbers chapter 26. Let's go to Numbers chapter 26, and notice verse 59: "The name of Amran's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. And to Amram she bore Aaron and Moses and their sister Miriam" (Numbers 26:59).

So Miriam's mom and dad were both of the tribe of Levi. They were Levites. Approximately seven years older than Moses, Miriam grew up as an Egyptian slave. So assuming that Moses was born around 1520 BC, they figure Miriam was born around 1527 BC, during the time of the reign of a cruel Egyptian pharaoh.

Recognizing how greatly the Israelites had multiplied, this pharaoh began to fear loss of Egyptian control over his own country. And in an attempt to curb the Hebrew slaves, he pressed them into labor on major construction projects. And of course, many believe even the pyramids were perhaps during this time. For years, the Israelites toiled away in service to the Egyptians. But in spite of the backbreaking work, the Israelites continued to multiply. So much so that by Miriam's day, Pharaoh took the drastic step of decreeing that all newborn Israelite boys be thrown into the Nile River to drown. Just imagine that.

That takes us to Exodus chapter 2. Back near the beginning of Exodus, chapter 2, starting in verse 1, we’ll read perhaps the first 10 verses here. “And a man of the house of Levi”—so these are Levites—“went and took as wife a daughter of Levi” (Exodus 2:1). So the woman, and this is of course Jochebed that we read about in Numbers chapter 26, “So the woman, Jochebed, conceived and bore a son, which was Moses. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months” (Exodus 2:2).

But “when she could no longer hide him”—you can imagine what it’s like, right, trying to keep a three-month-old quiet from being found—“when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank” (Exodus 2:3).

And so Jochebed, the mother of Miriam and Aaron and Moses, defiantly refused to allow her baby to be murdered. She hid him as long as possible. And when she could no longer hide him, she put him in a little boat made of bulrushes and laid it in the reeds by the river bank.

Miriam, the seven-year-old sister of Moses, then did something extremely risky to protect her baby brother. The tiny basket might break free from the reeds, from the protection of the side of the river, and get swept away in the river’s current. He could be long gone down the river. Or if caught, Miriam might die herself for defying Pharaoh’s order.

Notice verse 4. Notice verse 4. “And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him” (Exodus 2:4). Verse 5: “Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, ‘This is one of the Hebrews’ children’” (Exodus 2:5–6).

Then his sister, Miriam, said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?” (Exodus 2:7). And Pharaoh’s daughter—this princess—said to her, “Go.” “So the maiden went and called the child’s mother. Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.’ So the woman took the child and nursed him” (Exodus 2:8–9).

So Miriam seized the opportunity, bravely approached Pharaoh’s daughter, and suggested someone who could nurse the baby. The nursemaid she had in mind was, of course, her own mother and Moses’ mother, Jochebed—who then got paid for it. Most little boys were being drowned at this point, remember? We have to stop and appreciate the dangerous situation this was.

Imagine if the princess had not taken kindly to Miriam’s offer. The baby would have been killed, probably drowned immediately. Or Miriam could have been punished. Even putting Moses into the river was a huge risk. What if someone else found him? He’d be one of the soldiers or something.

Verse 10: “And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, ‘Because I drew him out of the water’” (Exodus 2:10).

Because Miriam took the initiative, Moses was able to spend his formative years with his biological mother. Miriam and her mother saved Moses' life long before Moses could ever save a single Israelite. And as Miriam lived and worked under the tyrant Pharaoh, she learned lessons of faith, preparation for her role in the dramatic events that lay ahead for the children of Israel. She practiced what she believed, and it became part of her life. And then by her faith, by her obedience, her faith was perfected.

Miriam's faithfulness and godly character would have been commendable if she'd been in, say, her 20s or her 30s. But by most reckoning, she was only seven. We have only seven-year-olds here today? We've got a couple.

Her courage in such trying times, when babies were being murdered for merely being Israelite boys, gives us a glimpse into the kind of woman she was to become. And so, point one, at an early age, Miriam had a reliance on God. And for this to endure, Miriam then had to continue in her faithfulness, practice it in her growing years into adulthood. Her early reliance on God had to translate into continued reliance on God, which we'll see it did.

