Verses: Exodus 2:1-10, Exodus 15:20-21, Numbers 12:1-16, Numbers 20:1, Numbers 26:59, Deuteronomy 24:9, Micah 6:4
Background –
parents, husband, children, siblings
Miriam was the older sister of Moses. They had one other brother - Aaron, who was also older than Moses. Their parents were Amram and Jochebed. There is no mention in the Bible that she ever married or had children of her own.
Miriam was the older sister of Moses. They had one other brother - Aaron, who was also older than Moses. Their parents were Amram and Jochebed. There is no mention in the Bible that she ever married or had children of her own.
What is she
most known for? Victories?
Defeats? How can I be
like her? How can I
avoid being like her?
When I think of Miriam, I first picture a sister watching over her baby brother. Most commentaries agreed that she was ten to twelve years old, but could have been as young as seven. Still a child herself, but old enough to be trusted to look out for Moses. She was "at some distance from the place where the ark was, that she might not be observed and be thought to belong to it, and yet so near as to observe what became of it, which was the intent of her standing there." (John Gill) It doesn't say how long she watched and waited but she was there when Pharaoh's daughter pulled Moses out of the water. God used Miriam in a way He couldn't have used their mother. She appeared and was able to get their own mother to nurse him.
The rest of chapter 2 and chapters 3 through 5 of Exodus tell of Moses, his journey to the backside of the desert, his call and return to Egypt. Where was Miriam during this time? She was in bondage, a slave of Egypt. Exodus 7:7 says, "And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh." Which means Miriam was also in her 80s or possibly in her 90s. The story continues with plagues, the first passover, escape from Egypt, the pillar of cloud by day, the pillar of cloud by night, and finally crossing the Red Sea.
Chapter 15 opens with rejoicing! "Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD!" Verse 20 says, "And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand." "Miriam was a prophetess, having a gift of teaching and instructing, and even of foretelling things to come; for the Lord spoke by her as well as by Moses and Aaron, and she, with them, were the leaders of the people of Israel, sent to them of the Lord." (John Gill) "She is called the sister of Aaron, most probably to indicate her special position as coordinate, not with Moses the leader of the nation, but with his chief aid and instrument." (Albert Barnes)
Not only did Miriam take a timbrel in her hand, but she led the women of Israel. I do wonder if she was among the oldest women who left Egypt. She was at least one who had suffered many years under the cruel hand of the Egyptians. Free at last she sang of the Lord's great triumph!
When I think of Miriam, I first picture a sister watching over her baby brother. Most commentaries agreed that she was ten to twelve years old, but could have been as young as seven. Still a child herself, but old enough to be trusted to look out for Moses. She was "at some distance from the place where the ark was, that she might not be observed and be thought to belong to it, and yet so near as to observe what became of it, which was the intent of her standing there." (John Gill) It doesn't say how long she watched and waited but she was there when Pharaoh's daughter pulled Moses out of the water. God used Miriam in a way He couldn't have used their mother. She appeared and was able to get their own mother to nurse him.
The rest of chapter 2 and chapters 3 through 5 of Exodus tell of Moses, his journey to the backside of the desert, his call and return to Egypt. Where was Miriam during this time? She was in bondage, a slave of Egypt. Exodus 7:7 says, "And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh." Which means Miriam was also in her 80s or possibly in her 90s. The story continues with plagues, the first passover, escape from Egypt, the pillar of cloud by day, the pillar of cloud by night, and finally crossing the Red Sea.
Chapter 15 opens with rejoicing! "Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD!" Verse 20 says, "And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand." "Miriam was a prophetess, having a gift of teaching and instructing, and even of foretelling things to come; for the Lord spoke by her as well as by Moses and Aaron, and she, with them, were the leaders of the people of Israel, sent to them of the Lord." (John Gill) "She is called the sister of Aaron, most probably to indicate her special position as coordinate, not with Moses the leader of the nation, but with his chief aid and instrument." (Albert Barnes)
Not only did Miriam take a timbrel in her hand, but she led the women of Israel. I do wonder if she was among the oldest women who left Egypt. She was at least one who had suffered many years under the cruel hand of the Egyptians. Free at last she sang of the Lord's great triumph!
Did she
reach a place when she needed to reset?
If so, did she? For good or evil?
Numbers chapter 12 records Miriam in need of a serious reset. As far as I can tell, the children of Israel had been in the wilderness for a year or two when Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses. This happened before the twelve spies were sent and before the forty years of wandering.
Albert Barnes explained it this way, "Miriam, as a prophetess no less than as the sister of Moses and Aaron, took the first rank among the women of Israel; and Aaron may be regarded as the ecclesiastical head of the whole nation. But instead of being grateful for these high dignities they challenged the special vocation of Moses and the exclusive authority which God had assigned to him. Miriam was the instigator, from the fact that her name stands conspicuously first, and that the punishment fell on her alone. She probably considered herself as supplanted, and that too by a foreigner."
It was not Moses who rebuked Miriam, but God Himself. He called the three of them together. God does not mention Moses' wife, the supposed reason for their complaining. God tells them who His chosen prophet is. Verse 9 says, "And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed." Miriam and Aaron were not given an opportunity to complain or explain. God had His say and there was nothing for them to say.
