How do you follow your calling in less-than-ideal circumstances?
When we face times of trouble, it can be easy to convince ourselves that we should just keep our heads down and wait for our struggles to pass. Once we’re in the clear and our lives feel more comfortable, then we can focus on whatever God’s calling us to do next.
But what if that’s not how God wants us to live? What if he wants us to follow our calling—to step out and lead with faith and courage—even when life is hard? What would that even look like?
Let’s take a look at the life of Miriam and the story of the Exodus.
Where Is the Story of Miriam and the Exodus in the Bible?
Miriam appears in two stories in Exodus and one story in Numbers, before her passing is recorded in Numbers 20.
Miriam was a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob and his family settled in Egypt at the end of the Book of Genesis, and for several generations, his family was prosperous and multiplied greatly in the land.
Eventually, however, a pharaoh came to power who viewed Jacob’s descendants, the Hebrews, as a threat. He enslaved them and called for all male Hebrew newborns to be thrown into the Nile.
Moses, the hero of Exodus, should have been one of those baby boys killed. But his mother and older sister (Miriam) conspired to save his life.
Miriam’s leadership continued during the ups and downs of her people’s escape from Egypt and wanderings in the wilderness. She experienced her own ups and downs, both leading her people in triumphant song following the destruction of Pharaoh’s forces, and being temporarily afflicted with a skin disease after she raised a complaint against Moses.
Like her brothers, Miriam passed away before her people reached Canaan, the land God had promised them. But her years of leadership were an essential part of the Hebrew people completing their wilderness journey.
A Summary of the Miriam and the Exodus Bible Story
Exodus 2:1-9:
- After Pharaoh calls for all Hebrew boys to be killed, Moses’ mother puts him in a basket and sets him afloat on the Nile. She sends his older sister (assumed to be Miriam) to watch over him.
- Eventually, the basket reaches Pharaoh’s daughter, who has gone down to the Nile to bathe. She recognizes that the baby boy inside must belong to one of the Hebrews and feels sorry for him.
- Miriam approaches Pharaoh’s daughter and asks if she could find a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby on her behalf. Pharaoh’s daughter agrees.
- Miriam brings her baby brother back to her mother, who cares for him until he’s old enough to live with Pharaoh’s daughter as her adopted son.
Exodus 15:1-21:
- Following the liberation of the Hebrew people, the parting of the Red Sea, and the destruction of Pharaoh’s forces, Miriam leads the women in praising God through singing and dancing.
Numbers 12:1-15:
- After years of the Hebrews wandering in the wilderness, Miriam and Aaron publicly criticize Moses.
- God’s anger burns against Miriam and Aaron on Moses’ behalf. He comes down in a cloud and chastises them. When He leaves, Miriam is afflicted with leprosy—a skin disease that typically required people to be cut off from their community.
- Aaron and Moses plead with God to restore Miriam to health. God instructs them to confine her outside of their camp for seven days. The Hebrews stay in place for those seven days, refusing to continue forward until Miriam is healed.
Key Bible Verse
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 15:20-21 NIV
A Deeper Dive Into the Miriam and the Exodus Story
Accounts of Miriam’s life are few, especially compared to those of her more famous younger brother. But in big ways and small ways, faith and courage and a determination to follow her calling are woven through those accounts.
A Courageous Start
As a girl, Miriam would have had every reason to be afraid. She and her people were enslaved. The pharaoh was calling for the killing of male newborn slaves. Common sense would have told her to stay quiet and keep her head down, or risk death.
Miriam was one of several Hebrew women who defied Pharaoh’s orders to save the lives of others.
But that’s not what Miriam did. Miriam was one of several Hebrew women who defied Pharaoh’s orders to save the lives of others. Under the guidance of her mother, she stepped out in courage and watched over her baby brother. And she seized an opportunity to save her brother when he was discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter.
What drove Miriam to take such a risk? After Miriam’s mother gave birth to Moses, the Book of Exodus tells that she saw he was (depending on your Bible translation) “beautiful,” “special,” or “fine.” And when it comes to the Bible, those kinds of descriptions don’t just get tossed around. That’s how main characters are described. That’s how King David was described.
If Moses’ mother and Miriam registered that there was something different or special about Moses, at the very least, they probably recognized that God made him different. And sensing the work of God in this situation meant that it was extra important to keep him safe.
That’s the kind of faith that would make a young slave follow her calling, defy the pharaoh, and save her brother.
Leadership and Faith
As an adult, we see Miriam’s willingness to take courageous action fully formed—both in good ways and not-so-good ways.
While Miriam isn’t mentioned again in Exodus until after her people have been liberated and Pharaoh’s armies have been defeated at the Red Sea, Micah 6:4 tells us that God sent Miriam, along with her brothers, to lead His people out of Egypt.
