Miriam Sings by the Red Sea Bible story for kids

A tambourine. Round like a little drum, with small metal circles around the rim that jingle when you shake it.

Now, here is the curious part. That tambourine came out of Egypt.

When God's people left Egypt, they left in such a hurry that their bread had no time to rise. They grabbed what they could carry and went out into the dark. And somewhere in all that hurry, somebody reached up and took down a tambourine.

I wonder who she was.

Because you do not pack a tambourine unless you believe there is going to be something to celebrate.

And there was.

God opened the sea. A path straight through the water, and God's people walked across on dry ground — every single one of them.

And now they were standing on the far shore, the sun coming up, the wet sand cool between their toes. Behind them the water had closed again, and the sea was just... sea.

Nobody was chasing them anymore.

Moses opened his mouth and began to sing — one of the oldest songs in the whole Bible.

"I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously!"

And the people joined in. First a few. Then more. Then everyone, their voices rising like birds into the golden sky.

But listen. Listen for the tambourine.

Because here comes Miriam.

Do you remember her? The brave big sister who hid in the tall reeds and watched over baby Moses in his little basket. She was just a girl then — quick and clever and so, so brave.

Well, she was not a little girl anymore. The Bible calls her Miriam the prophetess — the very first woman in all of Scripture to be given that name. A prophetess is someone God gives words to.

And these were the words God gave Miriam. Not a speech. A song.

She took her tambourine in her hand, stepped out in front of all the women, and sang it to them — right at them, the way you start a song when you want other people to finish it.

"Sing to the Lord! For he has triumphed gloriously!"

And back it came. Every woman on that shore sang the line straight back to her, tambourines ringing, bare feet kicking up the wet sand.

Miriam sang it again. Back it came, louder.

Again. Louder still — until the whole shore was one enormous song, going out and coming back like waves.

A few days ago they had been slaves. Now there was nothing behind them but water. And the very first thing they did with being free... was sing.

God was with Miriam in the reeds by the river, when she was small and watching a basket. God was with Miriam on the shore, when she was grown and dancing and loud.

And God was with him. God was with her. God is with you, too.

May the same God who gave a rescued people their very first song... be the reason you sing.