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The Prophetess - The Word About Women

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The Ministry of Motherhood

  • Feb 25, 2021

The Ministry of Motherhood

Women’s Work

  • Feb 23, 2021

Women’s Work

The Truth About Mary Magdalene

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The Truth About Mary Magdalene

The Good News Girls

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The Good News Girls

Compassion for Women

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Compassion for Women

Distracted with Much Serving

  • Feb 9, 2021

Distracted with Much Serving

No Throwing Stones

  • Feb 4, 2021

No Throwing Stones

She Was a Sinner

  • Feb 2, 2021

She Was a Sinner

The Eternal Thirst Quencher

  • Jan 28, 2021

The Eternal Thirst Quencher

The Laws of Love

  • Jan 26, 2021

The Laws of Love

Follow Him

  • Jan 21, 2021

Follow Him

Daughter, Your Faith Has Healed You

  • Jan 19, 2021

Daughter, Your Faith Has Healed You

In His Service

  • Jan 14, 2021

In His Service

Share in Their Joy

  • Jan 12, 2021

Share in Their Joy

Highly Favored One

  • Jan 7, 2021

Highly Favored One

The Value of a Woman

  • Jan 5, 2021

The Value of a Woman

See You in 2021

  • Nov 20, 2020

See You in 2021

In God’s Hands

  • Nov 19, 2020

In God’s Hands

A Disposable Woman?

  • Nov 17, 2020

A Disposable Woman?

A Bearer of Bad News

  • Nov 12, 2020

A Bearer of Bad News

A Wicked Queen Mother vs A Godly Princess

  • Nov 10, 2020

A Wicked Queen Mother vs A Godly Princess

A Heart for Hospitality

  • Nov 6, 2020

A Heart for Hospitality

The Willing Widow

  • Nov 4, 2020

The Willing Widow

A Wretched Woman

  • Nov 2, 2020

A Wretched Woman

Wicked Women

  • Oct 30, 2020

Wicked Women

Missed Opportunity

  • Oct 28, 2020

Missed Opportunity

How To Spot A Mother

  • Oct 26, 2020

How To Spot A Mother

A Wicked Thing

  • Oct 23, 2020

A Wicked Thing

Grace in the Genealogy

  • Oct 21, 2020

Grace in the Genealogy

Victim or Adulteress?

  • Oct 19, 2020

Victim or Adulteress?

A Relationship Ruined By Resentment

  • Oct 16, 2020

A Relationship Ruined By Resentment

Beauty, Brains, and a Blessing

  • Oct 14, 2020

Beauty, Brains, and a Blessing

Giving Back To God

  • Oct 12, 2020

Giving Back To God

Crimes Against Women

  • Oct 9, 2020

Crimes Against Women

When Women Are His Weakness

  • Oct 7, 2020

When Women Are His Weakness

Raising A Leader

  • Oct 5, 2020

Raising A Leader

A Redeemer

  • Oct 2, 2020

A Redeemer

A Dedicated Daughter-in-Law

  • Sep 30, 2020

A Dedicated Daughter-in-Law

A Woman With a Weapon

  • Sep 28, 2020

A Woman With a Weapon

The Leader of a Nation

  • Sep 25, 2020

The Leader of a Nation

The Faith of an Outsider

  • Sep 23, 2020

The Faith of an Outsider

The Daughters of Zelophehad

  • Sep 21, 2020

The Daughters of Zelophehad

The Prophetess

  • Sep 18, 2020

The Prophetess

A River Rescue

  • Sep 16, 2020

A River Rescue

The Temptress

  • Sep 14, 2020

The Temptress

The Double Standard

  • Sep 11, 2020

The Double Standard

A Daughter Defiled

  • Sep 9, 2020

A Daughter Defiled

Stolen Statues

  • Sep 7, 2020

Stolen Statues

The Unloved Wife

  • Sep 4, 2020

The Unloved Wife

A Meddling Matriarch

  • Sep 2, 2020

A Meddling Matriarch

Beyond Redemption?

  • Aug 31, 2020

Beyond Redemption?

