The goal of this mini Bible study is simple: to let God speak on clear truth into your heart—and carry it with you throughout your day.

Just one thing to sit with. One truth to pray through. One reminder of His presence in the middle of your ordinary moments.

You don’t need an hour—just ten minutes to slow down, reflect, and let His Word refill what’s been poured out. If you’d like, you can download the printable guide (below) we created, or simply sit with the Scripture and let God speak.

Part One: Sit with the Scripture

Take a moment to read the passage slowly. Let the words settle. What stands out to you?

Exodus 2:1–6
1 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
2 And the woman conceived, and bore a son: and when she saw him that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.
3 And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with tar and with pitch, and put the child in it; and she laid it among the reeds by the river’s bank.
4 And his sister stood far off, to know what would be done to him.
5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it.
6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.

Take a breath and read it again. What do you notice?

Part Two: Reflect with Key Questions

Now let’s sit with a few deeper questions to help you pray through this passage:

1. What does this passage reveal about God? What can we learn about God’s providence in the quiet, behind-the-scenes moments of this story? How might God be working through seemingly ordinary people and actions—even a baby’s cry or a woman’s compassion?

1. How does this passage point to Christ or other aspects of salvation history? How does Moses’ rescue from the water echo Christ’s own role as a deliverer? Can you trace the theme of “being drawn out” (like Moses) in other moments of salvation history?

1. How does this passage point toward the ultimate reality of heaven and the fulfillment of God’s Kingdom? What does this story suggest about God’s care for the vulnerable—and how He uses unexpected people to accomplish His will? How does the preservation of Moses, hidden and protected, mirror the hidden ways God prepares His Kingdom even amid darkness and danger?

Part Three: Wisdom from the Church Fathers

From George Leo Haydock (1774–1849):

His sister, Mary, who was born at the beginning of this persecution, and was therefore called bitterness.

Summary: Haydock suggests that Miriam (whose name is also translated as Mary) was born right when Pharaoh intensified his oppression of the Hebrews, eventually even decreeing that all Hebrew male infants be killed. So Miriam is born at a time that marks the onset of a bitter time in Israel’s history. This ties her life—and even her name—into the narrative of suffering and deliverance. Just as Moses would be the deliverer, Miriam is portrayed as one whose very existence is interwoven with Israel’s suffering. Even her name Miriam/Mary is linked to the Hebrew root “mar” meaning bitter. Haydock reads this etymologically and theologically—seeing her name as a reflection of the national mood and spiritual trial of the Hebrew people at the time. There’s also a symbolic richness here: Mary/Miriam, as a name tied to bitterness, becomes a precursor to Mary, the mother of Jesus—who would also suffer in union with the redemptive mission of Christ, sometimes being called the “Mother of Sorrows.

From Theodoret of Cyrus (c. 393–466 AD):

Pharaoh’s daughter knew Moses was a Hebrew because he was circumcised—a visible sign of God’s covenant. At the time, Egyptians were not yet circumcised, though they later adopted the practice. Theodoret sees this recognition as a marker of identity and a sign that even outsiders could recognize God’s chosen people.

Summary: Theodoret of Cyrus explains that Pharaoh’s daughter recognized Moses as a Hebrew because he was circumcised—a visible sign of God’s covenant with Israel. At that time, Egyptians were not yet practicing circumcision, though some later adopted it without true conversion.

Part Four: A Moment of Personal Reflection

Here we have two important women—Miriam and Pharaoh’s daughter—in Biblical history. They stand on either side of a river that symbolizes both death and deliverance. The daughter of persecuted Hebrews, stands and watches over baby brother, courageous and hopeful. The other, a princess of Egypt, is moved to mercy at this baby in a basket. She defies her father’s decree to rescue him from the waters.

They are so different and yet both are instruments in God’s unfolding plan of salvation. Miriam, whose very name speaks of sorrow and suffering, becomes an early image of those who remain faithful in the midst of oppression. Pharaoh’s daughter, though raised in a pagan palace, responds to the stirrings of grace and chooses life. Together, they remind us that God often works through unexpected people—across boundaries, through sorrow, and by the quiet bravery of women who choose compassion, courage, and mercy over fear.

Take a few moments to reflect on what you’ve learned from this study today. Ask yourself these questions.

God used both a faithful Hebrew girl and a compassionate pagan princess to protect Moses. How does this challenge my assumptions about whom God can work through? Who might I be overlooking?

Do I see myself more in Miriam—watching, waiting, hoping—or in Pharaoh’s daughter—intervening, acting, and choosing compassion? What might God be inviting me to do next?

Lord, thank You for working through both sorrow and compassion to bring about Your saving plan. Help us trust You in the bitter places, act with compassion when it counts, and live with hearts anchored in Your faithfulness. Amen.

Ready to Go Deeper?

Miriam’s story is just one thread in a much bigger tapestry—woven with the lives of women who fought, wept, led, waited, and believed. In Warriors, Mothers, Queens: Old Testament Women Who Prepare the Way, you’ll meet women of the Old Testament who prefigure Mary and prepare the way for Christ.

Their stories may not mention Mary by name, but they reveal her heart. And as you color, reflect, and pray your way through these pages—with your children, friends, or a cup of tea in hand—you’ll come to know Mary and Jesus more deeply than ever before.