Numbers 12
Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses
12:1 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married (for he had married an Ethiopian woman). 12:2 They said, “Has the Lord only spoken through Moses? Has he not also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard it.
Aaron and Miriam were upset at Moses for taking a second wife. Why did Moses take a second wife? Did Zipporah go back home with her father? Was she dead? Scripture is silent on this issue. However, this second marriage was enough to cause Aaron and Miriam to rebel against their own brother.
The Hebrew word for “spoke” is וַתְּדַבֵּ֨ר (wa-ta-dabar), a piel perfect 3rd person feminine singular verb, meaning “she intensely spoke.” Miriam was the ring-leader who spoke against Moses. Aaron was a follower. This was a feminist movement against Moses.
12:3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more so than any man on the face of the earth.)
The Holy Spirit called Moses the most humble man on the earth. This was quite a compliment.
The Response of the Lord
12:4 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. 12:5 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.
The Shekinah Glory called Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to the entrance of the Tabernacle to discuss this leadership matter.
12:6 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.
Jehovah spoke to prophets in either visions or dreams.
12:7 My servant Moses is not like this; he is faithful in all my house.
Moses was a different kind of prophet.
12:8 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?”
Jehovah spoke to Moses face-to-face openly. He did not speak to Moses in dreams, visions, or riddles. He spoke to him in the form of Jehovah. This form would be the pre-incarnate Christ. Therefore, it was a sin for Aaron and Miriam to speak against God’s servant.
Many modern charismatics claim that God speaks to them openly in human form. However, God claimed that He only spoke to prophets in dreams and visions. He no longer speaks through prophets today. He only speaks through the written Word of God.
12:9 The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he departed.
Jehovah is angered when one comes against His servants.
12:10 When the cloud departed from above the tent, Miriam became leprous as snow. Then Aaron looked at Miriam, and she was leprous!
Miriam became leprous. This means that she would have to be removed from the camp. Her voice would no longer be heard in the camp. She should not have complained against God’s servant.
Why was Aaron not stricken with leprosy? Is God a chauvinist, as many Biblically ignorant feminists claim? Not at all. Aaron was the High Priest. If he was stricken with leprosy, then he would not be able to perform the sacrificial rituals for the people. Also, according to Numbers 12:1, Miriam was the main accuser. Aaron was a follower.
The Intercession of Moses
12:11 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!
Aaron confessed their sin. They should not have complained against God’s servant.
12:12 Do not let her be like a baby born dead, whose flesh is half-consumed when it comes out of its mother’s womb!”
Aaron asked for miraculous healing of his sister.
12:13 Then Moses cried to the Lord, “Heal her now, O God.”
Moses interceded for Miriam. Notice that it was not a long and flowery prayer which puts people to sleep. Moses was not trying to impress an audience with his prayers.
12:14 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.”
If a daughter spit in her father’s face, then the daughter would be punished. Miriam had spit in the face of God, so she was to be punished as well. She was to be shut out of the camp for seven days.
12:15 So Miriam was shut outside of the camp for seven days, and the people did not journey on until Miriam was brought back in.
The Shekinah Glory waited seven days for Miriam to return to camp. This delayed the trip to the Promised Land.
12:16 After that the people moved from Hazeroth and camped in the wilderness of Paran.
The people moved to the wilderness of Paran, which was possibly on the border of Kadesh.