Miriam

When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.  Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing.  Miriam sang to them:

   “Sing to the LORD,
   for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
   he has hurled into the sea.”

~Exodus 15:19-21

Describe what you you think Miriam and the other women of Isreal were thinking and feeling as they walked through the Red Sea.  After they made it safely through, why do you think they chose to dance to express their praise?

• I would imagine that maybe some of teh women would be worrysome and maybe had some doubt that they would make it through alive, or without being captured once again by the Egyptian soldiers.
• because it was part of their custom or culture of that day to express their thanks to God

How do you think you would have felt in that situation?  Would you have danced?  Or would you have used some other form of praise to God?  If so, what?

• I woudl probably have felt the same way as I described the women in the question above. 
• Chances are that I would have participated in dancing, but I think I would have also priased God with either or both with song or prayer.

 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite.  “Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the LORD heard this.

  (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)

~Numbers 12:1-3

What do you think Aaron and Miriam had against Moses' "Cushite" wife?  Do you think his wife was the real problem?  What was the real problem, the real reason for their attack?

• It could be possibly the fact that a Cushite had some different customs than what an Isrealite would have.
• I don't think Moses' wife was the problem, I think Aaron and Miriam wanted to hear from God just as much or in the same way that God was speaking to Moses.

Contrast what verses 1-2 reveal about Miriam and Aaron with what verse 3 reveals about Moses. In what ways are you like Mirima and Aaron?  How are you like Moses?

• verses 1-2 show that Miriam and Aaron are jealous of Moses, whereas verse 3 shows that Moses is a very forgiving person
• I can tend to be like Mriam and Aaron if someone in a group would be abl eto have something that I couldn't have, yet I felt that I was just good enough to have what the other had already
• I can be like Moses when someone apologize that they did something wrong towards me

 At once the LORD said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out.  Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them stepped forward, he said, “Listen to my words:

   “When there is a prophet among you,
   I, the LORD, reveal myself to them in visions,
   I speak to them in dreams.
But this is not true of my servant Moses;
   he is faithful in all my house.
With him I speak face to face,
   clearly and not in riddles;
   he sees the form of the LORD.
Why then were you not afraid
   to speak against my servant Moses?”

  The anger of the LORD burned against them, and he left them. 

~Numbers 12:4-9

In these verses the Lord appears in the pillar of cloud to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.  He then singles out Aaron and Miriam and speaks to them.  Why is he so angry with them?

• Because the Miriam and Aaron should realize that the Lord had chosen Moses as the primary leader and prophet of the Isrealite people and that they are more or less secondary, but yet still important to God's work

 When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s skin was leprous—it became as white as snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease,  and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed.  Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.”

  So Moses cried out to the LORD, “Please, God, heal her!”

~Numbers 12:10-13

Why do you think Miriam was singled out for the punishment of leprosy and not Aaron? 

• I think she was made an example of so that Aaron woudl know that the same thing could happen to him if he does't realize his wrongdoing.

How do you think Miriam's punishment affected Aaron?

• I think he became absolutely horrified at the sight of Miriam's punishment

Have you ever been in a situation where one person was punished for the wrongdoing of several?  How did that make you feel?

• I can't remember clearly if I have been in a situation like that, but if I ever would be in a situation like that, I would feel pretty guilty for being a part of that wrongdoing.

 The LORD replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.”  So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back.

~Numbers 12:14-15

What do you think Miriam was feeling and thinking when she was outside the camp for those seven days?  What would go throgh your mind if you were in Miriam's possition?

• She was probably not happy with herself and also thought that she won't disobey God like that again
• I probably would be asking myself a whole bunch of questions as to why on earth I committed such a sin

Even when we are forgiven, we sometimes still have to pay for the price for our sins.  What sin have you had to pay a penalty for?  Do you consider yourself forgiven eventhough the affects of your sin remain?

• I'm going to choose lying to my parents.  I'm pretty sure that I have paid a penalty for that.  I guess after I have paid the price for that penalty, I feel forgiven, but I think it takes a while for that forgiveness to sink in