AM Bible Study Group; June 2, 2010
Numbers 12:1-15
Theme: This passage describes opposition Moses received to his authority from his own family.
In the last chapter, God showed mercy to Moses by providing that seventy other elders of the people would share in his spirit of leadership (11:16-17, 24-30). And a little jealousy over this may have inspired the events of chapter twelve. A new challenge to Moses leadership arose—this time, from the members of his own family!
I. MIRIAM’S AND AARON’S COMPLAINT (vv. 1-3).
A. It began when Moses’ sister Miriam (see Exodus 2:4, 7-8; 15:20-21; Numbers 20:1)— along with her brother Aaron—brought a complaint against the wife of their younger brother Moses. They complained because he had married an Ethiopian woman. Scholars have debated over whether or not this was Moses’ first wife Zipporah (see Exodus 2:21), or if it was another woman he married later. They also wrestle over whether their complaint was presented as something racially motivated. In any case, it seems that Mariam was the lead, and Aaron was the follower. (Note that he had been a bit of a follower in the past—Exodus 32:1-6, 21-24; Deuteronomy 9:20.) Our Lord was also, at times, opposed by His own family members (Mark 3:21, 31-35; John 7:3-5).
B. It would seem, however, that their complaint against Moses’ wife wasn’t the real issue. Their expressed argument against Moses was, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” Miriam, after all, is called a prophetess in Exodus 15:20; and it is through Aaron that God had established the priestly ministry. Perhaps Moses’ foreign wife became cause for them to be jealous over what they felt to be an unfair advantage of influence.
C. We’re told two important things about their complaint. First, we’re told that the Lord heard it. He not only hears all the complaints issued against His appointed leaders; but He also knows the improper motives that may be behind those complaints. And we’re also told that Moses was “very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth”. Some scholars have doubted that Moses wrote those words about himself. And, in fact, it may be that someone else wrote them later—perhaps Joshua, who many believe recorded the facts of Moses’ death in Deuteronomy 34. But if those words are, indeed true—that Moses truly was the most humble of all men on the earth—then it wouldn’t have been inconsistent for Moses to have written them at all. They would make absolute sense—given the remarkable task God had given him; and they would contribute significantly to the story—highlighting Moses’ restraint in the face of opposition in allowing God answer the accusation for him.
II. GOD’S RESPONSE (vv. 4-9).
A. We’re told that God responded “suddenly”. It may be that, even as they were speaking those accusations to Moses, and even as Moses was refraining from saying anything, that God interrupted their words. God, in response to their accusation, called forth Mariam, Aaron and Moses from the camp to appear at the tabernacle. It was there that God descended in the cloud to meet them at the door. Once there, He then specifically called Aaron and Miriam forward. This would have been a very public event—and would, perhaps, serve as a powerful lesson to all!
B. God declared to Aaron and Miriam—in the hearing of all—the unique position of authority Moses held. He said that, while He communicated Himself in veiled ways to other prophets—that is, making Himself known in a vision or speaking through a dream, He spoke clearly and in an face-to-face way with Moses—not in dark sayings but plainly. He called Moses His servant—one who was “faithful” in all His “house” (i.e., the tabernacle; see Hebrews 3:1-6); and that Moses even had the privilege of beholding God’s form (Exodus 33:17-34:9). “Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?” God asked them? It’s a dreadful thing to wrongly judge God’s faithful servants (see 1 Corinthians 4:1-5).
C. God departed from them; but we’re told, in sobering words, that “the anger of the LORD was aroused against them”. It may be, in part, that He was angry over the unfair way they accused Moses because of his wife—and thus over their unjust treatment of her. But it most certainly was because their actions came from a heart of rebellion of God’s call on Moses’ life. Truly this is a picture of God’s command not to avenge ourselves but to “give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay” (Romans 12:19; see also Deuteronomy 32:35).
III. MIRIAM’S PUNISHMENT (vv. 10-12).
A. Perhaps when the cloud of God surrounded them, the area around them was bright with the splendor of God’s presence. But when the cloud left, Miriam remained white with leprosy! God once gave this as a sign to Moses when he said to God, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you'” (see Exodus 4:1, 6-8). And now—as Moses’ authority was being challenged, this sign was put to use! Originally, this was intended to have an impact on the people at large; and it certainly seems that it would have had an impact on them now! But who would have thought that it would have been through Moses’ sister that the sign was given?
B. Aaron, we’re told, turned and looked at his sister; and saw that she was “a leper”. The leprosy mentioned here is not the type that we see or read of in some parts of the world today; but more of a flesh-eating skin disease. God’s laws regarding it are described in Leviticus 13-14. Its manifestation on Miriam was such that her skin was “white as snow”. If, indeed, her and Aaron’s attack on Moses’ wife was because she was a dark- skinned woman, then this would have been an ironic judgment from God! Aaron, knowing what the outcome of this disease would be, pleaded desperately for her— begging that she not be allowed to become “as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb!” This is a gruesome description of the rotting of the flesh that this dreadful disease produced.
C. Aaron, it seems, wasn’t afflicted with this leprosy; and the reason—most likely—was because he was the priest; and as the one who was anointed with the holy oil for ministry, he must not be made unclean. But note that Aaron, nevertheless, bore the guilt of his and Miriam’s sin. In words very much like those he spoke at the incident of the golden calf (see Exodus 32:22), he pleaded to Moses and said, “Oh, my lord! Please do not lay this sin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned.”
IV. MOSES’ PRAYER FOR HER HEALING (vv. 13-16).
A. Moses then demonstrates his great humility in that he too pleads for his sister. But note that, in this, God demonstrated the very authority of Moses that was being contested. It was he who made the plea to God, and not Aaron or Miriam. And it was at the request of Moses that God healed Miriam. This is similar to the way God vindicated Job from the accusation of his friends (see Job 42:7-9).
B. Though it isn’t specifically stated, it would seem that God responded favorably to Moses’ request and healed Miriam. Nevertheless, He said, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp seven days, and afterward she may be received again.” These words may be related to the shame associated with being spat upon as a sign of disgrace (see Deuteronomy 25:9). To be spat upon—even if it had been her own father—would make her unclean (Leviticus 15:8). And if this is so, then God was saying that the disgrace she received by being punished by leprosy—though the leprosy had been removed—still made her ceremonially unclean. She needed to, as it were, ‘sit in the ‘time-out’ chair, for seven days. This week-long wait allowed her and Aaron time to think of what had happened. It also allowed time for everyone else to think too; because progress to the promised land was held up during that week-long wait. It was only after she was able to return to the camp that the people could resume their progress to the promised land.
* * * * * * * * * *
Sad to say; but the people apparently didn’t learn from this incident. It would be only a short while later that the people would once again challenge both Moses’ and Aaron’s authority (see 16:1-17:13). But may it be that we learn the lesson that this passage illustrates to us!
We see in it an important principle of spiritual leadership within the body of Christ—a principle from which no one, not even the most privileged among us, is exempt: “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17).
Let us never be found to arouse God’s anger by opposing those He places over us for our good.