Numbers 12 is about Miriam and Aaron challenging Moses, but at a deeper level, it reveals important truths about God’s authority, humility, sin, judgment, intercession, and ultimately points us toward Jesus. Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because of his Cushite wife, but their deeper issue appears to be jealousy and a desire for greater authority. God had certainly spoken through Miriam and Aaron. Miriam was a prophetess, and Aaron was Israel’s high priest. But they were not satisfied with the role God had given them. They questioned why Moses should have unique authority.
This teaches us that spiritual gifts and leadership should never become a source of pride or competition. God gives different people different responsibilities. One of the most important statements in the chapter says, “Now Moses was a very humble man, more so than anyone on the face of the earth.” Moses did not defend himself or fight back against Miriam and Aaron. Instead, God defended His servant. This is significant when we look at Jesus. Jesus was the ultimate example of humility. He had every right to glory and authority, yet He willingly humbled Himself and became a servant. Phillipians 2:8 says, “He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross.” Moses was a humble servant of God, but Jesus was the perfect and sinless Servant of God. God called Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to the tent of meeting and confronted them. God explained that He spoke to prophets through visions and dreams, but Moses had a unique relationship with Him. “I speak with him directly, openly, and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD.” God’s point was that Moses had been given a unique role and authority. This points forward to Jesus because Jesus is greater than Moses. Moses was a servant in God’s house, but Jesus is the Son over God’s house. Moses was faithful as a servant, but Christ is faithful as the Son. Moses received God’s word and delivered it to Israel. Jesus is the Word who came to us in the flesh. Because Miriam and Aaron had rebelled against God’s appointed authority, God’s anger burned against them. Miriam was struck with a serious skin disease and became “white as snow.”
This shows the seriousness of pride, rebellion, and speaking against God’s authority. It also shows us something important about sin. Sin brings separation and uncleanness.
Miriam had to be put outside the camp for seven days. She was separated from the community because she was ceremonially unclean. Under the Old Covenant, uncleanness resulted in separation from God’s people. But Jesus came to restore the unclean. Jesus repeatedly touched and healed people who were considered ceremonially unclean. Instead of their uncleanness making Jesus unclean, Jesus’ holiness overcame their uncleanness. One of the most beautiful parts of the chapter is when Aaron recognizes their sin and asks Moses to intercede. Moses then cries out. “God, please heal her!” Miriam had sinned against Moses, yet Moses prayed for her healing.
This is a powerful picture of what Jesus does for sinners. Moses was wronged, but he prayed for the person who wronged him. Jesus was rejected, mocked, beaten, and crucified, yet He prayed “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” Moses’ intercession gives us a small glimpse of the heart of Christ. Jesus is the greater Intercessor, standing before the Father on behalf of His people. If anyone in this world was in the position to rightfully be prideful it was Jesus. He was the son of God. He looked at all of our sin and instead of sitting on the sidelines he came to forgive us. He knew he was the only one who could. If the perfect God of the universe can bear the weight of all of this world’s sin who are we not to forgive each other. Pride is a very dangerous thing. It is like a cancer that can tear you down from the inside out. We must always trust that God is doing everything for our good and not take vengeance in our own hand. Jesus is the example and Jesus forgave a million times more than we could even think to forgive. We love because Christ first loved us and we forgive because Jesus forgave us. Love y’all! Have a great day!
Numbers 12:1-16
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“Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because of the Cushite woman he married (for he had married a Cushite woman). They said, “Does the Lord speak only through Moses? Does he not also speak through us? ” And the Lord heard it. Moses was a very humble man, more so than anyone on the face of the earth. Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “You three come out to the tent of meeting.” So the three of them went out. Then the Lord descended in a pillar of cloud, stood at the entrance to the tent, and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them came forward, he said: “Listen to what I say: If there is a prophet among you from the Lord, I make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my household. I speak with him directly, openly, and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. So why were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? ” The Lord’s anger burned against them, and he left. As the cloud moved away from the tent, Miriam’s skin suddenly became diseased, resembling snow. When Aaron turned toward her, he saw that she was diseased and said to Moses, “My Lord, please don’t hold against us this sin we have so foolishly committed. Please don’t let her be like a dead baby whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother’s womb.” Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “God, please heal her! ” The Lord answered Moses, “If her father had merely spit in her face, wouldn’t she remain in disgrace for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp for seven days; after that she may be brought back in.” So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until Miriam was brought back in. After that, the people set out from Hazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran.”
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