God Hears Your Cry
Yes, Aaron and his elder sister Miriam had been foolish. As Miriam is mentioned first, it would appear that she was the source of the complaint. The resulting judgment on Miriam, who was also Moses’ sister, was an opportunity for her two brothers to pray for her—and for God to show mercy. Miriam was healed, and she returned to the camp after the time required by the law of that time. Sometimes we also speak foolish things. There is no limit to God’s kindness when we call to him in our shame. God loves to forgive more than we sometimes dare to ask.
Numbers 12
Jealousy of Aaron and Miriam
While they were in Haseroth, Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had taken. For he had taken an Ethiopian woman. They said to themselves, “Moses is not the only one the LORD has used to speak to the people. He has also spoken through us!” The LORD heard this. (Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all the men on the face of the earth.) So suddenly, the LORD came and spoke to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. He said, “You three, come to the Meeting Tent, now!” So Moses, Aaron, and Miriam went to the Tent. The Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both came forth. God said, “Hear now My words. If there is a prophet among you, I Lord will make Myself known to him in a vision, and will speak to him in a dream. Not so, My servant Moses. He is faithful in all My house. I will speak with him mouth to mouth, even clearly, and not in dark speeches. And he shall behold the likeness of Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?”
Miriam’s Leprosy
So angry was the Lord against them that when he departed, and the cloud moved from the tabernacle. And behold! Miriam became leprous, as snow. And Aaron looked on Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. And Aaron said to Moses, Oh, my lord, I beg you, do not lay upon us the sin in which we have done foolishly, and in which we have sinned. Let her not be like one dead, of whom the flesh is half gone when he comes out of his mother’s womb. And Moses cried to Lord saying, heal her now, O God, I beseech You. And Lord said to Moses, if her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received. And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days. And the people did not pull up stakes until Miriam was brought in. And afterward the people moved from Hazeroth, and encamped in the wilderness of Paran.