Their freedom, coupled with Egypt’s defeat, would have seemed like a culmination of Miriam’s life’s work, starting with her courageous choice to watch over and save her baby brother decades earlier. And in the jubilation of that moment, she lived out her faith by guiding her fellow Hebrew women to worship the One deserving of their praise.
But as we all know, the faith of even the most courageous and seasoned leaders can be tested. Years later, while wandering in the wilderness on their way to the promised land, Miriam, Aaron, and Moses all experienced lapses in faith.
For Miriam, this looked like publicly criticizing something about her brother’s relationship with his wife and questioning the extent to which God spoke to him. She took courageous action, as she had done repeatedly over the course of her life, and used her position of leadership to speak out against something she viewed as wrong. But God’s response made it clear that her actions were not in line with His will.
She was forced to pay a temporary price for her lapse in faith, but her decades of faithful leadership weren’t quickly forgotten—her people remained in place, waiting for her to return to camp, fully healed.
Why Is the Story of Miriam and the Exodus in the Bible?
The liberation of the Hebrews from Egypt was one of the major events in the history of their people. Think of it as their nation’s ancient independence day. As a result, the author of the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament) took great care in recording the events of the Exodus and including many details—details that are often left out of other stories in the Bible.
Miriam is not the main character of the Exodus, but she still had an important role to play. Her inclusion showcases how God worked through a variety of people (some of them in dire circumstances) to bring about His will and rescue the Hebrews.
What Does the Story of Miriam and the Exodus Teach Us?
1. God Can Work Through Anyone
Lowly female slaves—one of them a child—shouldn’t have posed a threat to the mighty pharaoh of Egypt. But when Miriam and her mother made the faithful decision to keep Moses safe, their choice kicked off a series of events that God would use to free His people.
God can work through anyone. And all we have to do is remain attentive to the faithful steps He calls us to take today.
God can work through anyone. And all we have to do is remain attentive to the faithful steps He calls us to take today. When we follow Him, there’s no telling what kind of impact our obedience might have—both in the present and for generations to come.
2. Faith Is an Important Part of Courageous Leadership
Being willing to speak out, take action, and lead others is an admirable trait. But none of us possesses perfect judgment. Left to our own intuition, we’ll always get things wrong now and then. And when we allow our intuition to influence our actions and leadership, rather than looking to God and what He’s calling us to do next? There’s a good chance we’ll get ourselves into trouble eventually—just like Miriam did later in life.
Our courage and leadership will have the greatest impact and be the biggest blessing for ourselves and others when we’re careful to look to God and search for His will in the situations we face.
Why Does the Story of Miriam and the Exodus Still Matter Today?
No one lives a carefree life. We all face challenges and struggles, and in many parts of the world, people have to grapple with hardships not so different from those Miriam and her people experienced thousands of years ago.
Miriam’s story shows us what it looks like to persevere, even in the face of hardship. It shows us that God doesn’t expect us, as Christians, to keep our heads down and just survive. No matter our circumstances, there are faithful steps we can all take to partner with God and share His love with the world around us.
Our obedience might not cause our situation to change for the better immediately. But we can trust that God always hears us and is always with us, and that our courageous leadership is never wasted. And one day, we’ll get to see the fruits of our faithful labor and celebrate, just like Miriam did with her people.
Common Questions About Miriam and the Exodus
1. Between Miriam, Moses, and Aaron, who was youngest and who was oldest?
Exodus 7:7 tells us that Aaron was three years older than Moses. While the Bible doesn’t specifically tell us where Miriam lands in the birth order of these three siblings, we know she was older than Moses. Jewish tradition states that Miriam was four years older than Aaron and seven years older than Moses.
2. What happened to Miriam between Exodus 2 and Exodus 15?
The Bible doesn’t tell us, but we can assume that while Moses was growing up in the household of Pharaoh’s daughter and in exile as an adult, Miriam would have remained with her people, one of a nation slaves, calling out to God for deliverance.
3. Was Miriam really a prophet? I thought only men were prophets.
Miriam was really a prophet, according to Exodus 15:20. This meant she would have spoken God’s word to His people in some capacity. Other female prophets mentioned in the Bible include Deborah, Huldah, Noadiah, and Anna.
4. Both Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses. Why was she the only one who was punished?
This is a fair question, but no one really knows the answer. It could be that Miriam was the primary instigator of the criticism (she is listed first in the biblical account). It could also have something to do with Aaron being the high priest. Priests were required to be ceremonially clean before offering sacrifices to God. Contracting leprosy would have made Aaron unclean, which would have been majorly problematic for both him and the Israelite people.
Reflect or Discuss
- What kind of leader has God called you to be?
- How has God called you to be courageous? What would it look like to live that courage out?
- How could you take faithful steps to partner with God and share His love with others this week?