Miriam is one of my favourite characters in all the scriptures. She was an amazing woman to say the least!
Known most commonly as: first, the sister of Moses who followed her little brother as he floated down the Nile, and negotiated her own mother a wet nurse for the baby. And second, as the woman who spoke against the prophet and was consequently struck with leprosy and exiled without the camp for a week. This is a very bleak and loathsome assessment of one of the greatest Elias' and Prophetess' in the history of Israel.
From her youth, Miriam was gifted of the Lord. She was a prophetess in every meaning of the word. She became very well known and trusted among Israel as one who talks with God, and with whom God speaks back.
As a young girl, Miriam prophesied that her mother Yochaved would bare a son who would be a saviour to the Israelites then in Egyptian captivity.
Traditionally, Miriam was at least seven years old when her little brother Moses was born, and at this time the Egyptians were killing all the baby boys. Yochaved was distraught and knew not what to do with her new born baby. Miriam was instructed of the Lord and told her parents to place Moses in an ark and float him down the Nile and God would take care of him. Because Miriam was so trusted as a prophetess, and Yochaved was desperate, her mother harkened to the child Miriam and entrusted Moses to the Lord.
Miriam indeed followed Moses and watched as her little brother was plucked from the river by Pharaoh's sister, who has a unique story herself. According to legend, Bithiah drew the baby forth from the river and adopted him. Interestingly, the sister of Pharaoh was suffering of a disease and went to the river Nile, which of course flowed from the Gods, to wash and be healed. At that time she and her maids found the basket which contained the babe Moses, and since the Nile flowed from the Gods who was she to refuse such a gift. As Bithiah picked up the baby, she was healed of her infirmity.
Miriam was no coward and quickly approached Pharaoh's sister, offering to find a wet nurse for the baby. Bithiah agreed and Moses was saved. Miriam's prophesy was fulfilled.
As Moses grew, he found favour in the eyes of Pharaoh, but that did not save him when he came to the defence of a fellow Israelite, and killed the Egyptian attacker. For this crime, the penalty was death, so Moses fled. Gone for many years, and all but forgotten by his people, who would accept him upon his return?
Meanwhile, Miriam became so well known in Israel that all of Israel knew her as a prophetess, and called her Whisperer, because she whispered the hidden things of God. All Israel would come to Miriam to hear the voice of the Lord. And when Moses finally returned, it was Miriam who proclaimed him the Saviour of their people, sent of the Lord. It was because of Miriam that Moses was accepted. Miriam was the Elias who prepared the people for the return of Moses, the deliverance of the Lord.
I hope that so far, I have shown Miriam in her true light, as an undisputed prophetess and Elias. It saddens me that our current culture at large has such a tremendously low opinion of women, and especially women holding any sort of place above a man before the Lord. In the following paragraphs, I hope to show Miriam in her true standing before the Lord, and how the Lord not only thought of Miriam as His very own daughter, but entreated her as such, honouring her above most all other prophets in history.
Miriam (Part II)
So often quoted as proof that Miriam was just a woman and less in the eyes of God, was the incident when Miriam and Aaron were murmuring against Moses. After speaking derogatory of Moses, the Lord strikes Miriam with leprosy and banishes her from the camp for a week, although nothing happens to her cohort Aaron. The fact that Miriam was punished and not Aaron in no way signifies that God thinks less of women than of men. In fact, anyone who thinks this way knows nothing of God. Do not believe them on any point!
God is no respecter of persons, and anyone who does the will of God is accepted by Him.
The reason why Miriam was punished so severely for speaking against Moses, was because she was a prophetess and was so highly regarded by the people of Israel. Because she was the Elias and named her brother the deliverer, she could influence the people and unname him. Because she was so trusted by the people, they would listen to whatever she said. This meant that she had to be punished before the people, to show that God was not with her in her condemnation of her brother. Aaron was not punished, because comparatively he was not as highly regarded by Israel. Aaron was a great man, and a prophet in his own right, yet he was not as favoured of the Lord as Miriam.
On a side note, the Lord showed a great example of His mercy to Miriam, how His presence can not only heal the body of it's infirmities, but also heal the soul. As Miriam suffered without the camp, all Israel mourned her and plead with the Lord for her. And as Miriam was stricken with leprosy, when the Lord came to her in person at the end of her seven days, she was instantly healed. By this lesson we learn that if Moses had done anything wrong in his life, he stands in the presence of God and has been healed of his infirmities. What a beautiful lesson this story teaches, and what mercy the Lord had on Miriam now being purified, not only from leprosy, but from the taint which was on her soul.
According to the Law of God, when a person who has been struck by leprosy had been cured, that person must present themselves to the Priest and be inspected and pronounced clean prior to being let back into society. But the Lord God of Heaven, out of His own mouth, pronounced Miriam His very own daughter, and that no mortal man would inspect her. He Himself, would come in person and pronounce his daughter clean. Now, does this sound like Miriam was worth any less than a man???? No, of course not.
God is no respector of persons, and anyone who does the will of God is accepted by Him.
This post is part of a series of posts on Women in the Priesthood.
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