"Miriam and Baby Moses" -- ENGLISH (EN) Subtitles Subtitles for: "IcBible3of8_MiriamAndBabyMosesEN.---" www.intercommedia.org -and-|www.creationism.org/videos/ "Ken Anderson Films" Presents|(Distributed by "InterComm Media") "Miriam and Baby Moses" You have probably already learned in Sunday school about the children of Israel. And the many years they lived in a country called Egypt. Egypt is still one of the world’s great countries. The children of Israel had big families and as the long years passed, the number of Israelites grew larger and larger. The children of Israel were God’s very special people. Even today, many of them live in the new nation of Israel and are called Israelis. But in those days, they were called Hebrews. The Kings of Egypt were called Pharaohs. A new Pharaoh became the ruler of Egypt. He did not realize so many Hebrews lived in his land. Why, Pharaoh said, if some other country should come, and go to war against us, we would be in great trouble. All these Hebrews would join the enemy and fight against us. I must do something! Pharaoh called in some of his army men and told them about his worries. We agree with you, O great one, they told the Pharaoh. We believe the Hebrews could give us much trouble. They are clever people. They could be very dangerous in time of war. Then I must decide what to do, Pharaoh said. We must act now before it is too late. But the children of Israel, the Hebrews, would never have caused any trouble. For many, many years the Hebrews had lived in Egypt. To those who were now living, this was the only place they had ever known. But, of course, they did know Egypt was not really their home. They knew that one day God would take them out of this land ... because God had promised a special land just for them. A country all their own. No, they didn’t need to go to war with some enemy of Egypt. All they needed to do was trust in God and wait for His time to come. We cannot permit these Hebrews to live the same ... as other people in my country, Pharaoh said. So he made a law that all the children of Israel were to become slaves. From early morning until very late at night, all of them had to work - work hard. And even when they worked hard, the slave masters would sometimes strike them with ugly whips. Let them always know they are slaves! Pharaoh commanded. Let them never forget they are under my law! One of the hardest jobs the children of Israel had to do was to make bricks. The bricks were made in big mud pools. Straw would be thrown into the mud and carefully mixed. It was the straw that made the bricks strong. Oh, it was very hard work! And, if you have ever been in Egypt, you know that the days can become very hot. The sun itself became like a slave master. Not only were the brave Hebrews hard-working - they were clever, very clever, and so they made good bricks. Even as they worked, you can be sure they also prayed. God had a purpose in letting them become slaves, just as He has a purpose with the things which happen in our lives. All things work together for good to them that love God (Romans 8:28), as the Bible tells us. Even the children helped. Of course, the Egyptians expected everyone to work. But the children not only worked because they were slaves, but because they loved their parents. Also their older brothers and sisters, and they wanted to help them. How good the water tasted to the thirsty workers! You know, even though they were slaves, even though it was a very difficult time for them and their families. These Hebrew children learned valuable lessons. Most of all, they learned how important it is to trust God, no matter what happens in our lives. They learned that happiness comes from inside us, not just from things on the outside. Although the workers would stop only for a moment sometimes, just long enough for a drink of water, the soldiers would complain. Get back to work! They would shout. Sometimes the men had to pull very large rocks across the ground. They also had to cut these rocks into exactly the shapes the builders needed. The rocks were used to build great temples and palaces. The rocks were also used for statues. Have you ever tried to lift a small rock? Then think what it must have been like to move one of these big rocks. The slaves didn’t move the rocks a few feet, but over long distances - often many miles. Oh, how hard those Hebrews slaves worked! Very likely, Miriam - the girl of our story - was among the Hebrew children who carried water to the slaves. How strange it must have seemed to her ... to see her people helping build temples to the gods of Egypt. Don’t you suppose Miriam was one of those ... who loved and worshiped God with all her heart? You are ugly! Ugly! Ugly! Ugly! She probably cried out many times. Surely her parents had told her that they must be patient ... because one day their God - The true and living God! He would prove to all Egypt that only He was the One ... that men and women, and boys and girls should love and worship. One day Pharaoh got an idea and so he called in some of the midwives. These were ladies who helped the Hebrew women when they had their babies. From now on, Pharaoh commanded, I want you to destroy every boy baby born into a Hebrew family! The midwives were frightened. They knew how strongly the Hebrews trusted in God. They knew how God took care of them in many ways. Don’t be afraid, Pharaoh said, laughing. The many gods of Egypt are more powerful than the one God of the Hebrews! But the midwives were frightened. They didn’t want to do what Pharaoh told them to do. The Hebrews continued their hard work, not yet knowing the evil plans going on in Pharaoh’s mind and heart. What they did know was that their God was with them, whatever might happen. One day the midwives came to Pharaoh and said, The Hebrew babies are born so quickly, we don’t have a chance to destroy them before they are taken from us. The Hebrew families are so loving and happy. Whenever a baby is born, they take this as a special gift from God. But Pharaoh had made up his mind. He must make sure there were not too many Hebrews in Egypt. So he decided on an even more evil plan. If the midwives would not destroy the Hebrew boy babies, then he would have his soldiers do it. He would put fear into the hearts of these people. Even though the Pharaoh was so unkind to them, many of the children of Israel had happy homes. Miriam lived in such a home. She was especially happy because she had a new baby brother ... who would soon be given a very important name. But then one day Miriam’s father came with the news of Pharaoh’s command. Your little brother is in great danger!, he exclaimed. Pharaoh has