Numbers 12:1-16

Two apples in a tree looked down on the world. The first apple said, “Look at all those people fighting, robbing, rioting – no one seems willing to get along with others. One day we apples will be the only ones left. Then we’ll rule the world.”

The second apple replied, “Which of us – the reds or the greens?”

Prejudice is alive and well in our world, in many forms. Racial prejudice is one of its most visible forms, and the recent political turbulence leading to the creation of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party is a clear reminder of that.

You might be quick to say to me, “Prejudice is one sin I’m not guilty of” – but you may be mistaken. You might say, with [Sydney] radio personality John Laws, “I’m biased against the tendency to be biased.”

But what would your immediate reaction be if your car broke down on a deserted road, and you’re alone with the bonnet up, and a group of Hell’s Angels bikies pulls up behind your car?

How would you react if your daughter or granddaughter phoned and revealed that she had had an abortion or had come out as a lesbian? What would you feel if you discovered that half the residents in your street were Taiwanese migrants, or that the new student pastor was Aboriginal?

What would you think if a long-time friend bought a new Lexus, moved to Kangaroo Point, and let you know they were heading off on their second overseas holiday for the year?

Prejudice can afflict anyone, even those who should know better (v. 1). The Macquarie Dictionary defines prejudice as “an unfavourable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason.”

Prejudice among Israel’s leaders

In Numbers 12, the three human characters share the same parents: Aaron is Moses’ brother, Miriam his sister. Aaron is Israel’s High Priest, and Miriam is recognised within the community as a prophet (perhaps as the leader of a group of Spirit-filled women, cf Exodus 15:20f).

Traditionally, Miriam is also recognised as the sister who watched over the infant Moses in his floating basket on the bank of the Nile river.

Of all the people who might have done so, it was these two leaders who attacked Moses: “Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite” (verse 1).

Moses’ first wife was Zipporah, the daughter of a Midianite priest (see Exodus 3-4). Zipporah has apparently died, and Miriam and Aaron disapprove of their brother’s choice of a second wife.

If the objection was to Zipporah, we have to explain why it has taken this long for the complaint to surface, and the text certainly seems to suggest that the complaint was against a recent marriage.

Cush may be identified with Ethiopia (Genesis 10:6), in which case the woman in question probably had dark skin and some distinctive cultural practices. She may even have been part of the “mixed multitude” or the “rabble” referred to earlier (Exodus 12:38; Numbers 11:4).

Perhaps it was the colour of her skin; perhaps her connections or skills raised Moses’ status in the community; or perhaps an unhealthy rivalry developed between her and Miriam. Whatever form the prejudice took, it was enough to lead both Miriam and Aaron to talk against Moses behind his back.

Especially in America and South Africa, this narrative has promoted a great deal of discussion. If their complaint was racially motivated, God’s rejection of their complaint endorses marriage between people of different ethnicities.

But even if this was not the issue, the Bible clearly teaches that all people are created equally in the image of God, and opposes prejudice based on racial grounds (see, for example, Acts 10:1-11:18; Galatians 3:28).

But these cultural prejudices were really a smoke screen for Miriam and Aaron’s real challenge to Moses’ position as Israel’s supreme spiritual leader and his role as sole mediator between God and Israel.

How does prejudice surface?

Prejudice is fuelled by appearances and perceptions. In chapter 11, Moses freely acknowledges his need of assistance in leading Israel, and God helps him. Here, Miriam and Aaron elbow in on the privileges of leadership.

” ‘Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?’ they asked. ‘Hasn’t he also spoken through us?’ ” (verse 2). They don’t question his prophetic gift or right to lead, but only the uniqueness of his gift and his status as preeminent leader.

Why did they ask these questions, presumably in public? Perhaps their witnessing of the sharing of the Spirit with the 70 elders (Numbers 11:24-25) prompted them to think of Moses as just the first among equals rather than as God’s unique and supreme leader.

Perhaps they were offended that Moses had not chosen them to be among the 70 elders on whom the Spirit rested. But the Lord’s response to their words reveals that it was no oversight by Moses or by the Lord to exclude them.

Or perhaps their spirits were reacting against the revelation of God’s will through Moses. For them, it wasn’t a matter of silencing Moses’ prophetic voice but of unwittingly obscuring the Lord’s message in the chatter of unauthorised and humanly-inspired prophecies.

But they were misguided, and the fact that they were wrong is confirmed by God’s words to them (verses 6-8), by the divine judgement on Miriam (verse 10), by Aaron’s inability to help her (verses 11-12), and by her restoration to wholeness through Moses’ gracious intercession with God (verses 13-15).

A serious problem

Prejudice is a serious problem (vv. 4-8). Miriam and Aaron probably had no idea that God was listening to their criticisms – but he was, and he was not edified by what he heard. They were responsible leaders who should have known better.