Number two, let's look at Miriam's leadership role that she had in Israel. Miriam's leadership role. As an adult, Miriam is given the title of prophetess. She is referred to in Scripture as a faithful servant and prophetess of God. And after the exodus from Egypt, she leads the women in publicly celebrating and worshiping God in song after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea. And she showed true leadership in being a faithful woman of God.

It's in the recording of this song that Moses, the author of the book of Exodus, identified his sister as a prophetess, the first recorded in the Bible. Even in times when women held a low standing in the eyes of men, the Bible tells stories of women in God-given positions of power and influence. Let's notice Exodus 15. Let's read the account where Miriam is identified as a prophetess. And this is right after crossing the Red Sea. "Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying: 'I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; my father's God, and I will exalt Him'" (Exodus 15:1–2).

And then the song continues here through the next several verses. At some point, you may want to read the rest of the whole song down through verse 18, because it shows the passion, belief, and faith the Israelites had in God. And they were on a real high after seeing God vanquish their enemy. It was a triumphant time for the Israelites. So the song goes down through verse 18.

Then notice verse 20: "Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them: 'Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea'" (Exodus 15:20–21).

Miriam is now in her upper years, approximately 87 years old. And along with the rest of Israel, she experienced the greatness of God's faithfulness. Miriam's support and leadership would have been important to Moses. I had one elderly lady in our congregation say to me once, I wish I had this kind of energy when I was 87 years old, up there dancing. But her godly faith was evident at the moment of Israel's triumph on the far shore of the Red Sea.

After Israel was literally delivered from the jaws of death, Miriam took her timbrel and, following her brother's own song, led the women of Israel herself in musical praise of God for His deliverance. And the context of her song shows how she very clearly understood that God, and God alone, delivered Israel from the Egyptian army.

Although the Bible shows Miriam did not hold a position equal to that of Moses, she seems to have been viewed as a near equal to Aaron. Verse 20 here refers to her as Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, kind of, you know, right alongside him. And in other scriptures she is mentioned along with Moses as the nation's leader and Aaron its high priest. She was clearly held in high regard — by Moses, by Aaron, and by her people.

As a side note, six women in Scripture are specifically stated as possessing the title of prophetess — five under the Old Covenant, one in the New Testament. There's Miriam, of course, here. Deborah, Huldah, Noadiah, and someone called Isaiah's wife — there's no name, just Isaiah's wife the prophetess. And one, Anna, is mentioned in the Gospels in the New Testament. In addition, Philip is mentioned in the book of Acts as having four daughters who prophesied, which could then bring the total number to ten if you count those four girls that Philip mentions. And then there's the opposite in the book of Revelation — Jezebel. She calls herself a prophetess, but she's a false prophetess. So, not Jezebel.

According to Jewish tradition, Miriam was married to Hur, an honorable man who, you may recall, with Aaron held up Moses' arms during a major battle in Exodus 17. So tradition says she was married to Hur. Anyway, getting back to the story here with Miriam, after watching God miraculously put a final end to the Egyptian army, the Israelites were in a state of exultation. God had not only vanquished their enemy, He had done so, it says, gloriously.

God vindicated Himself, delivering His people by, of all things, drowning all the men in the sea. Remember how Pharaoh drowned the Israelite boys? It seems like payback, doesn't it? The Egyptian soldiers were drowned by God. And we read in the book of Romans chapter 12 how God will repay for injustice, and He did: "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord" (Romans 12:19).

Sometimes you have to be patient, but eventually God will take care of it for us. And He did so in a very dramatic way, in this case, to avenge the death of the Israelite boys. Miriam led the women in dancing with a type of tambourine.

If only the chapter would end with this happy celebration, this happy event. But then three days passed without a water source being found. Their reserves had been depleted, and many were very thirsty. And we start to see that the Israelites weren't perfect in practicing their faith, and neither was Miriam just yet.

This leads us to point three, which I've titled, Miriam's Serious Lapse in Judgment. Miriam's Serious Lapse in Judgment.