commanded that all boy babies must be killed! Killed? Miriam exclaimed, Oh, no! Not my baby brother! With great fear, the family closed the windows, knowing soldiers of Pharaoh’s army might come at any moment. Oh, we must do something!, Miriam’s mother exclaimed. God will show us what to do!, her husband said. The first thing to do, the first thing to do always when you have trouble, is to pray. Those Hebrews may have been slaves, but they were very rich. They knew how to talk to God because they were God’s children. Can’t you hear Miriam’s mother praying, Oh, Lord, our God, protect our little baby. Do not let the soldiers harm him. And even as she prayed, she got an idea, a wonderful idea. It was an idea God gave to her because, as you know, the Bible tells us to ask God when we need his help. Quickly, she told her older children, run to the river and gather some reeds. We must make a basket. We must make it very quickly. So Miriam did just that. She ran! Everything happened so fast, Miriam perhaps didn’t know what her mother intended to do with the reeds. But God had spoken to her mother and that made the work all the more important. Quickly and cleverly, Miriam’s mother made a small basket - a baby brother-sized basket to be exact. Miriam’s mind was probably full of questions but perhaps ... she didn’t ask any of them because she wanted so much to help her mother. After she finished the basket, Miriam’s mother brought something which looked like black paste. This something was called pitch. It was like tar. You can be sure Miriam’s family ... had probably never seen this lady move and work so quickly before. Carefully, the wise mother covered the outside of the basket with tar. You will understand the reason in a moment. We don’t know for sure, of course, but children in Miriam’s day were very much like children today. And it’s very possible one of the younger children not understanding how ... important it was to get the basket ready, may have been just a bit naughty. Oh, mother! The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly how it happened. Except that Miriam’s mother tried to keep her little brother hidden ... from the soldiers. But it could well be that the soldiers heard about the little baby ... and came toward their house. The Bible only tells us that Miriam’s mother couldn’t hide the baby any longer. So the baby was put into the basket for the very special plan ... God had placed in the mind of Miriam’s mother. Ever so bravely, and ever so hopeful the little baby wouldn’t make a sound. Miriam’s mother carried the precious basket down toward the river. The soldiers must not know what was in the basket. They must not! So you can be sure Miriam prayed ... even as she and her mother made their way toward the river. The pitch on the outside of the basket made it like a little boat. You must do something very important, Miriam’s mother told her as they placed the basket into the river. You must follow and watch to see where the basket goes. And so that’s exactly what Miriam did! Perhaps she was only thinking about the safety of her brother. But, as you will learn, what she was doing was something very, very important. Even though you are young, you know, you can serve God in important ways, even though they may only seem to be small ways. On and on the basket floated. And the soldiers of the evil king Pharaoh’s army weren’t the only danger. Yes, there was danger, great danger. But, in a way, no danger at all because God had His eye on that basket. He was protecting it. So, really, neither soldiers nor crocodiles ... could have harmed the little baby inside, even if they had wanted to. You can also trust God in times of danger. The basket floated right up to a place where King Pharaoh’s daughter was. And also some of the ladies from the palace had gone down to the river to bathe. How surprised they were to find a little baby. Perhaps by now the baby cried just a bit, and that was what drew their attention, as well as seeing the basket. At first Miriam was frightened, but then she saw ... that Pharaoh’s daughter was very happy to find this beautiful baby. God had chosen a strange and wonderful way to protect her baby brother. Then Miriam did something very brave. She came right up to Pharaoh’s daughter and said, I could help you find one of the Hebrew ladies to take care of the little baby. Yes! exclaimed Pharaoh’s daughter. That would be wonderful! Away Miriam ran, faster than she had ever run before in her life. She was so excited and happy, it seemed her feet barely touched the ground! Oh, mother!, she exclaimed, Pharaoh’s daughter has my baby brother! She wants you to come and take care of him! So the little baby’s very own mother came to Pharaoh’s daughter. Wouldn’t the Egyptian lady have been surprised ... if she knew the Hebrew lady was the baby’s mother? I know you will take good care of him!, Pharaoh’s daughter said. I certainly will take good care of him, Miriam’s mother replied. I would like you to call him Moses, said Pharaoh’s daughter. And from that day, Moses was his name! So baby Moses returned to his own home, to be taken care of by his own mother. And Pharaoh himself gave an order that no one ... was to harm the little boy in any way! How excited Miriam and her family must have been ... as they thanked God for bringing little Moses back safely to them. Moses grew up to have many great adventures. One time, as he was traveling by himself, he came to a bush that was burning. But, as he looked at it, he saw that the fire didn’t hurt the bush. Then he heard God call out to him, telling him he was to lead the people out of Egypt. Moses became a great leader to his people. This was because as the older Moses grew, the more he asked God to help him and lead him. At last the wonderful day came when Moses led his people to freedom. Even the great sea - the Red Sea, as it is called to this very day - opened up so all the people could safely escape. What a great and wonderful day that was! But perhaps the greatest day of all in of Moses’ life was the time when - Moses was alone on the top of a very high mountain (Mt. Sinai) ... God gave him the Ten Commandments. This is God’s special law which, even today, helps us to understand why we need to know the Lord Jesus as our Savior. I’m wondering - might it be that Moses’ family is something like your family? Do you have a baby brother? A baby sister? Your father and mother must be happy to have you, and how very, very happy your life will be, if you all truly love and serve God, even as Moses and Miriam, and their mother and father did. THE END --- "Miriam and Baby Moses" Visit: www.intercommedia.org -and- www.creationism.org