Miriam's Faith and Doubt

4I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam. (Micah 6:4)

19When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen^e went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. 20Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. 21Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.” (Exodus 15:19-21)

1Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite.2“Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lordheard this.

3(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)

4At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out. 5Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them stepped forward, 6he said, “Listen to my words: “When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams. 7But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. 8With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

9The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them.

10When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s skin was leprous^a —it became as white as snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease, 11and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. 12Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.”

13So Moses cried out to the Lord, “Please, God, heal her!” (Numbers 12)

Thoughts: Miriam was an interesting character.  She followed Moses when he was a baby in a basket to assure his safety.  She was bold enough to speak to the Princess of Egypt so that Moses would be nursed by his own mother.  She was a poet and wrote one of the most ancient songs we have in existence (Exodus 15:21) in celebration of what God had done for His people.  But later she spoke against Moses' marriage to a Cushite- a non-Israelite who was black in skin.  Because of her usurpation of authority her skin was turned white through leprosy for seven days.  Miriam repented but died not long after this event.  Miriam was, like every witness, flawed.  Like Peter, she was a great example- singing praise to God.  She risked everything for her brother's safety, but much later she and her brother Aaron questioned Moses' authority out of jealousy and a desire for their own power. God leaves no room for pride against Moses' humility.
         Miriam is both an example and a warning.  She is an example of risk for faith and rejoicing in faith.  But she is a wanring to not let pride destroy the work we do for God.

Prayer: Lord, help me to learn from great examples and be warned of pride.  May your grace rest upon me.