Episode 448 SUMMER SERIES Miriam (Exodus 2:1-10 and Numbers 12:1-16)

This week BibleWorm continues our special summer series on the Women of the Hebrew Bible with a look at the story of Moses’ sister Miriam as told in Exodus 2:1-10 and Numbers 12:1-16. First we talk about the story of Miriam as a young girl, saving her baby brother Moses by convincing the Pharaoh’s daughter to hire their own mother as her wet nurse. We talk about Miriam’s prophetic foresight and her ability to know what needs to happen to continue the story of God’s people, even at such a young age. We discuss the solidarity among women—Miriam, her mother, and the Pharaoh’s daughter—that works even across ethnic and political lines to protect life even when the men have commanded otherwise. Then we discuss a troubling story in Numbers 12:1-16 in which Miriam is punished for complaining against Moses while her brother Aaron gets off scot-free. We discuss the way Miriam’s forthrightness gets her into trouble here when she seems to step out of her proper place in a world controlled by men.