For forty years, I wandered in the wilderness with my brothers and our people. I had seen JEHOVAH do miraculous things. The Pharoah who once enslaved us was left devastated when the LORD led us out with a mighty hand.
When I was young, I watched over my brother Moses in the reeds, and saw that Mother was allowed to be his nurse for the Pharoah’s daughter. The same Pharoah that became Moses’s surrogate grandfather was the one who had commanded all Hebrew baby boys to be thrown to the crocodiles. Who is like JEHOVAH that can make such miracles come to pass?
After Pharoah’s army was left lifeless on the Red Sea’s shore, I led the Hebrew women in a song of worship and praise. We danced and played our timbrels with such great joy!
“Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.”
Often, I would lead the women to sing as we faced the obstacles of our long, difficult journey. Complaining became contagious amongst our people, yet JEHOVAH was so gracious to us along the way. When we came to an arid, wayside-resting place, Moses hit a boulder with his staff and water gushed from its inner recesses. Imagine! A flowing rock providing water for millions of people in the desert!
When we became hungry, little white pieces of angel’s food appeared on the ground every day but the Sabbath. JEHOVAH made it to last into the Sabbath days so we could rest one day a week. Is He not amazing?
Every obstacle dredged up a sigh of complaint amongst the people, yet another miracle would happen before our very eyes. We lacked nothing on our journey, and even our shoes never wore out. It is easy to praise such a wonderful Provider!
As I got older, though, I am sad to say that the journey wore on me. I became like the bitter, old women, murmuring instead of praising. I looked with a critical eye upon those around me. Surely, at my age, I am entitled to say it like I see it! And let me tell you! My little brother, Moses, even at the age of 118, still needed my advice. I mean, that wife of his was not even a Hebrew! Who was she to advise him?!?
I went straight to Aaron to hash it all out. He was our eldest brother whom God had appointed the “Spokesman” for our much quieter, younger brother. He saw things my way, too. Why should Moses act like God only speaks through him, anyway? Aaron and I have been with him this whole journey! God can speak through us too!
My heart pounded and my knees went weak when JEHOVAH’s voice commanded Aaron, Moses, and I to come to the tabernacle. He had heard my eloquent speech against my brother. The bitter murmuring that had once only been in my heart began to appear as white splotches upon my skin.
LEPROSY! It was deadly.
If Moses had not pleaded for my healing, it would have cost me a slow, agonizing death. Seven days outside the camp gave me time to meditate on how my heart had grown so ungrateful and caustic.
Graciously forgiven and restored, I now pass on my lesson to those who come behind me. See JEHOVAH’s kindness working behind the obstacles, and don’t give way to the complaining spirit that seeks to bring a slow, agonizing death to the relationships around you. If I could go back and change my life, I would not, for then, I would have no lesson to pass on. Stay thankful to the end, dear friends.
Love, Miriam (Exodus 15, Numbers 12)
–Erica B.
His Song in the Night 