Sing a New Song Leader Guide Unit 2 lesson 5
Scripture Exodus 15: 20-21 Exodus 2:1-8 Lesson Overview: Spiritual Dimension Miriam is one of the early women in the Bible who shows us that women as well as men had an impact on ancient cultures. Miriam, although mentioned very little compared to her worth, played an important role in the exodus. It s important to note, Miriam was responsible for worshiping God after the parting of the sea. This week, your students will learn why it is important to worship. Not every teen feels comfortable singing to God. There are so many other ways to worship, and you will explore those options during your time together. Encourage your students to take this exercise seriously. If done successfully, it will provide a solitude for them that they don t get anywhere else and will also allow them to learn to create the space on their own. Biblical Commentary Miriam is Moses s sister. She is responsible for his safety after he is born. Miriam places her brother in the river to keep him from being killed. That is the first encounter we have with Miriam. Later, we see her as a great pioneer in helping Moses get the Israelites out of Egypt. Her name means sea of bitterness. We see Miriam as a woman of love, but she does show bitterness throughout her life. We can imagine she would feel bitter against Pharaoh and the treatment of her people. Later in her life, she is bitter with Moses, and it gets the best of her. She even gets punished by God for it. In contrast, the Egyptian derivative of the word is Myr, which means love and happiness. We also see great love in Miriam. Our first encounter with Miriam demonstrates her love for her brother as she observes the progress of the basket, to ensure his safety. She then saves her brother s life by recommending her mother to care for the baby for the pharaoh s daughter. This is the first illustration of Miriam s role in the exodus. While the Pharaoh is trying to kill all of God s people, in saving Moses, Miriam thwarts that effort, having no idea of the way God will later use Moses. Later, reunited with her brother Moses (and Aaron), she was one of the leaders in the exodus. She was well received by the women. In fact, in Exodus 15, we see Miriam s leadership and her commitment to worship. It appears that Miriam begins to worship after the parting of the sea. Moses begins singing only after Miriam. When Pharaoh s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing. Miriam sang to them: Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea. Worship was common after winning a battle. What is significant here is that Miriam leads the worship, giving God the credit for their safe crossing. The women all join in, but Moses leads the men, further validating his sister s act of worship. The people who cried out to God in despair are now sing out to God in thanksgiving. We don t read much more about Miriam until Numbers 12, where we see her questioning God s choice in Moses s prophetic abilities. (Of course, we know through other scriptures that Miriam was a prophetess.) Scorned for challenging God, he gives her leprosy and tells Moses she is to stay outside their camp for seven days. It was significant during these times for someone unclean to be left alone for seven days. Here, we see God publicly scorning Miriam for offending her brother. Despite this, Miriam is not forgotten. We see in the next verse that the people did not move on until she was brought back (v. 15b). This indicates that Miriam is still a significant member of the group. Miriam dies some time later in the Desert of Zin. She spent a great deal of the latter part of her life wandering, for water was scarce. This is an interesting contrast to the beginning of Miriam s story, where we see her at the Nile River. Her story began and ended around water. 2
Reflect on these themes: Worship: Miriam was responsible for worshiping the Lord after they were saved. How do you worship? Why is worship important? Think about your students: Do your students understand the importance of worship? In Miriam s story, we see worship in the form of music and dance. In what other ways can we worship the Lord? Pray for your students. Ask God to speak to them in the moment and help them abandon one of their fears. Resources Tim Hughes Video Computer ipods or music source, Christian playlists or CDs Headphones Paper Paint, Pencils, Colored Pencils Candles, Lighter Messages to Parents and Teens For Teens: The following are a couple messages to Tweet, Facebook, text, or post to teens to promote your meeting and get them thinking about the lesson ahead of time. We re talking about Miriam this week. Bring your musical instruments. Miriam was Moses s sister. She isn t mentioned much, but she was a great leader during the exodus. Yeah, that s right, a woman of influence. See you this week. For Parents: Here are some messages you can send to parents to help get the dialogue going at home. Encourage parents to talk to their kids about being continually caught up in the mission of God. We are talking about Miriam this week and how she led worship after the exodus. What s your favorite worship song? Ever wondered why we worship at all? Talk to your kids this week on the importance of worship dating back to the beginning of time. How did people worship God? Dear Parents, This week, we are going to spend some time talking about Miriam. While she isn t mentioned much in the Bible, it appears she led the women in the exodus. As Moses and Aaron s sister, she already had a prominent reputation. It seems she helped bring the women together. God had given her a gift of prophecy as well. At the parting of the Red Sea, we see Miriam worshiping God. She gives him praise and thanks him for destroying their enemies. We are going to focus on worship this week and what that means. Why was it the first thing Miriam did upon reaching the other side of the sea? Why do we worship God? Think about your favorite worship song. Play it for your children this week. Talk about why you like it. How does it make you feel? What does it say about God? In conclusion of our lesson, we talked about different ways we can worship. Some include music, art, solitude, nature, and study. I encourage you to try a different way of worshiping God this week and then discuss it with your students. Maybe you will learn you like to worship the same way. 3
