Miriam and Aaron oppose Moses
February 21, 2021
Commentary
Moses, Aaron, and Miriam were a team sent by God to help the nation of Israel (Micah 6:4). Everybody in Israel knew that these three team mates were God’s chosen servants, but that Moses was the leader. Miriam, sister of Moses, was a leader as prophetess and Aaron, Moses’ brother, as high priest, was a spiritual leader of the entire nation. Now, in envy Miriam and Aaron speak against Moses (v. 1). All evidence points to the fact that Miriam was the leader in this family rebellion. She didn’t begin her attack by accusing Moses of usurping authority but suggested that he had committed a questionable act by marrying a Cushite woman (v. 1), possibly from Egypt.
It was probably after the death of his first wife Zipporah that Moses had married this Cushite woman. It is important to know that in itself this marriage was not wrong, in light of God’s command which only forbade the Israelites to marry the daughters of Canaan (Ex. 34:11-16). When Miriam got around to her real complaint, it was that Moses was the only spokesperson for God (v. 2). Weak willed Aaron gave in to the evil suggestion of his sister. Moses didn’t try to vindicate himself but left his defense to the Lord, which He did by inflicting leprosy on Miriam. When Aaron saw what had happened to her, he said to Moses, “Sir, please don’t punish us for doing such a foolish thing. Don’t let Miriam’s flesh rot away like a child born dead” (vv. 11-12)! Moses prayed, “LORD God, please heal her” (v. 13). But the LORD replied, “ Miriam will be disgraced for seven days (v. 14).
Application
It is a serious thing to be a spiritual leader, and the greater the honor the greater the responsibility. It is important how I respond to those over me in leadership because they watch for my soul and must give an account (Heb. 13:17).
Numbers 12:1– 16 (NET)
1 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married (for he had married an Ethiopian woman). 2 They said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Has he not also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard it.
3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more so than any man on the face of the earth.)
4 The Lord spoke immediately to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam: “The three of you come to the tent of meeting.” So the three of them went. 5 And the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent; he then called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward.
6 The Lord said, “Hear now my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known to him in a vision; I will speak with him in a dream. 7 My servant Moses is not like this; he is faithful in all my house. 8 With him I will speak face to face, openly and not in riddles, and he will see 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 departed. 10 After the cloud had departed from above the tent, there was Miriam, leprous like snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and realized that she was leprous.
11 So Aaron said to Moses, “O my lord, please do not hold this sin against us, in which we have acted foolishly and have sinned! 12 Do not let her be like a baby born dead, whose flesh is half consumed when it comes out of its mother’s womb!”
13 Then Moses cried to the Lord, “Heal her now, O God.” 14 The Lord said to Moses, “If her father had only spit in her face, would she not have been disgraced for seven days? Shut her out from the camp seven days, and afterward she can be brought back in again.”
15 So Miriam was shut outside of the camp for seven days, and the people did not journey on until Miriam was brought back in. 16 After that the people moved from Hazeroth and camped in the wilderness of Paran.
Illustration: Moody told the fable of an eagle who was envious
Dwight L. Moody once told the fable of an eagle who was envious of another that could fly better than he could. One day the bird saw a sportsman with a bow and arrow and said to him, “I wish you would bring down that eagle up there.” The man said he would if he had some feathers for his arrow. So the jealous eagle pulled one out of his wing. The arrow was shot, but it didn’t quite reach the rival bird because he was flying too high. The first eagle pulled out another feather, then another-until he had lost so many that he himself couldn’t fly. The archer took advantage of the situation, turned around, and killed the helpless bird. Moody made this application: if you are envious of others, the one you will hurt the most by your actions will be yourself. (Source Unknown)