Biblical Christian Stories

Here we find ourselves at what we like to call "The Exodus Stage." This is a time period where Moses leads the Hebrews out of captivity from Egypt.

Note: This stage lasted for about 325 years and includes events such as; the journey to Mount Sinai, the first mention of "manna," the institution of the Sabbath and the "Ten Commandments."

During this stage you will find other events like; the building of the Tabernacle, and the Hebrew's probation period of forty years in the wilderness.

At the beginning of this stage we find that Aaron and Miriam are Moses long lost siblings. Little would they know, that they will be found to have significant roles in the development of Israel as a nation. This page will focus more on Miriam, and less on her brothers.

When we first hear about Miriam we find that she was watching her baby brother Moses sail down the Nile River.

When he landed in the hands of Pharaoh's daughter, it is said that it was Miriam who Pharaoh's daughter had instructed to go out and find the child's mother.

For Pharaoh's daughter knew that it would be best that the child be nursed by a Hebrew instead of an Egyptian.

The next time we hear about Miriam, is when she was helping Moses lead the Israelites in a song of victory, after they were lead out of the hands of the Egyptians. This is right after they had witness the awesome power of God, and saw Pharaoh's army swallowed by the sea.

After we fast forward for a little bit, we are now at a time when we find that Aaron and Miriam are speaking against their brother Moses. This is at a time when Aaron had been established as a high priest, and Miriam as a prophetess.

This situation happened a little after God and Moses had picked and qualified the seventy elders that would help Moses to bear the burden of the people.

We find that Miriam had began to complain, and we are lead to believe that Aaron join in after he wasn't considered or consulted in the picking of the seventy elders, and was perhaps disgusted that he was left out. But the latter is only speculated.

They were mainly complaining about Moses marriage to a Cushite woman and possibly the great influence that she had over Moses.

It's rumored that Moses wife possibly had some input on who the seventy elders would be. Which is why we are lead to believe why Miriam and Aaron thought the way that they did when it came to their brother's wife?

Now it gets a little tricky here, so if you can stay with me a bit? Now when Moses after forty years had left his life and royal position by fleeing the Egyptian palace.

Which had happened after he had killed the Egyptian guard for beating on a Hebrew slave. He spent the next forty years in Midian and married a Midianite woman named Zipporah who was the daughter of Jethro. Jethro was a priest of Midian and perhaps a ruler of some sorts.

At this time is where Moses had his two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. Now although Zipporah was a Midianite, she was also refereed to by some as that "Ethiopian woman."

Now the country of Ethiopian was settled by the descendants of Cush, and when you look at the scripture (Habakkuk 3:7) it insinuates that the Midianites and Cushan are perhaps one in the same. So this would mean that Miriam could have been complaining about Zipporah?

It has also been rumored that Miriam didn't get along with Zipporah. But there is also speculation that Moses had married again after Zipporah had died, and it was this wife that Miriam was complaining about.

I told you it was a little tricky, so I will move on before it gets more confusing?

Now the timing of Aaron and Miriam's complaining was not at a good time, being that the people were giving Moses a very hard time during this period of his ministry. By having disruption in the higher ranks between Moses, Aaron and Miriam would not have been wise, for the people to see.

But with Moses being the meek and humble man that he was, it was unlikely that he would have done anything. But the Lord always take care of his own. After he had heard that Aaron and Miriam was complaining about Moses and his wife, He stepped in so Moses didn't have to.

So God called out to Moses, Aaron and Miriam for them to come out to the "Tent of Meeting." Now the record states that God came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the "Tent of Meeting," and summoned Aaron and Miriam to come forward. Then he spoke these words:

After the Lord had said these words to them, the cloud had lifted from whence it came, and after it had left, there stood Miriam - leprous like snow.

Aaron then, turned towards her and saw that she had leprosy, and then he pleaded with Moses.

Then Moses pleaded with God, to restore her? And God responded by saying these words:

So now Miriam was confined outside the camp for the seven day period and the people did not move on until she was restored. After the Israelites arrived at the Desert of Zin, and settled into Kadesh we find that Miriam had died and was buried.

Note: Although we have a record of an event where Miriam was a murmurer and was punished because of her actions. We find that she still was very instrumental in the development of Israel. She was a prophetess and a faithful servant that song praises about the wonderful works that the Lord had done before them.