The story that often comes to mind when we think about the difference between “Doing” for God vs. “Being” with God, is about Mary and Martha of Bethany. The emphasis is often on how much better it is to ‘be’ in the presence of Christ, like Mary, instead of ‘being busy with many things’ like Martha. It’s not the doing that is really the problem, but the ease with which it gets in the way of being with God.
“[His mother] put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him. The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. ‘This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,’ she said. Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?’ Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Yes.’ So the girl went and called the child’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.’ So the woman took the child and nursed it. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, ‘because’, she said, ‘I drew him out of the water.” (Exodus 2:3-10)
We know the story of Moses from movies like The Ten Commandments or Prince of Egypt. He kills an overseer for mistreating a Hebrew worker and flees to the desert. Miriam is left behind in Egypt. She decides (in my book) to be in charge of taking care of everyone even though her own faith slipped away. Doing takes the place of Being still and waiting for God.
The long years stretched out and receded in sameness. Aaron and I mourned the death of first Jochebed and then Amram. They died within a few months of each other. The gold from the Princess was used to purchase the services of the embalmer and a small tomb. My parents would not lie in the desert sand to be ravaged by wild beasts.
I never saw the princess again. A few years after Moses disappeared, the royal barge brought her body to be buried beneath the small monument that bore her name. A year later the old Pharaoh died. Grand ceremonies were held at the temple that bore his name and was inscribed with his exploits. Then his embalmed, wrapped, and sanctified body was taken to the secret burial place of Kings. When alive, each Pharaoh was Horus, son of Osiris. In death, the king became Osiris, in charge of all life in Egypt. It was very important that the ka of the King remain undisturbed even after death. The silent pyramids and their attendant monuments and mortuary temples all paid tribute to attempts to keep past rulers undisturbed.
The new Pharaoh was a harsh, proud man. I saw him from a distance once. He insisted on more marvelous feats of building and statuary in the Treasure City called by his name, Raamses. Men pushed beyond endurance died in the heat and dust.
I wept angrily to the One God. “Don’t you see us? Can’t you save us?” The faith of my parents seemed futile and foolish. With each year of God’s silence, I became more and more convinced that the God of Israel was helpless. The songs my mother had sung seemed empty memories of a hopeless people.*
When Moses returns to Egypt claiming to be the Deliverer, Miriam and Aaron have to change their lives. Still Miriam works at being the one in charge and able to 'fix' things. When Moses and Aaron are discouraged, it is Miriam who urges them not to give up.
“Pharaoh will not let the children of Israel go,” he stated in a dead tone. “He is so angry that he has ordered the bricks be made without straw.” Another groan of sorrow, “I have harmed the people I was sent to help. ‘Everyone will have to work to gather straw in the fields’,” he quoted. “The tally will not be less.”
I couldn’t suppress my gasp at his words. Aaron bowed his head in resignation. Zipporah stroked Moses hair in sympathy. The silence held hopelessness. My brothers looked like whipped puppies rather than messengers of the Living God. Anger helped me find my voice.
“Are you going to let one setback discourage you? Do you plan to quit after one attempt?”
“These are not things a woman understands,” Aaron’s voice was harsh and arrogant.
Hands on my hips, I faced my brothers, “If a woman gave up after one attempt at birthing a child, children would have ceased to be long ago. Women know more about perseverance than any man.” I turned to my youngest brother; “You are birthing a nation. It will not be easy. Do you think that the God who has preserved you this far will abandon you now?”
“My sister,” Moses looked at me, desolation in his eyes. “I threw down my staff as God commanded. At first, the cobra frightened Pharaoh. Then the priests used their drugged snakes to do the same thing. The King and all the court laughed. Pharaoh asked if I had other magic tricks to show him.”
“So you have given up because of a little derision? The laughter of men is more important than the will of God? The Living One said you would do great things, and that He would bring the people out with mighty wonders. Surely the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is stronger than the Nile gods, even Pharaoh.”*
Miriam, despite her busy-ness, was able to see beyond the immediate results and realize that God could act through the frailty of her brothers. How often do you and I get discouraged when things don’t go our way? Are you, like me, guilty of trying to 'fix' things for other people instead of leaving them in God's hands?
Miriam originally looked inward to find solace instead of seeking God when her life began to spin out of control. Many of us do the same thing. Keeping busy helps us forget the troubles. Our culture rewards busy behavior and we are expected to multi-task. It all leaves little time for God. Jesus says, “Mary has chosen the better part” (Luke 10:42) not because it is bad to make food for guests, but because Martha was “worried and distracted by many things.” Being too busy can distract us from finding time to sit quietly and focus on God.
In Miriam’s Healing, Miriam continues to be the organizing force that keeps things moving smoothly. She tries to ignore the urging from God that suggests she should stop, listen, and become the storyteller of the nation. Only after she is exiled from the camp with leprosy (Numbers 12) does she understand the power of the words of the story.
For a long time, I lay on my pallet of blankets. The peace lingered with me. I knew now that God had been with me even when I doubted and turned from him. In my darkest moments, it was the hand of the Living One that comforted me.
In the quiet of the ending night, God gave me a great gift. I saw the action of I AM from the beginning of time. The Ruach that breathed life into all creation, the EL who spoke to Abraham and wrestled with Jacob was the same I AM that now led the chosen people with the cloud of glory. My fingers itched to write the words. No longer did I doubt that the stories of the Living God would convert the people. Only by hearing of the actions of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob could the congregation find unity and identity.*
Sick with leprosy, Miriam’s life had been taken out of her control. All her life she tried to ensure that everything was taken care of. God’s action of redemption of the nation brought about a greater freedom than she could have imagined. She still finds it difficult to let God be in charge. Only when she is struck with the dread sickness, can she understand that God has been in charge of her life all along. She did not have to do anything. She had to sit with God and let go of the busy-ness of her life in order to hear and understand.
Do you take time regularly to sit with God? I spent one day at the Botanical Gardens here and found it a very refreshing break and time with God. Retreats are another way to do this, but a daily or weekly discipline keeps you in contact regularly with the One who guides our steps. I invite you to find a time to be still and sit at the feet of our Lord with Miriam of the Old Testament and Mary of Bethany. Who knows what you will discover about your journey…?
*All quotations are from Miriam's Healing by Cynthia Davis. Available online from Amazon.com and the author.
Next week, on Palm Sunday, we'll look at how our Expectations of God affect our relationship to God.
