020. Prayer Of Moses For Miriam.

PrayerOf Moses For Miriam. The Prayer as recorded.—Numbers 12:13. The Answer.—Numbers 12:14-15. The sister of Moses, for whom this prayer was made, was a person of much interest, although under the present circumstances her conduct was highly blamable, and called forth the indignation of God The part she enacted in the preservation of Moses, in his infancy, from the waters of the Nile, her tenderness and care attach us to her. We suppose Miriam a woman of much personal beauty— the “chief lady of Israel,” but possessed of vehemence of spirit and much vanity. The affliction for which Moses prayed had been sent upon her as a punishment in speaking rashly of the prophet of the Lord. Her heart was filled with jealousy towards Zipporah, whom Moses had chosen for a wife, and whom Miriam feared might usurp her rights or rule over her. A aron was guilty of the same sin as his sister, but she was the first in the transgression, and no doubt excited him by her rashness. God punished Miriam in a way which made her feel more deeply than anything else could have done, and as we hear nothing further of her history, we infer her days were passed in the only true sphere of woman, in quiet. We are led to confess that woman is capable of doing far more good and far more, evil than man; even when she is imagined pure and spotless, her heart, more than man’s, may be the home of the very worst as well as the best passions.

Men are, to outward appearance, either the one thing or the other—good or bad; a keen observer is seldom deceived; a woman to the world’s eye is always good, till by some outward, flagrant act she proves herself otherwise. This prayer of Moses exhibits a spirit of meekness and forbearance which everywhere in his history stamps his character. In the jealousy shown by his brother and sister he suffered one of the most bitter trials with which God’s children are called to strive; he had hitherto been supported in all his movements by his own family, but he is now the subject of resentment from those nearest to him, but the Lord heard it, heard all their taunts, and stood ready to defend the prophet; he says to them, “Wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” In this leader of Israel we have an instance of continuance in well-doing; we find him pursuing the path of duty, “enduring, as seeing him who is invisible,” “choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season,” holding close communion with his Maker, and drawing strength to fulfill, with meekness and submission, his duties, from that source which alone can supply it, submitting to insult, returning good for evil, and praying for those who so despitefully used him; yes, in his own words, “his mother’s children were angry,” those, too, who were eminent in religion, bitterly assailed him. We are here taught another lesson of the frailty of human nature, its liability to be drawn into sin; it should teach us to cultivate the spirit of Moses, to bear with the faults of God’s children, nor to condemn or speak rashly of those whom He has called—remembering we are all sinful, erring beings. Let us take with us that charity which seeks rather to hide than to expose the weaknesses of others.