During the mourning’s reading, I stumbled upon the story of Miriam and Aaron in Numbers 12. Numbers is a book that reveals the motives of the people of Israel during their wanderings in the wilderness. These motives are dealt with justly by God according to His holiness and righteousness. This account of Aaron and Miriam is no different.
The story picks up with Aaron and Miriam coming to Moses concerning his marriage to a Cushite woman. In actuality, this was not the true issue the two had with him. They were simply jealous and wanted to be equal to or be exalted higher than Moses. Aaron was the high priest of Israel and Miriam a prophetess (Exodus 15:20). God had indeed spoken to them and through them, but not like He had to His servant Moses. God heard their compliant against their brother and called a little team huddle. He appeared before the three of them and set the record straight in a very open way.
“And the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward. And he said, ‘Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord 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 house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?’ And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed.” Numbers 12:5-9 ESV
After God left in his anger towards Aaron and Miriam, Miriam became leprous. Her skin was as white as snow and she had to be removed from the fellowship of her people, put outside the camp for seven days until her condition had been removed according to the laws of God to Israel. Aaron also was so stricken to the heart concerning his sin against his brother, he confesses it in verse 11. A very humiliating situation for the two siblings of Moses. They were looking to exalt themselves and became humbled by God.
The account ends with Miriam being restored and Aaron having continuing in his duties as high priest, but some basic truths can be gleaned from this situation. God dealt very differently with Moses than with Aaron and Miriam. He spoke to him face to face, or mouth to mouth, revealing much more of his glory to Moses than any other at that time. Surely jealousy could creep into the hearts of Aaron and Miriam, and it did. They sought to exalt themselves when God emphasized the meekness of Moses (vs. 3).
Think of it. We are not just dealt with differently than Aaron and Miriam, but even Moses. For as followers of Christ, we have the very Spirit of God living within us! How do we speak about one another? How do we speak to one another? Do we try and exalt ourselves over our brothers and sisters in Christ? May it never be. Let us be afraid to speak out against one of the Children of God in order to exalt ourselves. Let our speech be instead, words that build up the body of Christ (See Ephesians 4:29). SDG!