Walking Among Them: Miriam

The object of this study is to take some time out of our busy, often chaotic days and spend some time with women who have gone before us. Not just any women, but 26 women of the Bible. We’ll “Walk Among Them” and see how their stories relate to our lives. It’s my hope that we will discover God’s presence and grace in our own lives as the lives and lessons of these women unfold before us this year.

Miriam had a front row seat. As Jochebed was the mother of Moses, Miriam had the privilege of being his sister. From the beginning she played a part in God’s plan. We watch her as she saves her baby brother from certain death with courage, we exalt with her as she sings and dances in praise to God. As we journey with her, Miriam’s humanness is revealed to us as we see her wrestle with issues of pride and disobedience and finally we meet Miriam as she faces death in a waterless place. Miriam’s story is our story. Miriam’s was unmistakably full of life. She demonstrated the spectrum of emotions, not unlike us modern women of today. The lessons we can glean from Miriam are plentiful and this promises to be an unforgettable walk, with an unforgettable Biblical woman.

Miriam’s story can be broken into four phases, and as much as I wish there were many, many more details of Miriam’s life laid out on the pages of Scripture we have to discern what we can from what we are given. Miriam was only a little girl when she is asked to assist her mother in an act that changes the history. Unknowingly Miriam’s courage leads Moses back into the arms of his birth mother.

“Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.” Exodus 2:1

Shortly after the baby is found by Pharaoh’s daughter, Miriam cleverly brings Jochebed to Moses as a woman to nurse him. (Moses’ life was saved by these two women in his life!) Although a child, her courage is an example still today. She took the courage of her mother and used it to ultimately save her brother’s life.

As time go on, Moses grows up, and so does Miriam. We next hear of her in Exodus 15:20 after the Israelites cross the Sea. Imagine the sight! The chariots of the Egyptians are falling into the sea and finally, there is time for joyous outbursts of praise!

“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 it’s rider, He has hurled into the sea.”

Exodus 15:20-21

Miriam was doing the “happy dance” to say the least! Her expression of JOY is clearly felt when we read this passage. It’s just pure, unadulterated JOY! In these days, as in many primitive cultures today, ritual singing and dancing was common. It was an acceptable form of celebration and this was certainly a time of unimaginable joy, after years of suffering.

The initial joy and feelings of exuberance died down over time. Wandering in a desert will do that to people. As they searched for the Promised Land, Miriam began to have a few questions regarding the woman Moses married and Moses’ authority over her and Aaron. After all, Moses was the youngest of the three and God communicated with all three of them, why then did Moses have authority over them?

“Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this. (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) At 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 came out. Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud; He stood at the entrance to the Tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them stepped forward, he said, “Listen to my words,”

“When a prophet of the Lord is among you,

I reveal myself to him in visions,

I speak to him in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house.

With 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?”

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

Numbers 12:1-9

Then it happened. Miriam was struck with leprosy for her pride and insubordination. Leprosy wasn’t pretty; it was a horrific disease that caused the afflicted to be separated from the group, for seven days. Miriam was an outcast and her brothers pleaded to the Lord on her behalf. (Numbers 12:10-16) Miriam was healed but we can imagine her time spent away was reflective and repentant. Often the question is asked as to why Aaron was spared? Scripture doesn’t reveal that to us, but we have the confidence that God knows why. The father saw the entire event unfold and we have to understand that God punished justly the right person. God was continuing to mold Miriam.

As Miriam grows older, she dies before the Israelites enter the Promised Land.

“In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried. Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord…Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. The Lord said to Moses, “Take the staff and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out it’s water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”

Numbers 20:1-5

Miriam’s life was certainly a FULL one. Like ours. She had moments of triumph and periods of reflection and repentance. As we reflect on Miriam let us pray that God opens our eyes to the lessons that are revealed for us in our own lives through this amazing woman of the Bible.

With each woman that we study, I’ll have some thoughts and ideas for reflection, meditation and journaling that will be called “Reflections from the Walk.” It’s in Walking Among Them that we can learn lessons that we can take with us on our daily walks.

Reflections from the Walk:

1. As Miriam’s life unfolds, we see a number of characteristics surface. Spend some time and reflect on your own life in regards to Miriam’s. Do you see yourself at all in her?

• In her courage?
• In her joy?
• In her worship?
• In her disobedience?
• In her humility?

2. Miriam’s story begins with her being a part of God’s plan from the beginning. God has a plan for each of us. Can you reflect back on your own life and see the hand of God while you were unaware of what God was doing?

3. Dancing…it’s clear in the Old Testament that dancing was for celebration and rejoicing, for joyous times. When the Red Sea parted and the Israelites passed through the wall of water, they made it safely to the other side, while the chariots of the Egyptians were engulfed by the walls of water. It was a CLOSE CALL! Imagine for a moment that YOU were there. Imagine the fear, imagine the JOY as you realize that you are safe and free. Miriam grabs her tambourine and DANCES! Miriam couldn’t contain her JOY! Dancing was a natural reaction to her emotions. God created these bodies of ours to move and praise HIM! We too are overcome with joy at times in our lives.

• Think of times when you felt the most joy, what was your reaction to the joy?
• Have you ever been “overcome” with JOY? What did that lead you to do? Was your joy ever in a worship experience?

4. Miriam found herself banished for seven days for questioning the authority of Moses. Why did Miriam have such trouble with Moses’ wife? How would you have reacted?

Miriam had to face the punishment set by God and live for seven days with leprosy. She had time to repent and ask God for forgiveness. Most of us have never been “banished outside of our communities,” however; most of us have committed sins of pride. Spend some time thinking of the times in your life when you needed to “be away” from the group to “think” about your actions.

• What lessons did you learn from “looking inward?”
• Is there a sin that you have committed that has had consequences? Journal your personal experience.

5. Re~read the Scripture verses in which Miriam is mentioned. In our modern world, we see the same behaviors going on, either in society or in our own lives. Think about those characteristics, good and bad and where they are evident in your own life and family.

6. As we have done with several women we’ve walked with, we’ll revisit this quote by Phillip Graham Ryken:

“The weaknesses we see in the people of the Bible are the very weaknesses we ought to recognize in ourselves. Live Eve who ate the forbidden fruit we are vulnerable to temptation when we act on our own. Like Abraham, who lied about his wife to save his neck, we are vulnerable to temptation when we are scared. Like David, who slept with Bathsheba while his men were off to war, we are vulnerable to temptation when we are idle. Like Elijah, who wanted God to end his life, we are vulnerable to temptation when we are exhausted. Like Peter, who denied his Lord even after he promised to die for him, we are vulnerable to temptation when we are overconfident. In other words, we are vulnerable to temptation practically all the time.”

What was Miriam vulnerable to? Why? What do you and Miriam have in common and what did you take away from your walk with her?

Join me on March 28, 2009 as we Walk with Ruth.

Lori is a 5 year homeschool mom to 3. Currently a 8th grader, a 6th grader and a 4th grader. Lori insists that when she was wrestling with the decision to home school, a gentle voice guided her with the words, “you know what you should do.” Never looking back, accepting the challenges and rewards and CONSTANTLY clinging to THE ROCK…”No Storm can shake my inmost calm when to this ROCK I’m clinging.” Lori hopes to impart peace and inspiration amidst the daily chaos. Be sure to visit her blog at All You Have to Give.

Tags: Bible study, book study, christian living, Christian Women, devotional, Encouragement, Miriam, Scripture, Walking Among Them

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