My Brothers Prayed for Me; I'm Forgiven

By Mary Vee
Numbers 12:10-16

Miriam's Thoughts

 

My hands, my face, my whole body had leprosy.  Just like that.

Fear bubbled from my feet to my head causing every bone to tremble.  I looked at my brother, Aaron, and then at Moses but could barely see them through tears.  How can I breathe? 

The Lord punished me. What did I say? Oh yes, I remember now.  The words played over and over in my mind, "Did the Lord speak only through Moses? Hasn't he also spoken through us?" I complained to Aaron yesterday as we walked about all the attention Moses got.  Because of my words, Aaron joined in complaining with me. I said such cruel words.

My legs crumbled to the ground.  Why did I say those words?  Will God ever let me worship Him again?

Between sobs I heard Aaron cry out to Moses, "Oh my lord! Please don't lay this sin on us." I wiped my eyes and saw him fall before Moses.  He pressed his hands together. "My lord, we have been foolish in this sin. Please don't let her be as one dead, whose skin is half gone!"

I closed my arms around my stomach and wept as I never had before.  Not because of the pain, or the leprosy, but because I had sinned against my brother, Moses, and the Lord.  Only yesterday I remembered my friends who complained against the Lord when they wanted special food. And now, here I am, guilty of the same sin.

My sweet brother, Moses, lifted his eyes toward the sky. He raised his arm to heave and cried, "Please heal her, O God, I pray!"  


Even though I said cruel words against him, Moses prayed to God to heal me.


Tears soaked the ground.


The Lord, the Great God in Heaven, answered, "Let her be shut out of the camp seven days, and afterward she may be return."


He forgave me?  The Lord forgave me for speaking cruel words about His chosen worker?  He forgave me for my jealousy?

During the seven days I camped alone, I listened to the people sing praises to God. I heard their laughter and the children play.  I longed to be with them. Day by day my heart healed.


Day by day, I thanked the Lord for forgiveness, for my brothers, for my life, for my family, and for His Love.


The people waited for me.  They didn't move the camp and leave me behind.  God's cloud stayed over the Tabernacle until the seven days ended. 


My heart has changed.


***************************************
1. What did Miriam do wrong?
2. What was her punishment?
3. Who prayed for her?
4. What did Miriam learn?
5. What did you learn?

Mutiny in the Desert

By Mary Vee
Numbers 12:1-10

Miriam's Thoughts

Many of my friends gobbled the quail as though they'd never eat again. Unfortunately that's exactly what happened. Each one of them suffered from a plague and died. They shouldn't have grumbled against the Lord.  I miss them. I miss the laughing and singing and joking we did together to pass the time. 

The Lord led us to northeast to Hazeroth the day after the plague ended. I walked alone. I did a lot of thinking on that walk. My brother Moses had married an Ethiopian woman. This had bothered me for a long time, but during my thinking time, it made me angry. How could he marry her? Why not marry an Israelite?


I didn't realize I had been grumbling out loud until Aaron came up to me. "What are you mad about?"


"Mad? Oh, nothing."

Aaron smiled his goofy smile. "Come on. Tell."

"Well, if you must know. I don't think Moses should have married that Ethiopian woman."


He nodded and did one of his usual grunts when he's unhappy. "I don't like it either. He isn't the only one the Lord speaks to. We're important, too!"


Well, we complained about Moses for the rest of the journey to Hazeroth. It didn't make me feel better; in fact, I became angrier. A crowd of people gathered near Aaron and me. Soon they grumbled against Moses as well.


When we arrived at Hazeroth, our people set up camp, including the Tabernacle. I didn't feel like eating dinner--I didn't sleep well that night either.

The next morning, the Lord called Moses, Aaron, and me to the Tabernacle. He had never done that before.  My hands grew sweaty and my heart raced. Had we displeased the Lord? As we stood outside the Tabernacle the Lord came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the doorway. He called Aaron and me.   We looked at each other with wide eyes. I bit my lower lip and stepped forward.


The Lord spoke, "Moses is faithful above all others. I speak to prophets among you in dreams, but to Moses I speak face to face. Even plainly, and not with mysteries. He sees the form of the Lord. You should have been afraid to speak against My servant Moses."


I couldn't speak.  How did He know what we said? My hands trembled. I looked at Aaron then at my hands.  My skin had turned white--completely white. I had leprosy!


I--I will write more next time.


******************************
1. What happened to some of Miriam's friends?
2. What was Miriam angry about?
3. Who did she tell?
4. What did they decided to do?
5. Who heard what they talked about?
6. What did the Lord do?
7. What did you learn?

The Miniature Ark that Saved a Nation

By Mary Vee
Exodus 2:3

Miriam rolled over and opened her eyes. She stretched then looked around the room.  She found her mom sitting in a corner. "What're you doing?"

Jochabed glanced up from her work and smiled.  "Good morning, Miriam. Come here, I need to tell you something."

Miriam stumbled through her blankets. "What're you making?"

"A special basket."

Miriam touched the pile of bulrushes. "It's big."

"Yes.  It needs to be big." Jochabed finished lacing another row then grabbed more bulrush.

"What're going to use it for?" Miriam picked up a two bulrushes and weaved them together.

Jochabed set the basket down. "You're baby brother is growing big." She took Miriam's hands in hers.

"I know.  He's almost too heavy for me to hold. What does that have to do with the basket?"

"The basket will serve as an ark for your baby brother.  I'll finish the ark today, smear asphalt and pitch on it to keep water out and let it dry tonight."

Miriam tipped her head. "Why does he need an ark?"

"Because--" Jochabed sighed. "Because the guards will find him if we don't. He is too big to hide any more."

Miriam ran to her little brother. "Where's he going?"

"I don't know." Jochabed bit her lower lip.  "We need to trust Yahweh to take him to a safe place."

A tear tripped down Miriam's cheek. "Won't he cry?"

"Maybe. But only at the right time.  His cry will help the right person to notice him."  Jochabed scooped Miriam up in her arms.  "Yahweh will protect your brother.  He has so far, right?"

Miriam wiped her tears.  "Yes."  She sobbed.  "Can I help?"

Jochabed smiled. "Yes, you can help me make the little ark for him today.  Tomorrow, you may watch him from the bulrushes."

Miriam jumped down from her mother's arms and walked to her baby brother.  "I'll take care of you."

****
Pharaoh ordered all the Israelite baby boys to be killed.  He was afraid they might grow up and become a great army one day.  One baby boy survived. Do you know who it was?  Why didn't the guards find the baby in such a small home?  Who did Jochebed trust to help her? 

God loves you, and wants to help you, too.