Red Sea Band Descriptions:
Tamar, Rahab, Bathsheba, Mary and Hagar
Tamar on Snare Drum
Tamar became a pawn in the family of Judah (son of Jacob, brother of Joseph) when her husband died and she was denied her legal right to bear children with one of Judah’s other sons. They even mocked her request. She became a slave in Judah’s home. Desperate, Tamar took a risk and tricked Judah into having a child with her in a life threatening but successful plan. Judah, upon discovering how he had been tricked declared Tamar to be “More righteous than I.”
Tamar is honored in scripture as a distant grandmother of King David and Solomon and as one of only five women in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1.
Read more of her story in Genesis 38 and Matthew 1.
When I asked Tamar what instrument she wanted to play in the Red Sea Band, she said, with a shy smile, “How about the ‘snare’ drum.” She and I shared a poignant moment of sad relief. Oh what we have had to do to save our souls as women.
How do you respond to Tamar’s story and her icon image?
When have you taken a risk that you felt saved yourself, your soul?
How did God or other people affirm your choice?
Rahab on Trumpet
From her home behind Jericho’s walls Rahab, a harlot, housed and protected the two Israelite spies when they came scouting Jericho and Canaan. She put her life in jeopardy because she believed in their God and trusted them as men, which was hard for her with her troubled background. They promised her protection if she would hang a red cord from her window signifying where she lived when the Israelites surrounded Jericho to topple the walls. As a result of her kindness Joshua and the Israelites spared her life and the lives of her family.
Rahab ended up marrying Salmon, one of the spies, and she became the great great grandmother of David. She is honored in scripture as one of only five women in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1.
Read more of her story in Joshua 2-6, Matthew 1.
It was clear to Rahab which instrument she wanted to play in the Red Sea Band. The trumpet. She may have played it along with the Israelite bugle corps as the walls of Jericho came tumbling down.
How do you respond to Rahab’s story and her icon image?
When have you heard God ask you to take a risk to heal your own story?
Who has God placed in your life to help you heal?
Bathsheba on Jazz Saxophone
Bathsheba was secure in her marriage to Uriah, one of King David’s loyal military leaders. But David saw her from his balcony bathing privately and wanted her for himself so he had her husband deliberately killed in battle. The child he had with Bathsheba died as a result of his actions but Bathsheba eventually birthed Solomon. When the time came to select a new king she got a commitment from David to anoint Solomon and he became one of the wisest kings ever to rule Israel.
Bathsheba is honored in scripture as mother of Solomon and as one of only five women in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1.
Read more of her story in 2 Samuel 11-12, 1 Chronicles 3:4b-5, 1Kings 1:1-48, Song of Solomon 3:11, and Matthew 1.
Bathsheba endured many difficult things in her life and she told me that music was a way she expressed her pain. She chose to play the blues on her saxophone in the Red Sea Band.
How do you respond to Bathsheba’s story and her icon image?
When have you suffered as a result of someone having control over you?
How did you reclaim your own voice?
Mary as Lead Vocalist
Mary whispered “Yes” to the angel of God, to be the mother of Jesus, and lived a life she could never have imagined. First Joseph, her finance, had to decide whether to believe her story and marry her or cast her aside. Then she traveled to a distant town when she was nine months pregnant and later fled to Egypt to save the life of her infant. She watched as Jesus grew up and left home, then watched in amazement as he performed miracles. She bore enormous sadness observing at close range his suffering and death, then helped found the new movement based on his teachings.
Mary is one of the most revered and also the most complicated women in scripture. She is honored by being the ultimate and final woman in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1.
Read more of her story in Luke 1, 2, 8:19-21, Matthew 1, 2:10-21, John 2:1-5, 19:25-27, Acts 1:12-14.
When she told me she wanted to be the lead vocalist in the Red Sea Band I assumed she meant the soloist, like in a choir. “No” she said, “I mean lead vocalist, like in a rock band. Read my response to God when I accepted God’s invitation. These lyrics need to be belted out.” See Luke 1:46-55, for Mary’s Magnificat.
How do you respond to Mary’s story and her icon image?
When have you been obedient to God’s loving claim on your life?
What miracles and sad stories have formed you into a wise person?
Hagar on Bass Drum
Hagar was the Egyptian maidservant of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. Barren, Sarah had Abraham mate with Hagar, who birthed Ishmael. This changed the balance of power between the two women and caused great distress and resentment between them. So when Sarah surprisingly gave birth to Isaac she made Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael into the dessert to die. Angels intervened more than once when Hagar was in desperate straits and showed her a way to a future in which her son would thrive and be the father of many nations.
She will be known as the mother of Ishmael (which means God hears) and as one of the few people in the Bible that God spoke to directly (Gen. 16:13). She is highly revered in the Islamic faith.
Read more of her story in Genesis 16, 17:18-20, 21:8-21
Hagar asked to play the bass drum because it is a big and bold instrument which can be played softly or loudly. She wanted to tell her whole story including the very soft parts as well as the difficult and bold parts. She wants us to hear the pain, the cruelty, the redemption and the glory.
How do you respond to Hagar’s story and her icon image?
When have you been in difficult or even desperate situations in which God showed you a way to move forward?