Scripture gives no indication that Miriam ever lost her attitude of loyalty and faithfulness, but she did have a lapse at one point. You'll note that God records not only the strengths of His faithful servants, but also their flaws, including, in this case, the serious error in judgment. This is actually one of the proofs of the Bible being accurate. Writers don't normally tell you about all their flaws. The godly heroes of the Bible were human beings, just like you and me. None of us do it perfectly, although we must practice God's way of life and aim to become perfect, of course.

We've got to turn to Numbers 12. One of Miriam's actions, specifically her criticism of Moses' marriage to a woman of whom she disapproved, disclosed what seemed to have been hidden resentment, and this became a serious issue to God. "Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman" (Numbers 12:1).

According to Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews, Book 2, chapter 10, more than 40 years earlier, when Moses was a military commander in Pharaoh's army, he married an Ethiopian princess after capturing her city. And then Scripture tells us later he married Jethro's daughter Zipporah. So it appears, it does appear, Moses was married twice. And at this point, the Ethiopian woman no longer being in the picture apparently, he'd married Zipporah.

So verse 2: "So they said, 'Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?' And the Lord heard it" (Numbers 12:2). It's actually kind of hard not to say anything, right, without being heard by God.

Verse 3: "Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth" (Numbers 12:3). So Moses was a special individual in this regard for sure. And I guess by saying that here means he never would have thought to say such a thing.

Verse 4: "Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, 'Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting.' So the three came out" (Numbers 12:4). And of course, have you ever called your children out like that? “Come here, you two.” You know you're in trouble when your parents talk to you like that, especially if they use your middle name.

Verse 5: "Then the Lord came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward. Then He said, 'Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream'" (Numbers 12:5–6).

And so Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel, they had visions, didn’t they, from God? God spoke to them in a dream.

Verse 7: "'Not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?'" (Numbers 12:7–8).

So yes, Moses saw God's form. He heard God's voice. God spoke plainly to Moses. And we don't see another record like this in Scripture.

One of the most convincing arguments the Bible is true is that all of its heroes have flaws. They're not perfect. These are real people. Miriam and Aaron were real people. No author today wants to make his family look foolish, sinful, immature, or disloyal. But we see it throughout Scripture. These are real people with real lives struggling with their faith too.

Miriam and Aaron apparently chafed at Moses’ preeminent calling and position above them. And since her name is mentioned first in their speaking against Moses, it seems that perhaps Miriam initiated this criticism of Moses marrying the Ethiopian woman. Miriam hoping for greater visibility on herself, no doubt. You know, what about me? But instead, she received a curse — the curse of leprosy.

And this is a very important lesson for us here today. God does not take rebellion lightly, speaking against His leadership, especially when it comes from among His people and is directed against His authority.

Notice verse 9: "So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them, and He departed. And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper" (Numbers 12:9–10).

Since indications are she'd been the instigator of this criticism that was leveled at Moses, apparently she then got singled out for punishment. If her rebellious spirit were allowed to spread, her attitudes and actions could affect others there among the Israelites. And so Miriam was immediately recognized as cursed.

She was exiled from the Israelite camp, and we see in verse 11: "So Aaron said to Moses, 'Oh, my lord! Please do not lay this sin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned. Please do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother's womb!'” (Numbers 12:11–12).

Aaron immediately cried out for Moses to help Miriam, begging him to ask God for forgiveness and the healing of their sister. And so Moses responded quickly to Aaron's cry. He asked God to heal Miriam. God did, but He could not let the rebellion go unpunished. There was a penalty to be paid, lest others follow in her footsteps.

So Numbers 12 verse 14 we read: "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'If her father had but spit in her face, would she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp seven days, and afterward she may be received again'" (Numbers 12:14).

God wanted everyone to know that He didn't take Miriam's rebellion lightly, but He was quick to forgive Miriam's serious lack of judgment and ease the punishment. This encounter must have had a serious impact on the nation. It was talked about years later. In Deuteronomy chapter 24, we see one of these references reminding Israel about carefully observing all that God commands.

We read of Miriam again: "Take heed in an outbreak of leprosy, that you carefully observe and do according to all that the priests, the Levites, shall teach you; just as I commanded them, so you shall be careful to do. Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on the way when you came out of Egypt" (Deuteronomy 24:8–9).

