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Meet Miriam
1Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi. 2The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months. 3But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a wicker basket and covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. 4His sister stood at a distance to find out what would happen to him. 5The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the Nile, with her maidens walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid, and she brought it to her. 6When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the boy was crying. And she had pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?” 8Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go ahead.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. And she named him Moses, and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.” – Exodus 2:1-10 ESV
- At this point in history, the salvation of the nation depends on Miriam as a young girl.
- When Miriam grows up she becomes a prophetess and a leader of the people (Exodus 15:20-21).
Miriam’s resentment
1Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); 2and they said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And the LORD heard it. 3(Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.) 4Suddenly the LORD said to Moses and Aaron and to Miriam, “You three come out to the tent of meeting.” So the three of them came out. 5Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the doorway of the tent, and He called Aaron and Miriam. When they had both come forward, 6He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. 7“Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household; 8With him I speak mouth to mouth, Even openly, and not in dark sayings, And he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant, against Moses?” 9So the anger of the LORD burned against them and He departed. 10But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. As Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she was leprous. 11Then Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, I beg you, do not account this sin to us, in which we have acted foolishly and in which we have sinned. 12“Oh, do not let her be like one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes from his mother’s womb!” 13Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “O God, heal her, I pray!” 14But the LORD said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut up for seven days outside the camp, and afterward she may be received again.” 15So Miriam was shut up outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until Miriam was received again. 16Afterward, however, the people moved out from Hazeroth and camped in the wilderness of Paran. – Numbers 12:1-16 ESV
- As Moses serves God, Miriam’s role is diminished. She resents it.
- Moses never wanted the glory (Numbers 11:26-29).
- Miriam resents the fact that her baby brother is eclipsing her.
- Miriam’s sin is a subtle, hidden sin of the heart, but it’s deadly.
- Leprosy does on the outside what resentment does on the inside.
- Resentment disfigures the soul. Leprosy disfigures the body.
- Resentment can cause others to stumble and fall, as Miriam drew Aaron into her bitterness. The Leprosy made the nation wait 7 days for Miriam.
- Resentment isolates us from others because we resent their gifts and their accomplishments. Leprosy forced Miriam into isolation in the wilderness.
- Miriam’s problem is that she was more focused on who got the glory rather than doing good.
The goal is to serve the our Lord and King. The goal is not fame and glory. We can accomplish a whole lot of good if we don’t care who gets the glory.
Please listen to the podcast for more detail and explanation.
For more detail and explanation, please listen to the podcast.
Next: 03 Understanding God’s Will – in the world
Previous: 01 Understanding God’s Will – as an individual
Series: Understanding God’s Will
Resources: Handout
Photo by Ben O’Sullivan on Unsplash
Podcast season 10, episode 12.
