OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETESSES & THEIR ROLES
Prophetess - Miriam
Let’s look at a few of the most popular women and get them out of the way. The first that is widely talked about is MIRIAM. If you read all of the collected scriptures about Miriam, you would find that the only thing she did was spoke wisdom to the daughter of Pharaoh which led Pharaoh’s daughter to hire Moses’ mother to feed and continue taking care of Moses in his normal family environment. Also, you will remember Pharaoh had issued an edict (around 1520 B.C.) saying all boy babies being born were to be killed. You bible readers may recall the new King did not remember Joseph… or…what God did through his leadership. In fact, neither King or Pharaoh remembered that it was because of Joseph that their land prospered and thrived, and that Jeseph was the hero that saved everyone from starvation. That’s a strong lesson about passing down our history.
Death Sentence Issued
Pharaoh called the midwives to him and told them to slow-down the women of Israel from having children. A little later (when he saw no visible change in the Hebrew population increasing) Pharaoh told the midwives to come explain to him why they were still having so many babies; the midwives lied to him saying the Hebrew women were have the babies fast, even before they arrived. So this led Pharaoh to issue the edict of killing all the boy babies (in hopes to control their population) and let the girls live (you can read the entire story for yourselves in Exodus 1:1-22). Exodus chapter 2 verses 1-10 explains how Miriam (about 15 years of age) was used by God to save her younger newborn brother - Moses. It is inferred that Aaron was already born (probably around 3 years of age), and before Pharaoh had made this proclamation.
Miriam After Crossing Red Sea
Reading further along, we see Miriam revealed leading a band of women to praise God after being delivered from the Egyptians after crossing the Red Sea (EX 15:20). The text says, “And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and dances. V.21, And Miriam answered them, sing you to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider has he thrown into the sea.” That’s it!
That’s what women posing as preachers and pastor stand on as the defining scripture to validate their calling as Preachers and Pastors. Wrong! Miriam did not Preach a sermon nor Pastor a flock. Nowhere do you find Miriam in a leadership role over men. That verse says God used her to lead a song, praise and worship period.
Miriam’s Mouth
Later (Numbers 12) we will see Miriam’s mouth getting her into trouble when she and Aaron are doubting Moses’ authority and talking about him behind his back. One of the most powerful phrases in the bible is: And the Lord heard it. Miriam engages Aaron (behind Moses’ back) in one of those ”who does Moses think he is” conversations that ends very badly for her. The text says no sooner than the words left Miriam’s lips, “And the Lord heard it.” Miriam, Aaron and Moses were called on the carpet by God himself and Miriam was questioned openly by God about her own creditials. God says, “If there is a Prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known to HIM in a vision and speak to HIM in a dream.” Then God says, if it’s not Moses then who is the Prophet amongst you three? God scolds Miriam in the presence of Aaron and Moses.
In other words, Miriam, if you are correct, then who have I been talking too? Are you saying I should have been talking to you instead of Moses? Then God does not wait for her response, he leaves with the cloud rising up to heaven, after the smoke is cleared off of all of them God’s judgement is evident - Miriam is a leper. Her messy mouth and misconduct caused the entire camp to be delayed from moving forward for 10 days. This is very important for us to see and understand as a body of believers. God did not call Miriam to be a Prophetess over anyone, and draws a tremendous distinction between she and her brother Moses’ calling. There’s so much I want to say about this but will move on to the next person, Deborah in Part III.