So when it comes to faithfulness, ensuring our faith by our obedience, God says, remember. Obey Me. Do not forget. We too have to be faithfully responsible to God's Word every moment. It takes consistent obedience, lest we err into a serious lapse of judgment, as did the prophetess Miriam. Practicing our faith will lead us to godliness and perfection. So watch out for those lapses in judgment.

Number four, I've titled Miriam the Courageous National Hero. Miriam the Courageous National Hero. Although God inspired Moses to identify Miriam as a prophetess while she lived, she was still highly regarded in Scripture some 700 years later.

Seven hundred years after she had died. It's in Micah chapter 6 where I want to make a note of this one. God here is speaking through the prophet Micah and is reasoning with and chastising the sinful nation of Israel, reminding them how He had delivered them from Egyptian slavery 700 years earlier. The three leaders mentioned who helped in this great deliverance out of Egypt included Miriam.

"Hear, O you mountains, the Lord's complaint, and you strong foundations of the earth; for the Lord has a complaint against His people, and He will contend with Israel. 'O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me. For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, I redeemed you from the house of bondage; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam'" (Micah 6:2–4).

Miriam is listed here right along with Moses and Aaron. The prophet Micah, knowing how carnal Israel had become, attempted to persuade the Israelites to do better by reminding them of these three courageous national heroes from 700 years ago.

So we might talk about George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, right? This is three times, four times longer than that — 700 years earlier.

God honored Miriam by acknowledging that He chose her, along with Aaron, to assist Moses in leading the nation of Israel. God listed her here in such select company because she had set a faithful example for the nation, for all of us. Micah said to Israel, you guys all need to be more like Miriam. Quit your disobedience, you know. Stop acting up.

This kind of faith, to be talked about seven centuries later, is not built overnight. It takes obedience. It takes patience. It takes showing our faith by our actions — how we live our lives. And it's not the kind of faith that's hidden from view.

Notice James chapter 2. In the book written by James, it says, to the 12 tribes scattered abroad. We read about this in rather plain English. It cannot be denied. "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?" (James 2:14). You know, how are you living your life? You say you have faith, but look at the way you live.

"If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,' but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?" (James 2:15–16).

"Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" (James 2:17).

And then there are some examples given. "Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?" (James 2:21–22).

"And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.' And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only" (James 2:23–24).

You see, you have to live right.

"Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?" (James 2:25).

"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" (James 2:26).

And we can say likewise, Miriam was justified by works, by the way she showed her faith by her works — a justified, courageous national hero from which we can take comfort in her accomplishments, both her faults and her faith. She was a real person with real challenges just like us, and the fruit in her life, the way she lived, her actions, her works showed her faith.

And the question for you and me here today is, are we too leaving a legacy of faith for our families to follow? The example we set to our kids and our families — would you be remembered 700 years later for the way you lived? Hopefully by God, yes.

Which leads us to point number five: your faith. So we're not talking about Miriam's faith anymore, not talking about Moses and Aaron — we're talking about us, our faith.

The final criterion God will use to judge us will not be our worldly success, but our godly faithfulness. He's not concerned about how good of a job we ended up with before we retired, or whether or not we had a nice car when Christ returned. No, He's looking for our faithfulness. But we have to do it right. We do not want to practice wrong habits or continue living in error or falsehood. We have to live a godly, righteous life and do it right.

There's a book titled Training at the Speed of Life, Volume One. It's considered the definitive textbook for military training, Training at the Speed of Life by Kenneth R. Murray, and he writes on page 120, everyone who has mastered any skill understands and appreciates the time and practice required to attain such mastery. First, remember that practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

He says, don’t waste time learning and ingraining a skill that is wrong or inefficient. It takes a lot more repetitions to unlearn a bad habit than it does to learn the right habit in the first place. Work on form. First get good, and then get fast. You’ve got to practice the right things.

So yes, we must be practicing the perfection that comes from God in our life. We can’t just practice anything we want, which is critical.

Let’s turn to Matthew chapter 25, because perhaps there’s no greater explanation of this than in Jesus’ own words in the parable of the talents. It’s a parable about growth, character, and faithfulness. God wants us to get it right. He wants our faith and obedience to endure.

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord'" (Matthew 25:14–21).

