A Secret Bundle

A Secret in a Basket

Most big brothers and sisters help take care of the baby in the house or on the porch or in the yard. Can you imagine taking care of your baby brother while he's sleeping - in the RIVER? That happened once, to a big sister named Miriam. She took care of her baby brother, and it was no easy job. Because she lived long long ago - not in ORDINARY times. She lived in time of TROUBLE.

The trouble all began with a wicked king, called Pharaoh. The people of Israel lived in his land. They were God's people, and Pharaoh hated them. He made them all slaves, and had his soldiers beat them, to make them work hard. The harder they worked, the more they were beaten - and the more they were beaten, the stronger they grew!

"They grow stronger every day," said Pharaoh, and he ordered his soldiers to beat them harder. "They grow stronger than EVER," cried Pharaoh, and he gave an order -

"Every baby boy born to the people of Israel

shall be killed!"

What terrible news! It sent the people of Israel scurrying into their houses. Of course they already knew that Pharaoh hated them - but this! This was the worst news of all.


	Everybody listened.


	Mothers and fathers listened.


	And brothers and sisters listened.

There was one big sister and little brother who listened HARD. Their names were Miriam and Aaron. They listened hard, and then they went scurrying into THEIR house. For they HAD a brand new baby brother!

Miriam and Aaron and their mother looked at the baby.

There he lay all little and pink and sound asleep. Aaron was too little to understand - but Miriam and her mother both thought the same thing. "We must keep him QUIET," they thought - "so Pharaoh's soldiers won't know he's here!"

After that, taking care of their brother was no easy job. They fed him before he was even hungry - and they rocked him before he was even sleepy. They did EVERYTHING to keep him from crying. And every time the soldiers went by, they asked God to keep him from crying so he wouldn't be found.

Of course, the baby couldn't stay little and pink and sound asleep forever. He found his fingers and put them in his mouth - and gurgled. Then he got bigger and found his FEET and put them in his mouth - and SQUEALED. Then he got bigger, and kicked his blankets off - and LAUGHED! Something had to be done!

Miriam knew her mother would think of SOMETHING. But what her mother thought of, sent little prickles of fear right down Miriam's back! For this is what her mother did. She took some reeds, and wove a little basket, just like a cradle. She filled up the cracks with tar. "So it won't leak," she said.

"Leak?" said Miriam. "Where are you going to PUT him?"

"In the river," said her mother, and the prickles of fear came back again, up and down Miriam's back.

And sure enough - that's just what they did. Early the next morning they put baby Moses in the basket - and asked God to take care of him. Then they went down to the river and the mother waded out and tucked that little basket in among the tall grasses, called bulrushes, that were growing up out of the water.

"You stay close by," whispered Miriam's mother, "and watch him from the shore." And then she was gone.

Miriam watched and waited. She waited while the prickles of fear went up and down her back. She waited until -

VOICES!

Miriam held her breath. Were they soldiers? No - they were WOMEN'S voices! "Dear God," prayed Miriam, "take care of my baby brother, no matter WHAT happens!"

Miriam didn't know what WOULD happen, because the order from the king had been, "Every baby boy shall be killed!"

But she DID know that GOD was watching over that baby and that He would keep him safe.

THINK!

Miriam didn't know what was going to happen, but she trusted someone. Whom? That was a long time ago. Do you think we can trust the same one today? What are some times you didn't know what was going to happen, but you trusted God to help you?

A VERSE TO LEARN

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."

(I Peter 5:7)