What part of your story looked bleak but turned out to be a redeeming experience in your life?
Tamar became a pawn in the family of Judah (son of Jacob, brother of Joseph) when her husband died and she was denied her legal right to bear children with one of Judah’s other sons. They even mocked her request. She became a slave in Judah’s home. Desperate, Tamar took a risk and tricked Judah into having a child with her in a life threatening but successful plan. Judah, upon discovering how he had been tricked declared Tamar to be “More righteous than I.”
Tamar is honored in scripture as a distant grandmother of King David and Solomon and as one of only five women in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1.
Read more of her story in Genesis 38 and Matthew 1.
When I asked Tamar what instrument she wanted to play in the Red Sea Band, she said, with a shy smile, “How about the ‘snare’ drum.” She and I shared a poignant moment of sad relief. Oh what we have had to do to save our souls as women.
How do you respond to Tamar’s story and her icon image?
When have you taken a risk that you felt saved yourself, your soul?
How did God or other people affirm your choice?
Rahab on Trumpet
From her home behind Jericho’s walls Rahab, a harlot, housed and protected the two Israelite spies when they came scouting Jericho and Canaan. She put her life in jeopardy because she believed in their God and trusted them as men, which was hard for her with her troubled background. They promised her protection if she would hang a red cord from her window signifying where she lived when the Israelites surrounded Jericho to topple the walls. As a result of her kindness Joshua and the Israelites spared her life and the lives of her family.
Rahab ended up marrying Salmon, one of the spies, and she became the great great grandmother of David. She is honored in scripture as one of only five women in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1.
Read more of her story in Joshua 2-6, Matthew 1.
It was clear to Rahab which instrument she wanted to play in the Red Sea Band. The trumpet. She may have played it along with the Israelite bugle corps as the walls of Jericho came tumbling down.
How do you respond to Rahab’s story and her icon image?
When have you heard God ask you to take a risk to heal your own story?
Who has God placed in your life to help you heal?
Bathsheba on Jazz Saxophone
Bathsheba was secure in her marriage to Uriah, one of King David’s loyal military leaders. But David saw her from his balcony bathing privately and wanted her for himself so he had her husband deliberately killed in battle. The child he had with Bathsheba died as a result of his actions but Bathsheba eventually birthed Solomon. When the time came to select a new king she got a commitment from David to anoint Solomon and he became one of the wisest kings ever to rule Israel.
Bathsheba is honored in scripture as mother of Solomon and as one of only five women in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1.
Read more of her story in 2 Samuel 11-12, 1 Chronicles 3:4b-5, 1Kings 1:1-48, Song of Solomon 3:11, and Matthew 1.
Bathsheba endured many difficult things in her life and she told me that music was a way she expressed her pain. She chose to play the blues on her saxophone in the Red Sea Band.
How do you respond to Bathsheba’s story and her icon image?
When have you suffered as a result of someone having control over you?
How did you reclaim your own voice?
Mary as Lead Vocalist
Mary whispered “Yes” to the angel of God, to be the mother of Jesus, and lived a life she could never have imagined. First Joseph, her finance, had to decide whether to believe her story and marry her or cast her aside. Then she traveled to a distant town when she was nine months pregnant and later fled to Egypt to save the life of her infant. She watched as Jesus grew up and left home, then watched in amazement as he performed miracles. She bore enormous sadness observing at close range his suffering and death, then helped found the new movement based on his teachings.
Mary is one of the most revered and also the most complicated women in scripture. She is honored by being the ultimate and final woman in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1.
Read more of her story in Luke 1, 2, 8:19-21, Matthew 1, 2:10-21, John 2:1-5, 19:25-27, Acts 1:12-14.
When she told me she wanted to be the lead vocalist in the Red Sea Band I assumed she meant the soloist, like in a choir. “No” she said, “I mean lead vocalist, like in a rock band. Read my response to God when I accepted God’s invitation. These lyrics need to be belted out.” See Luke 1:46-55, for Mary’s Magnificat.
How do you respond to Mary’s story and her icon image?
When have you been obedient to God’s loving claim on your life?
What miracles and sad stories have formed you into a wise person?
Hagar on Bass Drum
Hagar was the Egyptian maidservant of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. Barren, Sarah had Abraham mate with Hagar, who birthed Ishmael. This changed the balance of power between the two women and caused great distress and resentment between them. So when Sarah surprisingly gave birth to Isaac she made Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael into the dessert to die. Angels intervened more than once when Hagar was in desperate straits and showed her a way to a future in which her son would thrive and be the father of many nations.
She will be known as the mother of Ishmael (which means God hears) and as one of the few people in the Bible that God spoke to directly (Gen. 16:13). She is highly revered in the Islamic faith.
Read more of her story in Genesis 16, 17:18-20, 21:8-21
Hagar asked to play the bass drum because it is a big and bold instrument which can be played softly or loudly. She wanted to tell her whole story including the very soft parts as well as the difficult and bold parts. She wants us to hear the pain, the cruelty, the redemption and the glory.
How do you respond to Hagar’s story and her icon image?
When have you been in difficult or even desperate situations in which God showed you a way to move forward?
What part of your story looked bleak but turned out to be a redeeming experience in your life?