And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank. And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. Exodus 2: 1-4, NKJV.
Heavenly Father, we are grateful for family members who love us and are always willing to watch over us. Please help us to show our appreciation to them in every way we can. This we ask in the holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Today we are talking about the relationship between siblings. As children of the same parents we live together, usually, under the same roof for the greater part of our lives. During different periods of our lives, our behavior toward each other varies. At one stage, the older sibling feels that it is his or her duty to take care of the younger one(s). At another stage, there is a sense of competitiveness between them. As they get older, there is usually a tendency to get close to each other, unless somewhere along the way, earlier in the relationship, something went really wrong, that created irreconcilable differences between them. At times there is also a feeling of jealousy
There is not a lot said about the relationship between Moses and his brother Aaron, and sister Miriam, as children, except what we read in our Scripture for today, “And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.” No doubt, Her mother had told her that she was not to lose sight of her little brother. His safety was dependent upon her faithfulness, and diligence. She obviously, took that assignment very serious.
For some reason, when a sibling has been tasked with the duty of caring for another sibling or for “the others” (when they are several), it becomes difficult for them to divorce themselves from the role of caretaker in later years. This can cause a lot of problems in their relationships. They can sometimes become very protective of the younger ones and also quite jealous. They seem to want to continue making decisions for the others even after they are grown and are well able to take care of themselves. At times they do not want to share them with anyone (of course that could be considered carrying things a bit too far, but it happens). They could go as far as to want to approve, or disapprove, a life partner!
I wonder if some of Miriam’s problems of rebellion were not founded in the fact that Moses, her “baby brother,” got married, to someone who was non-Jewish. She was not consulted, obviously. Add to that the fact that the counsel of Zipporah’s dad, the priestof Midian, was heeded, and became, as it were, law in the land. That threatened, even more, her position of closeness to her brother. Obviously Aaron, also felt his position of authority questioned, and joined in the rebellion.
Thank God, our Heavenly Father who sees our weakness, understands our frailties, and “remembers that we are dust,” dealt with her and her brother Aaron, and restored the family unity before death separated them. May we allow Him to do the same in our families!
NOTE: These counsels are shared from a Biblical, not a clinical, perspective.
NOTE: To all our dear web friends and family – thank you so much for your faithful prayers and sincere concern! To God be the glory, the problem I was confronting on our website has been fixed!!!