Judgment was swift as "Miriam became leprous, white as snow." "The cloud departed, and Miriam became leprous. When God goes, evil comes: expect no good when God departs. Her foul tongue, was justly punished with a foul face." (Matthew Henry)
Aaron said to Moses, "Let her not be as one dead." "Leprosy was nothing short of a living death, a poisoning of the springs, a corrupting of all the humors, of life; a dissolution little by little of the whole body, so that one limb after another actually decayed and fell away." (Albert Barnes) God does not take it lightly when we talk against His man. This was serious business. Moses prayed for her healing, and God allowed it, but not until she was shut outside the camp for seven days. I believe that Miriam was repentant before God and Moses that day or she would not have been healed and restored.
The next time we read of Miriam is in Numbers chapter 20. Decades have passed. Matthew Henry said it was the thirty eighth year of marching, John Gill said it was in the fortieth. She would not see the promise land. "Miriam the prophetess dies; this character of testimony is closed. Israel grows old, so to speak, in the wilderness; and the voice which sang songs of triumph in coming up from the depths of the Red Sea is silent in the tomb." (John Nelson Darby)
"She was a prophetess, and had been an instrument of much good to Israel. When Moses and Aaron with their rod went before them, to work wonders for them, Miriam with her timbrel went before them in praising God for these wondrous works, and therein did them real service; yet she had once been a murmurer, and must not enter Canaan." (Matthew Henry)
I searched for Miriam's age at the time of her death. Several places said she was 127, just seven years older than Moses. The Bible doesn't record it, so I'm not really sure, but in my searching I found a beautiful summary:
"Water, the symbol of life, had played quite a large part in Miriam's life. She saved her brother from the water; she led the song of victory after the parting of the Red Sea; she died in a waterless place. Immediately after her death, God gave abundant water to the people, in the form of a spring." (Elizabeth Fletcher)
Numbers chapter 12 records Miriam in need of a serious reset. As far as I can tell, the children of Israel had been in the wilderness for a year or two when Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses. This happened before the twelve spies were sent and before the forty years of wandering.
Albert Barnes explained it this way, "Miriam, as a prophetess no less than as the sister of Moses and Aaron, took the first rank among the women of Israel; and Aaron may be regarded as the ecclesiastical head of the whole nation. But instead of being grateful for these high dignities they challenged the special vocation of Moses and the exclusive authority which God had assigned to him. Miriam was the instigator, from the fact that her name stands conspicuously first, and that the punishment fell on her alone. She probably considered herself as supplanted, and that too by a foreigner."
It was not Moses who rebuked Miriam, but God Himself. He called the three of them together. God does not mention Moses' wife, the supposed reason for their complaining. God tells them who His chosen prophet is. Verse 9 says, "And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed." Miriam and Aaron were not given an opportunity to complain or explain. God had His say and there was nothing for them to say.
Judgment was swift as "Miriam became leprous, white as snow." "The cloud departed, and Miriam became leprous. When God goes, evil comes: expect no good when God departs. Her foul tongue, was justly punished with a foul face." (Matthew Henry)
Aaron said to Moses, "Let her not be as one dead." "Leprosy was nothing short of a living death, a poisoning of the springs, a corrupting of all the humors, of life; a dissolution little by little of the whole body, so that one limb after another actually decayed and fell away." (Albert Barnes) God does not take it lightly when we talk against His man. This was serious business. Moses prayed for her healing, and God allowed it, but not until she was shut outside the camp for seven days. I believe that Miriam was repentant before God and Moses that day or she would not have been healed and restored.
The next time we read of Miriam is in Numbers chapter 20. Decades have passed. Matthew Henry said it was the thirty eighth year of marching, John Gill said it was in the fortieth. She would not see the promise land. "Miriam the prophetess dies; this character of testimony is closed. Israel grows old, so to speak, in the wilderness; and the voice which sang songs of triumph in coming up from the depths of the Red Sea is silent in the tomb." (John Nelson Darby)
"She was a prophetess, and had been an instrument of much good to Israel. When Moses and Aaron with their rod went before them, to work wonders for them, Miriam with her timbrel went before them in praising God for these wondrous works, and therein did them real service; yet she had once been a murmurer, and must not enter Canaan." (Matthew Henry)
I searched for Miriam's age at the time of her death. Several places said she was 127, just seven years older than Moses. The Bible doesn't record it, so I'm not really sure, but in my searching I found a beautiful summary:
"Water, the symbol of life, had played quite a large part in Miriam's life. She saved her brother from the water; she led the song of victory after the parting of the Red Sea; she died in a waterless place. Immediately after her death, God gave abundant water to the people, in the form of a spring." (Elizabeth Fletcher)
One final mention of Miriam is found in Micah 6:4, "For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam." "God sent Moses to give the best laws; Aaron to pray for the people; Miriam as an example to the women of Israel." (A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments by Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown) And what an example she was! Even after her murmuring, she didn't become bitter but humbled herself and continued on the journey.