Here’s this famous quote, right: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

The lesson is that God gives us something of considerable value and expects good stewardship and a return on His investment. He expects a return on what He’s given us. He’s expecting us to be faithful, obedient, and growing in the truth He has given us. We can’t bury it. We have to grow. We have to produce.

And here’s the primary lesson: Christ is really talking about something far more important than talents or money. He’s talking about the elements of spiritual character, which He expects us to practice, grow, and develop. At the end of the day, Christ is most interested in what we faithfully do with our spiritual talents. He expects to see growth, expects to see a return on what He’s given us.

These parables reveal how this physical life serves us as preparation, a training ground for something far greater. How we live and use the talents, the gifts, the aptitudes, the abilities, the means, and opportunities we’re given in this life is critical. We can’t bury our talents. This is the big issue of life — our faithfulness to Him.

And the parable says, don’t be like the fearful man who went and buried his talent in the ground and did not grow in his spiritual character. He wasn’t practicing what Jesus preached. We see this warning in verses 24 through 29.

The biblical word for faith denotes that which is firm and can be counted upon. Can you be counted upon? Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary defines “faithful” as firm in adherence to promises or an observance of duty. And the word also has a connotation of absolute honesty and integrity. Honesty and integrity.

The faithful person is one who’s dependable, trustworthy, loyal, who can be depended upon by God, and who can be depended upon in all of his or her relationships, who is absolutely honest and ethical in all of his or her affairs. And this is the kind of faith that has to describe you and me.

Notice Daniel 6, verse 4. It’s interesting what was said of Daniel in this one verse. “The governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel” (Daniel 6:4). So other translations say, “The presidents and princes sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom.” But “they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him” (Daniel 6:4).

The New Revised Standard Version says, “Nor was there any negligence or corruption found in him.” See, when you’re faithful, you have integrity. You’re honest. You’re honest. There’s no negligence. There’s no corruption when you’re faithful. Daniel was faithful. They could find no fault in him.

Faithfulness is the opposite of being fickle and unreliable. A faithful person follows through and is faithful to God, but also in one’s promises to other people. We’re faithful to one another as well. We deliver. We show up. We keep our word. We keep our appointments. We keep our commitments. We do our duty, both to God and to one another. Faithful. We’re faithful.

A fickle person changes his mind, switches loyalties, has differing standards. Faithfulness is unstable, compulsive, uncommitted, negligent, and even corrupt. An unfaithful or fickle person, an unreliable person, cannot be depended upon, can’t be trusted with responsibility. You’re not sure what they’ll do with it. In contrast, God wants to see us faithfully serve Him in obedience. He watches to see how faithful we are toward Him, not fickle or unreliable in our spiritual life.

So, is God seeing faith toward Him in your life? In my life? In my life? Are we living faithfully each day, carrying out our spiritual duties as a son or daughter of God, developing whatever talents He has given us spiritually? Are you faithfully obedient each day, becoming perfect as He is perfect?

To summarize our message today, it’s always good to look at the heroes of faith like Miriam, recorded in Scripture for us to learn from. They were human just like us. They had their strengths and failings. And here today, remember what we covered and think on how it applies to each of us.

First of all, we had Miriam’s early faith. Even at age seven, you’re not too young to trust in God. Secondly was Miriam’s leadership role. Recognize God’s deliverance in your life and rejoice. Thirdly, of course, was Miriam’s serious lack of judgment. Watch out for any personal pride and lack of humility. Number four was Miriam the courageous national hero. We too must leave a legacy of faith for our future generations to appreciate, hopefully for decades to come. And number five, we talked about your faith, your—my faith. Use the talents God has given to you, the elements of spiritual character and faithfulness.

Here are some final thoughts about faith as we conclude. Faith is expressed by our obedience. It takes some work. Faith should be demonstrated each day. Faith believes and trusts God. Faith can’t be purchased with tithes and offerings. Faith distinguishes disciples of Christ from just church attendees. Faith requires sacrifice of self.

Remember what we read in Matthew 25 verse 21 a moment ago? “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord’” (Matthew 25:21).

If we seek to grow in faith and walk in faith, we too have the promise of hearing our Father in heaven say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” So let’s be faithful and obedient every day.