Character Needed -Bible Sketches 15

CHARACTER NEEDED – BIBLE SKETCHES

Character Needed, by Robert Allen, published by Regular Baptist Press, includes 33 skits illustrating the truths of each of the verses in Proverbs 15.  These Character Needed – Bible Sketches are designed to accompany those contemporary plays, illustrating the same character traits by use of a Bible story.  

CHARACTER NEEDED

  

MIRIAM’S GOOD DAY

Proverbs 15:15

Exodus 2:1-10

Character Trait:  Joy

Cast of Characters

                                    Narrator

                                    Jochebed

                                    Miriam

                                    Princess

NARRATOR:             The sun was shining brightly in the land of Egypt that day.  The swallows were singing and the lotus flowers were raising their petals to the warmth of the summer sun.  But Miriam was not happy.  How could she be happy when her mother was in the house crying?

MIRIAM:                   Mother, why are you crying?

JOCHEBED:              Oh, Miriam.  The most terrible thing has happened.  Pharoah has decided that all the baby boys born to the Hebrews have to be killed.  He has announced that they must all be thrown into the Nile River and drowned.

MIRIAM:                   But why, Mother?

JOCHEBED:              It’s a long story.  We Hebrews are God’s people.  Many of us have forgotten God, but He has not forgotten us.  We don’t really belong here in Egypt.  We have another land that God has given to us.  Pharoah knows about this, but he doesn’t want us to leave Egypt because we do so much work for him.  He hates us and doesn’t want us to be strong.  So he said we have to kill all the baby boys.

MIRIAM:                   Even Moses?

JOCHEBED:              Yes, Miriam, even Moses.  But I just don’t see how we can do that.

MIRIAM:                   But I love Moses.  God has given him to us.  How can we throw him into the river?

JOCHEBED:              Let’s pray and ask God to protect Moses.  He did give Moses to us, and He is able to take care of him now.

NARRATOR:             So Miriam and her mother prayed.  And while they were praying, her mother had an idea.

JOCHEBED:              Miriam, run quickly down to the river and pick some bulrushes.  We’re going to make a boat for your brother.

NARRATOR:             Quickly Miriam ran down to the River Nile.  It was a wide river and deep, but along the edge were shallow ponds full of bulrushes.  Hurriedly, Miriam made a big pile of the rushes and started home with them balanced on top of her head.

JOCHEBED:              Very good.  Now go out behind the house where your father keeps his tools and bring me some pitch.

NARRATOR:             Again Miriam ran.  When she came back into the house, her mother was already fashioning a rough boat.  It looked like one of the baskets in which they carried their bread when they went to market.

JOCHEBED:              We need to put the pitch all over the boat so the water can’t get in.  And then we’re going to do just what Pharoah commanded.

MIRIAM:                   Kill Moses?

JOCHEBED:              No.  Throw him in the river.  We’re just going to put him in the basket first so he won’t drown.  Then we need to pray.  I know God will take care of him.

MIRIAM:                   What a great idea.

NARRATOR:             When the boat was ready they but baby Moses inside.  Then they carried that basket right through the streets of the city, right past the Egyptian soldiers, and placed it into the waters of the Nile near the shore, among the rushes.

JOCHEBED:              Now, Miriam.  You stay here and see what God does to protect your little brother.  I have to go back to the house so the soldiers won’t get suspicious.  But if anything happens, you come and get me.

NARRATOR:             Miriam had just started to watch the little basket bobbing on the water of the Nile when a beautiful chariot stopped.  Walking behind the chariot were six beautiful ladies all dressed in white shimmering robes.  Within the chariot sat a beautiful woman in a tall crown which looked like it was sitting on a golden falcon.  Around her neck were rows and rows of golden beads.  Miriam knew who she was.  It was Pharoah’s daughter, the princess.  If she found Moses she would surely kill him as her father had commanded.  Just then, Moses started crying.

PRINCESS:                Listen!  Isn’t that a baby crying?  Maid, go out and get that basket.  There must be a baby inside.

NARRATOR:             One of the maids lifted the basket and brought it back to shore.  Gently she opened the top so the princess could look inside.

PRINCESS:                It is a baby.  A little boy.  It’s one of the Hebrew children.  I think I’ll keep him for my own son.

NARRATOR:             As soon as Miriam realized the princess was not going to harm her brother, she ran out from where she was hiding.

MIRIAM:                   Excuse me, your highness, but would you like me to find a nurse for the baby?

PRINCESS:                That’s a great idea.  I’ll need someone to take care of him for me.  You run along and bring someone back here who knows bow to care for babies.

NARRATOR:             Miriam had never run so fast in all her life.  Through the field, up the road, and into their own house.

MIRIAM:                   Mother, Mother, come quickly.

NARRATOR:             She grabbed her mother’s hand and was out of the house before even taking a breath.  She almost pulled her all the way back to the river.

PRINCESS:                Will you take this child and raise him for me?  I found him in the river and I want him to be my own son.  But I need someone to care for him.  Would you be willing to do that?

JOCHEBED:              I certainly will.

PRINCESS:                Good.  It’s settled then.   You take care of him in your own home until I send for him.  And I’ll see to it that you are paid out of the Pharoah’s own money.

NARRATOR:             Miriam was so happy when she walked back up to the house carrying the basket with baby Moses inside.  God was using the princess of Egypt to protect her little brother.  They didn’t need to worry about the soldiers.   God had answered their prayer.  The sun was still shining, the swallows were still singing and lotus flowers were still blooming.  But now there was sunshine in Miriam’s heart too.