Lesson Guide Explore Open in prayer. Show video of Matt Redman s Heart of Worship http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1x_ev2oila ASK: What does it mean to worship God? Why do we do it? The song says, I m coming back to the heart of worship because it s all about you, Jesus. What are some things we make worship about if it s not about Jesus? (For example, we do it just because we are supposed to; for show but aren t fully engaged. OR, it becomes about us and our talent, not praise to God). Encounter SAY something like: This week, we are going to talk about Miriam, Moses s sister. She isn t mentioned much in the Bible, but we see her role as significant in the exodus. Here s what we know about Miriam: 1. She was the sister of Moses and Aaron. 2. She was the little girl who watched Moses float down the river and recommended to the pharaoh s daughter that her mother care for the boy. (You could say she was an integral part of God s plan for Moses and the exodus.) ( READ Exodus 2:1-8) 3. She appeared to lead the women and was called a prophetess by God. (READ Micah 6:2-4) 4. Upon crossing the Red Sea, she led the women (and men) in worship and dance. We can assume then that she was one gifted in song and dance. (READ Exodus 15:20-21) ASK: Why do you think Miriam broke out in song and dance? Why is this significant? SAY something like: Miriam s role in Exodus 15 is important because we see a woman in a leadership role and leading the people in an important act worshiping and praising God for their safety. ASK: What do you like about worship? Do you feel worship is important to having a relationship with Christ? Why or why not? Can worship be done alone, or do you have to have others with you? SAY something like: There is a powerful thing about worshiping with other people who share your faith. It s important to be in community with other believers. In Exodus 15, we saw Miriam leading worship with her people. They were united together by God and his provision for them. It was important for them to worship together. According to the dictionary, worship means reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred. Worship doesn t always have to be done in groups, however. Nor does it only have to be in song. I want to give you a little quiz. You can just answer yes or no to these questions. 1. How many of you like to be alone? Does being in a group drain your energy? 2. Who enjoys music? When you hear a song, do you get energized? Does it affect your mood? 3. Do you like to be outside? Do you see God in nature? 4. How many of you like to read and learn? You soak up everything your teachers tell you? 5. Who here is an artist or likes to draw or paint or express yourself creatively? SAY something like: The best part of this quiz is that there are no right or wrong answers. And, there is a worship style for each of you. 1. If you are one of those people who likes to be alone, did you know you can worship God in silence? Sit in a quiet place and pray, journal, or just be still. 2. If you like music, you can worship God by playing music and singing or dancing. Praise God in song. Or, you can write a song or play an instrument (just like Miriam). 3. If you like to be outside, you can take a walk and worship God in that way. You meet God in nature and thank him for the beauty. You can sit under a tree and feel the wind on your face. 4. For those of you who said you were readers or thinkers, you can worship God by reading a book and having an intellectual conversation with a friend about what you read. Study Scripture. 4
5. Lastly, if you are creative, worship can be in the form of art. You can paint (like we saw in the video), you can sculpt, or you can draw. These are all valid forms of worship. SAY something like: When you take time out of your day to spend with God, he will meet you there. It needs to be deliberate, like Miriam, but it doesn t have to be with people. (It certainly can be if you are able to worship with others, there is also power in that.) ASK: How many of you have ever tried one of those alternative worship practices? Did God meet you there? How did it change the way you think of worship? Engage Set up a few stations around the room for students to worship. Dim the lights and create quiet space. These can include: Music station. Have a few ipods/mp3 players set up with earphones. Create a christian playlist on each. Candles station. Have a student light a candle and pray to God for a few minutes. Writing station. Have paper and pencils ready to pass out to those who want to participate in a prayer walk or who want to journal. Art station. Have a final station with paper and colors. Let people worship while drawing or doing art of some form. At the end, ASK: What did you think of the time we spent worshiping? Was it weird for you, or did it feel natural? How did God speak to you during this time? Closing In closing, pray together. Join hands this time and pray as a group. 5
Create a Band EXPLORE: Ask students to bring their musical instruments into class. If they don t have one, have them grab something around the house that can become one. Make your own band. I Will Sing a New Song ENCOUNTER: Break the groups up in smaller groups. Pass out Moses s song (the one Miriam helped lead). Ask students to rewrite the song using today s language. Alternative Worship Creative Options ENGAGE: Everyone assumes that worship is singing to God. While it is probably the most common form of worship, it is not the only method. Go on a prayer walk and worship God through nature. 6