2023_05_29 Insight Post- Kim Feld

“While they were there, Miriam died and was buried.”
Numbers 20:1b, NLT

Family dynamics are often complicated. Miriam had played a considerable role in Moses’ life. Numbers 26:59 and 1 Chronicles 6:3 tell us that Amram and Jochebed were the parents of Aaron, Moses, and Miriam, so we first met Miriam as the big sister to baby Moses in Exodus 2. She watched over her little brother and, when he was discovered by Pharoah’s daughter, Miriam suggested that a Hebrew woman (her mother) nurse the baby. The plan was agreed upon and even resulted in income for Moses’ mother! After he was weaned, Moses was adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter and grew up in the king’s household.

In Exodus 15, we read that Miriam was a prophet and led the women in praise after God’s dramatic deliverance through the Red Sea. The prophet Micah speaks for the Lord and lists Miriam, Moses, and Aaron as being sent to lead the people out of slavery. Let’s take a look at Micah 6:4 (NLT):

“For I brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from slavery. I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you.”

So how is it that there is one sentence about Miriam’s death and burial with no time of mourning for the people recorded? We read about the people’s complaining in Numbers 11 that resulted in enormous amounts of quail and judgment. Then their rebellion in Numbers 14 when the spies were sent to scout the promised land and the people refused to enter. But our reading plan didn’t cover the rebellion of Miriam and Aaron in Numbers 12. So, let’s take a look at verses 1-8:

“While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cushite woman. ² They said, ‘Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?’ But the Lord heard them. ³ (Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth.) ⁴ So immediately the Lord called to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam and said, ‘Go out to the Tabernacle, all three of you!’ So the three of them went to the Tabernacle. ⁵ Then the Lord descended in the pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle. ‘Aaron and Miriam!’ he called, and they stepped forward. ⁶ And the Lord said to them, ‘Now listen to what I say:

If there were prophets among you, I, the Lord, would reveal myself in visions. I would speak to them in dreams. ⁷ But not with my servant Moses. Of all my house, he is the one I trust.
⁸ I speak to him face to face, clearly, and not in riddles! He sees the Lord as he is So why were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses?’”

The fact that Moses was married to a Cushite woman may have been the first criticism tossed out. Still, I think their comments had more to do with jealousy over Moses’ position. The result of their words was Miriam being struck with leprosy. Moses prayed for her healing which God did, but not before insisting that she be exiled from the camp for seven days. Since Miriam was given leprosy, but Aaron wasn’t, I assume she was the instigator of this grumbling against Moses. Because no formal grieving period after her death is stated in the text, it seems reasonable that after this incident, Miriam was not fully restored to the position that she had held previously. Jealousy and bitterness are dangerous things.

As we read further in Numbers 20, we see Moses and Aaron also sinning against God, resulting in neither of them being allowed to enter the promised land. This had to be incredibly devastating, and my heart breaks, especially for Moses. Numbers 20:12 tells us that lack of trust resulted in this punishment.

Numbers 20 is a sobering reminder of the need for faithfulness to the end. We see many Christian leaders who have been used in extraordinary ways by God and have a significant fall or moral failure after years of faithfulness. His mercies are new for us every morning, even during stress and discouragement. He is faithful to me. I need to ask myself, how faithful am I to Him?

Kim Feld
Executive Director of Education and Outreach