Miriam Green-eyed Monster, Part 1

The phrase “green with envy” is thought to have come from ancient Greece, where it was readily accepted that envious feelings produced excess bile, which in turn gave one’s skin a greenish hue. While not very attractive, the concept nonetheless shows how strong jealousy can be and how much it can affect other areas of a person’s life.

Moses’ older sister Miriam stands as the first female prophet recounted in Scripture. When Miriam was but a child, she already exhibited the boldness and daring that characterized her as an adult. When her mother hid her baby brother Moses by the banks of the Nile River, Miriam stayed by and watched closely as the Pharaoh’s daughter and her maidservants found him in the basket in the water. The Pharaoh had decreed that every Hebrew male child should be slain. Would the princess see the deed done?

Instead of harming Moses, the princess “had compassion” (Exodus 2:6) upon the Hebrew babe. Without wasting a moment, Miriam, sharp as a whip, intercepted.

“Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?” (v. 7) she asked.

When she was told yes, Miriam brought her mother to the royal entourage. Her brother’s life was spared, and not only that, he was returned to his real family for a few extra, precious years.

It seems natural then that Miriam rose to a high position among her people. As an adult, she was a faithful follower of God, called “the prophetess” (Exodus 15:20). When God broke the bonds of Egyptian slavery for the Israelites, it was she who led the women in a victory celebration (vv. 20, 21).

But oftentimes the qualities which we deem so essential in a leader—wit, strength, nerve—are the very same which prove to be their downfall. Miriam was a leader in her own right, but she was not the only leader. She had two brothers, Moses and Aaron, who were also God’s chosen—Moses above all. Moses was set apart by God for a very special work (Exodus 4:15, 16; Deuteronomy 34:10), and it was beginning to bother Miriam.

Reflect: List some of your natural talents. Do these attributes make you a gifted leader, teacher, or business person? Have you committed these gifts to God?

Key Bible Texts

But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. (1 Corinthians 12:11 KJV)