God’s Faithfulness: Miriam

By: Meg Glenn

When I was seven years old, my parents signed me up to play softball. I’d never even held a glove or a bat. They thought it would be a marvelous way to meet new friends (they were right, I am still friends with girls from that pig-tailed team). We practiced throwing and catching in the front yard. I thought I was ready – until I walked up to the plate with my bat on the wrong shoulder. Giggles and “bless her heart” floated through the crowd. Younger siblings behind the home plate fence made fun.

Who was watching and jumped in to defend me? My younger sister – always boldly protective. Today we’ll look at another sister who was also courageous and strong.

God has been faithful in calling and using women in His beautiful story of relationship with mankind. Miriam— sister of Moses and Aaron— was a protector and leader in her own right. She was imperfect yet redeemed. Piecing together her story throughout Scripture, we see courage, leadership, and the Lord’s faithfulness through discipline and restoration.

1. Courage

We first see young Miriam watching Baby Moses’ basket in the Nile, when Pharaoh’s daughter discovered him crying and felt sorry for him (Ex 2:4).

Miriam moves in quickly and asks, “Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?”

“Yes, do!” the princess replied. (Ex 2:7-8)

Miriam hurriedly went and got their mother. Not only did they keep him with his mother, but their arrangement included payment for nursing Moses. In that moment, Miriam knew it was bold to speak up. What a lesson in courage—not the absence of fear, but choosing obedience despite worry, trusting God to protect her as she protected her brother.

Question: Where has God asked you to step out of the shadows and speak up? Is there a verse or story that you lean on for courage in those moments?

The courage Miriam showed as a young girl did not fade with time—it grew. She was the first woman to be called prophetess in Scripture (Ex 15:20). Can you imagine the daring it took to step into that leadership role?

2. Leadership

Miriam was recognized as a leader of the Israelites with her brothers. Not a tagalong, she is mentioned right alongside them. “I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam.” (Micah 6:4)

Moses, Aaron and Miriam had distinct roles, and the Lord used them differently. They had complementary gifts, and God used each of them to their strengths.

• Moses had authority over the entire nation and heard directly from God.
• Aaron had responsibility for the priesthood and had institutional authority to it
• Miriam was a prophetess; she and Aaron received visions and dreams (Num 12:6-8). After crossing the Red Sea, she picked up her timbrel and led the women in singing and dancing. “Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea.” (Ex 15:20- 21).

God chose them for specific purposes, in that exact time. Scripture doesn’t say, but given the Israelites liking for grumbling, can you imagine some questioned, “Why her? Why does she receive dreams and visions from the Lord?” Her role was neither inherited through a bloodline, nor learned. It was a divine calling – God called her and prepared her for exactly what He needed.

And you know what? The Lord knows exactly where you are too. Just as He prepared Miriam without fanfare or mention in Scripture, He is shaping you and me. When the time is right, He’ll provide the platform and the message.

What does that mean for us? Devoting time and energy to growth prepares us well, developing wisdom and confidence, with humility. And remember, our gifts don’t have to look impressive or public to be valuable – even the ordinary is powerful in God’s hands.

What gifts has the Lord given you to make the body of Christ stronger? Is it a boldness speaking to others? Hospitality? Empathy in ministry to believers? Singing and dancing in worship?

“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” (1 Peter 4:10)

“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts, and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.” (1 Co 12:12)

3. Discipline and Restoration

Miriam was not a perfect leader. After Moses took a Cushite wife, Miriam and Aaron grumbled against him. “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” (Num 12:2) They’re in dangerous territory when they start thinking themselves higher than they are, losing honor and respect for authority and boundaries God put in place.

In my house, we jokingly call that “getting too far over our skis.” Picture a downhill skier, straining to lean forward, maximizing momentum and aerodynamic advantage. What happens when they lean too far? First, they’re wasting effort doing work the ski should be doing. They’re also in danger of a fall, which is exactly what happened to Miriam. We see this everywhere – celebrities and athletes who think more of themselves, coworkers, friends or church members who stir up discord.

God was angry and disciplined Miriam to shape her into a better leader, and a better follower. She was struck with leprosy, her skin white like snow. Aaron and Moses cried out on her behalf.

The Lord replied she should remain outside the camp for seven days (per Lev. 13), as the sin fractured their fellowship. The goal was not destruction or punishment. God planned to restore and receive her in again all along. She wasn’t stripped of her role and continued on with the people afterward. In fact, “the people did not move on until she was brought back.” (Num 12:15)

Her time outside the camp gave her time and head space for reflection, repentance and restoration. Sin carries real consequences, and status does not protect anyone from His discipline. God judged but provided a clear path back. His goal was redemption, and He remains faithful to that work in us today.

Look at all the ways God used Miriam – from childhood until her death in the last years of their time in the wilderness. You might have had public failures too and seasons when the Lord has worked to redeem and restore you. It is often amid those growing pains that we clearly see His faithfulness and work in our own lives.

Focus verse: “… may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen. (Hebrews 13:21)

Father, thank you for your faithfulness to women, including me. I pray for each woman reading and talking about Miriam’s story, that you would reveal our gifts and direct us in courageous ways to use them. Thank you for shaping us and making us closer to You. In Jesus’ name – Amen.