My name is Miriam.
I am a prophet.
There’s also a
well; many wells actually, but they aren’t mine.
Let me explain.
Already at a
young age, there were moments when God blessed me with the ability to see things
clearly, even in a fog. This was the case when my parents separated following
Pharaoh’s decrees. In the midst of the fear and grief that enveloped us, I
understood that if my outstanding parents were to demonstrate fortitude and
hope by bringing a new life into the world, despite everything, that new person
would sow a seed of redemption[1] (honestly, I was hoping for a
little sister...).
My mother
Yocheved was smart and resourceful. When my brother grew and we could no longer
hide him, she set him afloat on the Nile, at a time and in a place where Pharaoh’s
daughter could be expected to appear. She also prepared me to take immediate
action, with a plan that would return him home.[2] We succeeded, and my brother’s
story is famous. I haven't told anyone what happened to me until now.
While I was
hiding among the reeds, the water enchanted me. I returned to the banks the
Nile many times. I gazed at the water, both in the river, and when rose and
overflowed its banks. I learned how water flows, how it is absorbed into the soil,
and how the ground appears after it retreats. Deep inside, I knew that one day
this information would be important. Another aspect of prophecy.
Years passed. The
seed of redemption sprouted. We left Egypt. After crossing through the sea,
facing the reeds, I rose up singing and swept all the women after me with timbrels
and dancing.
We rose up and came crashing down. There was no potable water at Marah. Or at Rephidim. We weren’t in Egypt. There’s no Nile in the desert, and we didn’t know how to find water in the wilderness. At Marah, my brother sweetened the water with a trick he had learned years earlier, on his way to Midian. At Rephidim, God arranged for water to flow from a rock. Miracles and wonders. Real ones. But inadequate to provide for the needs of an entire nation for a one-and-a-half or two years (according to the original plan) in an arid region.
 |
| A well in the Sinai desert (Thomasccnawiki via Wikimedia Commons) |
I left the camp, surveyed
the area, and examined the terrain. I took a pointed stick, tested the ground, dug
some holes and found water.
As a token of
gratitude, the people wanted to name the well after me. I was flattered, but I
also wanted them to learn from me. My wisdom and knowledge stemmed, in part,
from prophecy, but also from careful observation, patience, and effort. I
couldn’t find any apprentices.
Our time in the
desert was extended beyond expectations. Far beyond expectations. I’ve grown old.
My vision has deteriorated. My legs have weakened. I worry that I do not have
long to live. We arrived in Kadesh yesterday. I am no longer able to leave the
camp, survey the terrain and identify the location of the spring. What will
happen? I’m afraid; not of death, but for the people.
“For their sakes,
do not withhold water…..”[3] “Into God’s hands, I place my
soul.”[4]
“Miriam died there and was buried there and the community was
without water” (Num. 20:1-2)
