Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam along the way after you came out of Egypt. -Deut. 24:9

Let's begin by setting this story in context. This incident happened early on while the Israelite nation are traveling to the Promised Land. The people have already been grumbling about food and water. Even Moses has complained to God that he needed help, and we all know that complaining can be contagious. 

In comes Miriam, whose name actually means bitter, and begins talking with  Aaron her older brother,

Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. 2 “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this.

3 (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)

4 At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out. 5 Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them stepped forward, 6 he said, “Listen to my words:

“When there is a prophet among you,
    I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions,
    I speak to them in dreams.
7 But this is not true of my servant Moses;
    he is faithful in all my house.
8 With him I speak face to face,
    clearly and not in riddles;
    he sees the form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid
    to speak against my servant Moses?”

9 The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them.

10 When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s skin was leprous

Why did God only punish Miriam with leprosy and not Aaron as well? Unfortunately, there is no biblical answer but there are some hints in the Bible. The Jewish Study Bible concluded that…

..Miriam and not Aaron was punished because she instigated the gossip and vocalized it, as indicated by the feminine gender of the verb “spoke” in 12:1 and the placement of Miriam name before Aaron's” it’s speculated that Aaron was silent or just agreed.

Joseph Telushkin suggests this difference stems from the Hebrew verb used to describe their comments about Moses’ wife. It is feminine – ve’teddaber (“and she spoke”) – indicting that Miriam was the one who initiated the conversation against Moses. 

Leprosy meant isolation and being marked as "unclean". Miriam had to leave the community and live outside the camp, alone (Numbers 5:1-3). But, because of the intercession of her brothers, God limits her time in which she could return to seven days.

We don’t hear of Miriam again until her death almost 40 years later in Numbers 20:1, "In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried."  Very few of the female leaders in the Bible have details of their death. 

It's also super important to note Micah 6:2-4, Hear, O mountains, the Lord’s accusation; listen you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the Lord has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel. “My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam."

We don't know what happened to Miriam after the incident resulting in leprosy for seven days, but I believe the mention of her death and burial as well as being counted among the leaders in Micah 6 speaks of something extremely important to all of us reading this. And that is God's forgiveness. His forgiveness not only towards Miriam, but towards us as well. 

I know all of us have sinned and some of us are still haunted by those sins; believing... 

• If others only knew I wouldn't be accepted,
• I would never be allowed to lead or hold a leadership position. 
• I haven't even forgiven myself, how could I expect others to not hold this against me.  

The truth found in Miriam's life is that, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9  

If we have confessed our sin, we have received His forgiveness and HE has purified us for all unrighteousness, not because we are worthy, but because Jesus interceded and paid the penalty we couldn't pay. 

Miriam had brothers, but we have a friend in Jesus, who sticks closer than any brother! (Proverbs 8:24) 

We are set free from any penalties when we claim Jesus as our Savior!

And truly we should be living just as God sees us each day!

Have you asked for His forgiveness? Have you accepted Jesus' gift of not only forgiveness, but eternal life? 

If so, are you living the abundant life He promised each of His believers? 

If you're unsure, I pray you'll talk more with me, for you don't want to miss the abundant life He promised! (John 10:10)

Blessings, 

Sue