A Salty Warning

  • Aug 28, 2020

A Salty Warning

Oppressed Yet Blessed

  • Aug 26, 2020

Oppressed Yet Blessed

The Mother of a Nation

  • Aug 24, 2020

The Mother of a Nation

The God Who Sees

  • Aug 21, 2020

The God Who Sees

Beautiful but Barren

  • Aug 19, 2020

Beautiful but Barren

Past Messages
benz@backtothebible.org
BenSep 18, 2020 1:00 pm GMT

The Prophetess


Then Miriam, the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver He has hurled into the sea.”


Exodus 15:20-21


For context, read all of Exodus 15

 

Remember the young sister of Moses who was watching from the reeds when Pharaoh's daughter found Moses? She grew up to play an important role in rescuing her people. In Micah 6:4, she is listed among her brothers as those sent by the Lord to guide the Israelites: “I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam.” That’s right, a woman listed among men as the leadership of God’s people.

 

In Exodus 15:20-21, we see her as the first recorded female worship leader. After God parted the Red Sea and the Israelites passed through on dry land, Moses and Miriam led the Israelites in praise to the LORD. The women followed behind Miriam’s leadership, singing and dancing to God in worship for what He had done for them.

 

In addition to her role as a worship leader, notice that she is called a “prophet” or a “prophetess”. No other woman before her held this title. We do not know the details of any revelations that the Lord spoke through her. But in Numbers 12:2, Aaron and Miriam asserted that they both had acted as prophets: “Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?...Hasn’t He also spoken through us?”

 

In this instance, Miriam and Aaron were grumbling against Moses because he had married a Cushite woman (an Ethiopian). While they claimed to be upset at his marriage, it appears more likely that they were becoming jealous of the position that Moses held and the issue with his new wife was used as a pretext for their real problem.

 

Apparently, Miriam had been the instigator, because she was punished. God came down to meet with them in a pillar of cloud and He told them Moses was more than a prophet. He was privileged to speak with God face to face. Basically, He reminded Aaron and Miriam of their place. They may have been prophets and leaders, but God had specifically called Moses for a unique role that they were not privileged to share with him.

 

God was angry at them for speaking against His servant. When the cloud lifted, Miriam’s skin was white from leprosy. Though her brothers pleaded with God on her behalf, she was unclean. She was sent outside of the camp for a week. It seems that Miriam thought more highly of herself and her role than she ought. Pride and jealousy got the best of her and she was punished for her sin.

 

The WORD about women in the story of Miriam is both encouraging and a lesson for us. We can be encouraged that women have a place in the leadership of God’s people. While it is often a source of contention in many churches, the Bible shows us examples of women like Miriam who held leadership roles. And yet, Miriam is also a reminder of the boundaries that God has placed. When she opposed Moses’s authority, God punished her.  This is a warning for us to remember to respect the men that God has specifically called and placed in authority over us.

 

Reflect

According to Scripture, what leadership positions are open to women in the church? Which roles has God reserved for men?

 

Pray

Father, I want to be used by You. Show me how You want to use me to serve Your people. Help me to humbly submit to the leadership you have placed over me. Amen.


We look forward to your comments and questions below!

If you want to share this Bible reading plan with friends and family, here is the link:
https://bttb.org/word-about-women
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Sue
a year ago
l think in christianity today, we have to be careful of the "prophetic"- that goes by the touchy feely & in a lot of ways is unaccountable for alot of things said.

The word of God is based on what He says is true, and it doesn't depend on how we feel about it, we are to walk by faith, trusting and believing God and His charachter.

Having emotions and expressing concerns is a healthy thing, but gossip and complaining is a negative way of dealing with hurt etc.
We do have to allow for a resolve and allow our brain to name hurts & therefore function in a healthy way in which it was dedigned to process information....the way we we're created.

To not allow someone, or yourself to share concerns can bury emotions alive which can cause the problem in the first place.

Any position of authority has the opportunity to succumb to pride, and we in Christ have God's authority.....so we need to guard our hearts and minds. Dealing with hurt etc in a healthy way....acknowledging and casting it onto God.
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