How many conversations have you participated in that you hope God has not heard? We need to guard our tongues, and if you can think of nothing positive to say, it’s better not to say anything (cf James 3:5-8).

In his commentary on this passage James Philip remarks that “the real enemies of (God’s) work are not the unconverted and the graceless (cf 11:4), but those who pay lip-service to evangelical truth but have said no to the heart-bruising, life-changing, character-forming word of the cross and have desired an easier way.”

Prejudice carries a personal price (vv. 9-10, 15a). Moses’ humility and meekness (verse 3) might lead him to ignore the attack, but God watches over his people and responds to their needs. He vindicates his servants.

All three siblings are commanded to meet at the Tabernacle, and Aaron and Miriam step forward to hear the Lord. The Lord praises Moses very highly as his loyal servant, one who is “faithful in all my house” (verse 7).

Moses is God’s chief slave, his confidant, and the one whom he trusts completely. And he leaves no doubt that unwarranted criticism and opposition to such a person will be met with serious consequences (cf 1 Timothy 5:17-20).

To their astonishment, the Lord concludes his message and abruptly withdraws his presence from the camp, exposing it to danger; and to their greater astonishment, Miriam is covered with a white, scaly skin disease similar to eczema (not the same as modern-day leprosy) (cf Exodus 4:6; 2 Kings 5:27).

Aaron is terrified, and begs Moses to forgive their foolishness and restore Miriam to wholeness. How often have you and I uttered words or performed actions that we later regret, or that have adverse consequences? Our words and actions often carry greater weight than we realise.

In his autobiography, Indian nationalist leader Mahatma Gandhi wrote that during his student days he read the Gospels seriously and considered converting to Christianity. He believed that in the teachings of Jesus he could find the solution to the caste system that was dividing the people of India.

So one Sunday he decided to attend services at a nearby church and talk to the minister about becoming a Christian. When he entered the sanctuary, the usher refused to give him a seat and suggested that he go worship with his own people. Gandhi left the church and never returned.

“If Christians have caste differences also,” he said, “I might as well remain a Hindu.” On another occasion Ghandi was asked what it would take to convert all India to Christianity. He replied, “For Christians to live as Christians.” Prejudice carries a personal price, as Miriam and Aaron discovered.

It also carries a community price (vv. 15b-16). Although her healing was immediate, Miriam is excluded from the community for seven days until she had completed the prescribed purification rituals (Leviticus 13:4-8).

In addition, the whole nation was held up while Miriam remained outside the camp: “the people did not move on till she was brought back” (verse 15b).

The biblical principle is that personal sin has consequences for the whole community. We need to recognise that, and live righteous lives, and pray for the healing and wholeness of our diseased and defiled communities.

What can I do about it?

Two final observations. First, forgiveness is always available (vv. 13-14). When Aaron realises the nature of the punishment God has inflicted on his sister, he cries out to Moses, “Do not punish us for this sin; we were fools to do such a thing!” (verse 11a, LB).

He acknowledges their action as sin, and asks for forgiveness from the wronged party. The irony is obvious: although they had been demanding to speak on behalf of God, Miriam is now silent, Aaron goes to Moses for help, and Moses intercedes for them with the Lord.

The narrative implies that the Lord heard Aaron’s sincere cry for mercy, just as he heard Moses’ prayer and just as he hears us. In a beautiful passage much later in Israel’s history, the prophet Isaiah calls his exiled people to “. . . turn to the Lord, our God; he is merciful and quick to forgive” (Isaiah 55:7b, GNB).

The Lord has not changed; he is “the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Do you hear his voice of mercy? Do you feel and accept his forgiveness for the sins you have committed?

Finally, the key to it all: change must come from within (v. 11). As English writer Samuel Johnson once said, “Prejudice, not being founded on reason, cannot be removed by argument.” Without Aaron’s spontaneous confession of sin, I don’t think Miriam would have been made whole, and a similar fate may have befallen Israel’s High Priest as well.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). What changes do you need to make? What areas of your life require the application of God’s mercy?

What faults or failures would you like to acknowledge to the Lord? Put it right today, and then march on to your destiny, as Israel did.

——————–

E128 Copyright (c) 2003 Rod Benson. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: New International Version (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1980). To talk with Rod about this message, email or write to P.O. Box 1790, MACQUARIE CENTRE 2113 AUSTRALIA. To subscribe, email with “subscribe-river” in the subject. To unsubscribe, type “unsubscribe-river” in the subject.

Related Articles:

• Michael Hardin, The Jesus-Driven Life: Reconnecting Humanity with Jesus
• The Jesus Driven Life
• Paul: ‘inspired’? What does that mean?
• 25 LISTS OF EVERYTHING INTERESTING/IMPORTANT
• Miracles and the Virgin Birth etc.

This work, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Australia License.