I will Sing unto the Lord By Dr. Mary Hilgendorf 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’ (Exodus 15: 20-21). Are you familiar with the song that was written from these words in Exodus? I first heard the song when I would gather along with the rest of the young faculty of our Lutheran school at the home of Nelda Braunschweig for Sunday supper. Nelda and her girls sang this song joyfully united in spirit; their zeal and love for the Lord was so evident. In her youth, Miriam was the sister who watched over baby Moses when his mother hid him in a basket in the Nile River. The king of Egypt had proclaimed that Hebrew baby boys should be killed, but she protected her brother. It was this sister of Moses who spoke to Pharaoh’s daughter and offered to bring a Hebrew woman (Moses’ mother) to nurse him. As you read Exodus 2: 1-9, imagine the courage that it took for this young girl to watch over her baby brother and speak to Pharaoh’s daughter. In their adulthood, Miriam, Moses, and Aaron served as leaders of the Israelites. Miriam is described as a prophetess, and she is the first woman described that way in Scripture. When the armies of Pharaoh were closing in on the Israelites, the Lord allowed the Israelites to walk through the Red Sea on dry land before Pharaoh’s armies were vanquished in the rushing waters. Moses and the Israelites sang a song of celebration for the Lord’s intervention, but it was Miriam who led the women joyfully united in spirit in singing and dancing. Years have passed since I first learned Miriam’s song from Exodus; however, when the Braunschweig girls were singing it back then, I didn’t sing along with them. Why not? Since I could not sing as well as they could, I decided not to open my mouth at all. I’m quite sure the girls had no idea of the impact this song would still have on me years later. I continue to hum it in good times and in bad, but I also I have come to understand that my singing ability isn’t what matters anymore — just that I am singing along…unto the Lord! Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the young women of our church who courageously, eagerly, and joyfully sing Your praises. Fill us with Your Spirit so that we may freely and fervently sing praises to You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. Dr. Mary Hilgendorf is Director of the Women's Leadership Institute and Professor of Education at Concordia University Wisconsin.