Her quick... 2. for tons of encouragement and helpful resources you’ll definitely want to know about–all delivered straight to your inbox! 18:18-20; 1 Pet. 15 Great Women of the Bible Every Christian Woman Should Study, Constantly Comparing Yourself to Others? She left a good name, a great name and an enduring legacy. Miriam the Prophet. Her notable songs included ’Pata Pata’ and the ’Click Song.’ Learn more about Makeba’s life and career. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Their grumbling not only cost them their joy, but it also cost them the Promised Land. Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps. So much so that I knew things needed to change. She led the now-freed nation to sing before the Lord, exclaiming his triumph over the Egyptian horses and riders hurled into the sea. Miriam (מִרְיָם ‎ Mīrəyām) was described in the Hebrew Bible as the daughter of Amram and Jochebed, and the older sister of Moses and Aaron. Daughter to Amram and Jochebe, and sister to Moses and Aaron, we first meet Miriam as a young girl who watches her baby brother being placed in the Nile in an effort to save his life (Exodus 2:4). Guest post by Tricia Goyer of www.triciagoyer.com/. These are just some of the lessons we can learn from the life of Sarah. We Say “Pro-Reproductive Rights” and “Anti-Abortion” Big sister to Moses, a woman who was a laudable teacher in her own right. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. This is a long way to fall from the revered prophet who’d led the people in worship at the sea’s shore. Miriam's life may be a bit sketchy, not taking up a lot of space within our Torah. She and Aaron criticized Moses because he’d married a Cushite woman. Numbers 14:29-30 says, “In this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. She is mentioned in more books than any other woman. She becomes thereby the archetype of the female prophetic tradition, even as Moses heads the male (compare Deut 34:10). Here’s How to Stop. Her quick thinking allowed Moses to be raised within their family home by offering their mother as the baby’s nursemaid. Fun fact: Miriam’s name meaning is highly debated, even today. (Merrill Unger, Unger's Bible Dictionary, Moody Press, Chicago, 1988, p. 886), then Miriam … Equipping Godly Women is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for websites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Miriam in the Bible may best be known as the big sister who helped save her baby brother from certain death. 4 Things We Can Learn from Miriam in the Bible 1. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. You would also enjoy my podcast episode Creating a Grumble-Free Year! Miriam is a mediator and an intercessor standing between life and death. It's at this juncture that we find Miriam risking her life to save her little brother. The baby was Moses, and the Hebrew woman, Jochebed, and her daughter Miriam saved him by hiding him among the reeds at the edge of the river. Who was Miriam in the Bible? 12:1 Miriam and Aaron rebelled against Moses on account of the Cushite woman that he had married. Its presence on the table provides an opportunity to talk about the significance of Miriam and the role women play in the Passover story and in the life of the Jewish people. She is also a usurper who reminds us that when we do overstep our bounds, there … What can we learn from Miriam? Seven years Moses' senior, Miriam grew up a slave, the daughter of slaves. We keep your information safe in accordance with our privacy policy. Moses had seen and used great power as the adopted son of the Pharaoh’s daughter, but now only wanted what the Lord God wanted. We are studying great women of the Bible including. We know nothing of her life between Miriam the child and Miriam the prophetess in the Bible, but while Moses was a desert shepherd, she lived with her people in Egypt. The community was without water, and they joined against Moses and Aaron” (20:1-2). This post is part of a series on Great Women of the Bible. Miriam’s story reveals that God pays attention to what his worshippers say to or about one another. God Can Use Us in the Midst of Hardship. And in their moment of freedom, Miriam might have believed that hardest portion of her life was behind her. Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun” (NIV). Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. Along with Aaron, she complained, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Answer: Miriam in the Bible is Moses’ older sister. Miriam was old enough to keep watch and to deal with Pharaoh’s daughter. She was born at the peak of oppression when Pharaoh had decreed that “every newborn son would be thrown to the Nile.” According to the Talmud, Miriam had prophesied that her mother would bring the savior of Israel to life. Rabbinic sources give her Caleb for a husband and Hur for a son (but compare 1 Chr 2:19). All Rights Reserved. (Miriam’s mother, Yocheved, was "Shifra.") Although her jealously later in life led to disaster, Miriam's quick wit as a young girl helped change the course of Israel's history by protecting its greatest spiritual leader. Hello! Tricia is the founder of Hope Pregnancy Ministries and currently leads a teen MOPS Group in Little Rock, Arkansas. Disclosures - Privacy Policy - Affiliates, *Many articles on the Equipping Godly Women blog contain affiliate links. Just As Our Praise Elevates Our Spirit, Our Pride Can Bring Us Down. In the New Testament Miriam’s afterlife continues through her name and her deeds. It was Miriam who suggested that a woman from the Hebrew people be found to take care of Moses. And to be labeled a prophet, God must have used her greatly there. Could your family use a little boost in becoming grumble-free? Miriam also felt overlooked and unappreciated. Miriam, the daughter of Amram and Yocheved, and older sister of her two famous brothers, Aaron and Moses, was born in Egypt just when the Jewish people were reduced to slavery, oppression and hard labor.This was in the year 2362 (after Creation), eighty-six years before the liberation. I tell my kids often that we are prone to complain when have unrealistic expectations and are hungry or tired. Thankfully, you don’t have to go it alone. was a hard one. We will find ourselves outside the camp as Miriam and completely cut off. Miriam the Prophetess, that's who. Ruth was a woman used mightly by God! Miriam was the first born of Amram, the Hebrew slaves’ leader and the older sister of Moses and Aaron. As a child, Miriam in the Bible was a key factor in Moses’ rescue. Moses responds immediately, crying out to God in Numbers 12:13: "O Lord, please heal her" ("El nah, refah na lah"). God’s Word says, “All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Tricia Goyer is a busy mom of ten, doting grandma, and wife to John. We first learn of Miriam as she and her three-year-old brother, Aaron, are welcoming a new child into the family.Unfortunately for that time, the baby was a boy, and there is a decree that all Hebrew baby boys be killed. Miriam in the Bible got into trouble when she stopped pointing out all the good God had done and instead pointed toward the (perceived) faults of others. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. He was found by Pharaoh’s own daughter, who adopted him. She was born four years before Aaron and seven years before Moses. As with Deborah and Jael, Miriam, too, heard God’s voice, saw his actions, responded, and she saved the lives of others. 6:1 ). But we agree more than we disagree: A majority of Americans believe abortion should be legal, and they support the right to access abortion. Yahweh means 'the self-existent one'. After the great miracle of the Splitting of the Sea, Moses led the Jewish people in singing praises to G‑d.The Torah then describes how Miriam led the women in singing their own song of praise, while dancing and playing musical instruments: . Upon seeing Miriam's punishment Aaron asks Moses to speak to God on her behalf. She is also a usurper who reminds us that when we do overstep our bounds, there … These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. No matter how overwhelmed I am with the chaos and messes, the busyness and kids, I can either grumble about it or I can lift my face to heaven and remember all that God has done for me. Hasn’t he spoken through us too?” (Numbers 12:2). Miriam is one of the most important women in the bible. She plays an important role in several episodes of Moses’ life and in the exodus of Israel from Egypt. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. As we have seen in our previous lessons from 31 Days of Women from Scripture, the meaning of names can shed some light on the people we … I was busy, yes, but when John and I started adopted kids from hard places we transitioned from “busy” into survival mode. Lessons from Miriam in the Bible 1. You can just imagine the excitement in Miriam's eyes as she ran back to inform her mother of the good news. Today, at many contemporary Passover Seders there is a new custom of placing a goblet of water on the table to represent Miriam's well. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. outside the camp with a dreadful disease for seven days. And she didn’t appreciate how baby brother Moses was getting all of the attention. Like Sarah, we can live a life … BIBLE TEXT Exodus 1–2:10; 15:20-21 We see certain individuals only having one or two prayers recorded in scripture, for Example Jabez, and Hannah. Thank you! Please see our. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. And it wasn’t just Miriam with the problem. Miriam saves her brother Moses. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. She won the Retailer’s Best Award in 2015 and has received starred reviews from Romantic Times and Publishers Weekly. And what a teacher she was. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. To read the story of Miriam, check out Exodus 1:1-2:10, Exodus 15:1-21, and Numbers 11-12. Be a Good Sibling. When I choose gratitude and praise, it’s a wonderful example to others. This site uses cookies to serve you better. The historian Josephus deems Hur the husband of Miriam (Antiquities 3.54; see Exod 17:10–12). Undoubtedly as Miriam lived and worked under this tyrant she learned lessons of faith in preparation for her role in the dramatic events that lay ahead for the children of Israel. We are women of purpose and our words that we speak must reflect godly character from God eventually heals Miriam, but first insists that she … We and our partners will store and/or access information on your device through the use of cookies and similar technologies, to display personalised ads and content, for ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Later, after she saw God triumph over the Egyptians, Miriam led the people in worship. Here’s How to Stop, The Grumble Free Year: Twelve Months, Eleven Family Members, and One Impossible Goal, What Miriam in the Bible Can Teach Us About Positivity - Tricia Goyer, https://equippinggodlywomen.com/faith/miriam-in-the-bible-teach-positivity/, Putting God First: How to Make God the #1 Priority in Every Area of Your Life. She had to fight the waves of doubts, fears, and uncertainties in her life to have her faith strengthened. They complained about the hardships, and they longed for the food from Egypt. Any woman who does so will do well to speak only what God speaks ( Deut. It’s not fun trudging around with a grumbling heart. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. Thankfully, God’s punishment lasted for only seven days, but I imagine Miriam had a better understanding of God—and her position as a servant-leader—after that. By the end of her life, Miriam no doubt understood a few things better, mostly about her place as God’s servant and how her words (whether praise or grumbles) impact herself and others. This shows us as parents that well-trained children are a blessing ( Prov. She was named for the nurturing action she performed with the Jewish babies: "Puah" refers to "cooing" and rocking a baby. Miriam was the daughter of Amram and Jochebed, and the older sister of Moses and Aaron, all of whom were Levites. Her name (sometimes rendered as Mary in English) means 'bitter' although it could also signify 'one who loves or is loved by Yahweh'. If we do not weigh our words that we speak, judgment will come. Join us! As a child, Miriam in the Bible was a key factor in Moses’ rescue. She was also a prophetess in her own right. By the way, if you need help curbing the constant grumbling in your house, you’ll absolutely want to check out Tricia’s latest book, “The Grumble Free Year: Twelve Months, Eleven Family Members, and One Impossible Goal,” that just came out this week! I don’t have any brothers or sisters, so this one is a bit tough for me to relate to, but I am... 3. Ve always known you to be given the title prophetess it 's this... Community of 30,000 ( and counting! and praise, it ’ s.... Bear it baby brother Moses among the bulrushes on the blogging team at TheBetterMom.com and other homeschooling Christian. Seven days a bad example ; in fact, she complained, “ for brought! Given the title prophetess ’ d displeased God with her complaints what do we learn from the life of miriam Egyptian. Learning, too in little Rock, Arkansas of Numbers, we can learn from prayer... With the website she won the Retailer ’ s nursemaid Creating a grumble-free Year, ” Joanna me! 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