Miriam asks, "who speaks for God?" Numbers 12
Miriam was fearless even as a little girl. Her vigilence and outspokenness delivered the life of her brother from a watery grave in the Nile. It was Miriam's intervention that convinced the pharoah's daugthter to provide an "up" bringing for Moses. This would later put him in a position to bargain with the pharoah for the Hebrew people.
Years later she guided the women in making preparations for their escape from Egypt. After God spared the Hebrews from drowning in the waters of the Red Sea, she led the women in celebration of God's safe delivery. She had been a midwife, a woman practiced in safe delivery.
While they wandered in the desert Miriam brought the fears, concerns and dissatisfactions of the people to her brother's attention. She spoke for them when they were afraid to speak for themselves. The people recognized her as a prophetess--one through whom God speaks. When the community thought they would die of thirst, it was the wisdom of Miriam that led them to saving waters
When Moses became the mediator with God, Miriam became a mediator with Moses. While Moses was busy codifying the laws, Miriam was busy keeping the people's spirits alive.
This arrangement worked until Moses showed a double standard for these laws. The first law of God warned against false gods. Moses himself punished those who worshiped pagan idols, yet he took to himself a pagan wife. Miriam wondered why a Hewbrew woman was not his choice? Aaron knew that if he had chosen to do the same, Moses would not have approved. Clerical hypocracy was undermining the faith of the community. Though it could be interpreted as jealousy the issue had to be raised. It was a valid concern needing to be discussed. Miriam and Aaron voiced their questions in public. "Did God speak only through Moses? Does He not speak through us?" (The people had a long tradition of God speaking to prophets and prophetesses.) Visions and dreams had gotten them through til now. The whole idea of God speaking face to face with one member of the community seemed to be setting them apart from God.
Then God stepped in. Perhaps God wanted to show Miriam and Aaron that talking about such matters behind Moses back would not solve anything. They had to learn to deal with such matters face to face just as He did with Moses.
The meeting did not go well. Miriam was struck by a dis"ease". Things were not peaceful in her soul and her body reacted. Rather than infect the community she was banished with her dis"ease" and her doubts.
Away from the community and alone with God as Moses often was, she realized that the Cushite woman was her sister too. Since there was only One God, there could be no other gods. Division melted away. She returned healed. Her view of God had expanded and her community had widened to include Moses' wife. As soon as Miriam returned the community was ready to move on toward a more inclusive promised land.
Her heart's desire: Miriam felt called to leadership among the people. She was sensitive toward their needs, both physical and spiritual. She wanted to be sure that the new religious practices did not exclude the participation of the community. She fought to maintain an openness to the prophetic voices among them. She feared that new written laws and the many ways around them, would become more important than the spirit.
Points to ponder:
In Miriam's story we have the first picture of a woman leading a community in celebration of God's salvific action. In other words, concelebrating with Moses, she was performing a priestly role. One wonders how this role for women became so suppressed that today, in some religious institutions, the topic of women's priesthood is not even allowed to be discussed.
In the singing and dancing ritual the Hebrew people proclaimed that God was on their side. How do we know when God is on our side? When did you feel this way in your life? When God is for us, is God then against those who are not with us? In the great scheme of things how does the idea of sides fit with the belief that God creates and loves all that is created? Today we are engaged in a "holy" war. Both sides feel supported by God/Allah to bring freedom to the middle east. Religions can really confuse us about God if we are not discerning.
It is often said that behind every great man there is a great woman. In the story of Moses his very existence was dependent on the interplay of a whole group of women who willingly risked their lives for his survival. History has preserved the memory of his life and his relationship with God in great detail. Yet the women were merely mentioned, and often in the retelling, not even a mentioned. This blog is a small attempt to recover some of the vital missing pieces that women played in the develpment of the human community. What else must/can be done to restore the integrity of the story of humankind?
"Is it through Moses alone that the Lord speaks? Does He not speak through us also?" No matter what the context, this is still a powerful question for every religious institution. How much more important if each individual were to ponder it.. Mysticism invites us to know God directly, not just through doctrine and teachings. We were all born mystics, what happened that made us lose our childlike heart? "Unless you become as little children...,"Jesus said
But before anyone can be used as the voice of God one must be able to hear God's truth. Moses climbed great heights to commune with God, while Miriam sought God's voice alone in the depths of her soul and collegially in the community. Moses sees from above, while Miriam sees deeply. Both perpectives, the masculine and feminine, are needed. When the woman's view is missing or muffled do we demand correction/inclusion?
Contemplation means "time with" God. Burnout demands time out, so that we can adjust our perspective, our way of seeing our "self" in the context of community. Our culture does little to foster reflection upon one's inner realities. Do you allow quality time to commune with God and your true self? Time, and how we used it, is the only true measure of a life. Ironically with all our time saving technology, we can no longer afford a Sabboth/ Lord's day. How have we used all that time that we've saved? Oddly before the invention of the earliest machines humans had the leisure to view the natural world with such awe that worship evolved and became an important part of the life the community. They saw God in everything but were regarded as pagans. What then are we who compartmentalize God and keep God separate from our secular lives and institutions?
Years later she guided the women in making preparations for their escape from Egypt. After God spared the Hebrews from drowning in the waters of the Red Sea, she led the women in celebration of God's safe delivery. She had been a midwife, a woman practiced in safe delivery.
While they wandered in the desert Miriam brought the fears, concerns and dissatisfactions of the people to her brother's attention. She spoke for them when they were afraid to speak for themselves. The people recognized her as a prophetess--one through whom God speaks. When the community thought they would die of thirst, it was the wisdom of Miriam that led them to saving waters
When Moses became the mediator with God, Miriam became a mediator with Moses. While Moses was busy codifying the laws, Miriam was busy keeping the people's spirits alive.
This arrangement worked until Moses showed a double standard for these laws. The first law of God warned against false gods. Moses himself punished those who worshiped pagan idols, yet he took to himself a pagan wife. Miriam wondered why a Hewbrew woman was not his choice? Aaron knew that if he had chosen to do the same, Moses would not have approved. Clerical hypocracy was undermining the faith of the community. Though it could be interpreted as jealousy the issue had to be raised. It was a valid concern needing to be discussed. Miriam and Aaron voiced their questions in public. "Did God speak only through Moses? Does He not speak through us?" (The people had a long tradition of God speaking to prophets and prophetesses.) Visions and dreams had gotten them through til now. The whole idea of God speaking face to face with one member of the community seemed to be setting them apart from God.
Then God stepped in. Perhaps God wanted to show Miriam and Aaron that talking about such matters behind Moses back would not solve anything. They had to learn to deal with such matters face to face just as He did with Moses.
The meeting did not go well. Miriam was struck by a dis"ease". Things were not peaceful in her soul and her body reacted. Rather than infect the community she was banished with her dis"ease" and her doubts.
Away from the community and alone with God as Moses often was, she realized that the Cushite woman was her sister too. Since there was only One God, there could be no other gods. Division melted away. She returned healed. Her view of God had expanded and her community had widened to include Moses' wife. As soon as Miriam returned the community was ready to move on toward a more inclusive promised land.
Her heart's desire: Miriam felt called to leadership among the people. She was sensitive toward their needs, both physical and spiritual. She wanted to be sure that the new religious practices did not exclude the participation of the community. She fought to maintain an openness to the prophetic voices among them. She feared that new written laws and the many ways around them, would become more important than the spirit.
Points to ponder:
In Miriam's story we have the first picture of a woman leading a community in celebration of God's salvific action. In other words, concelebrating with Moses, she was performing a priestly role. One wonders how this role for women became so suppressed that today, in some religious institutions, the topic of women's priesthood is not even allowed to be discussed.
In the singing and dancing ritual the Hebrew people proclaimed that God was on their side. How do we know when God is on our side? When did you feel this way in your life? When God is for us, is God then against those who are not with us? In the great scheme of things how does the idea of sides fit with the belief that God creates and loves all that is created? Today we are engaged in a "holy" war. Both sides feel supported by God/Allah to bring freedom to the middle east. Religions can really confuse us about God if we are not discerning.
It is often said that behind every great man there is a great woman. In the story of Moses his very existence was dependent on the interplay of a whole group of women who willingly risked their lives for his survival. History has preserved the memory of his life and his relationship with God in great detail. Yet the women were merely mentioned, and often in the retelling, not even a mentioned. This blog is a small attempt to recover some of the vital missing pieces that women played in the develpment of the human community. What else must/can be done to restore the integrity of the story of humankind?
"Is it through Moses alone that the Lord speaks? Does He not speak through us also?" No matter what the context, this is still a powerful question for every religious institution. How much more important if each individual were to ponder it.. Mysticism invites us to know God directly, not just through doctrine and teachings. We were all born mystics, what happened that made us lose our childlike heart? "Unless you become as little children...,"Jesus said
But before anyone can be used as the voice of God one must be able to hear God's truth. Moses climbed great heights to commune with God, while Miriam sought God's voice alone in the depths of her soul and collegially in the community. Moses sees from above, while Miriam sees deeply. Both perpectives, the masculine and feminine, are needed. When the woman's view is missing or muffled do we demand correction/inclusion?
Contemplation means "time with" God. Burnout demands time out, so that we can adjust our perspective, our way of seeing our "self" in the context of community. Our culture does little to foster reflection upon one's inner realities. Do you allow quality time to commune with God and your true self? Time, and how we used it, is the only true measure of a life. Ironically with all our time saving technology, we can no longer afford a Sabboth/ Lord's day. How have we used all that time that we've saved? Oddly before the invention of the earliest machines humans had the leisure to view the natural world with such awe that worship evolved and became an important part of the life the community. They saw God in everything but were regarded as pagans. What then are we who compartmentalize God and keep God separate from our secular lives and institutions?
posted by Her Heart's Desire @ 8:50 PM
0 comments
