Num 12:1-16 · Read 6 min · think and write 20 min
The last lesson read that after crossing the sea, “Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur” (Exod 15:22). They traveled in the wilderness for a long time.
Later, “From Kibroth Hattaavah the people traveled to Hazeroth; and they stayed at Hazeroth” (Num 11:35). This lesson reads what happened at Hazeroth.
1Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married; for he had married a Cushite woman.
2They said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only with Moses? Hasn’t he spoken also with us?” And the LORD heard it.
3Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all the men who were on the surface of the earth.
4The LORD spoke suddenly to Moses, to Aaron, and to Miriam, “You three come out to the Tent of Meeting!” The three of them came out.
5The LORD came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the Tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward.
6He said, “Now hear 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.
7My servant Moses is not so. He is faithful in all my house.
8With him, I will speak mouth to mouth, even plainly, and not in riddles; and he shall see the LORD’s form. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?”
9The LORD’s anger burned against them; and he departed.
10The cloud departed from over the Tent; and behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. Aaron looked at Miriam, and behold, she was leprous.
11Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, please don’t count this sin against us, in which we have done foolishly, and in which we have sinned.
12Let her not, I pray, be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.”
13Moses cried to the LORD, saying, “Heal her, God, I beg you!”
14The LORD said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, shouldn’t she be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut up outside of the camp seven days, and after that she shall be brought in again.”
15Miriam was shut up outside of the camp seven days, and the people didn’t travel until Miriam was brought in again.
16Afterward the people traveled from Hazeroth, and encamped in the wilderness of Paran.
Spoke against. “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married” (v. 1). “They said, ‘Has the LORD indeed spoken only with Moses? Hasn’t he spoken also with us?’” (v. 2). The passage records the reason and the words they said; it does not record what was in their hearts.
And the LORD heard it. “And the LORD heard it” (v. 2). Then the passage says: “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all the men who were on the surface of the earth” (v. 3).
You three come out. “The LORD spoke suddenly to Moses, to Aaron, and to Miriam, ‘You three come out to the Tent of Meeting!’ The three of them came out” (v. 4). “The LORD came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the Tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward” (v. 5).
My servant Moses. The LORD said, “My servant Moses is not so. He is faithful in all my house” (v. 7). And he said, “Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?” (v. 8). “The LORD’s anger burned against them; and he departed” (v. 9).
As white as snow. “The cloud departed from over the Tent; and behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow” (v. 10). Aaron said to Moses, “Let her not, I pray, be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb” (v. 12).
Heal her. “Moses cried to the LORD, saying, ‘Heal her, God, I beg you!’” (v. 13). It was Moses who was spoken against; and it was Moses who cried to the LORD for her.
Seven days. The LORD said, “Let her be shut up outside of the camp seven days, and after that she shall be brought in again” (v. 14). “Miriam was shut up outside of the camp seven days, and the people didn’t travel until Miriam was brought in again” (v. 15). “Afterward the people traveled from Hazeroth, and encamped in the wilderness of Paran” (v. 16).
Afterwards. “The children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month. The people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died there, and was buried there” (Num 20:1).
Later Moses said to all Israel: “Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam, by the way as you came out of Egypt” (Deut 24:9).
Readers can see this: in this chapter Numbers records, “Miriam was leprous, as white as snow” (v. 10); and “the people didn’t travel until Miriam was brought in again” (v. 15).
Perhaps you have said words that hurt someone, and only realized afterwards that you were wrong; or perhaps someone has spoken against you, and it still hurts when you think of it. Perhaps there is someone near you who has been set apart from everyone else because of something, and you do not know how to treat them.
This lesson does not say that when you have been spoken against, your heart will soon be able to let it go; nor does it say that everyone who has been set apart can come back. What it shows you is this: Moses, who had been spoken against, cried, “Heal her, God, I beg you!” (v. 13); the LORD said that after seven days “she shall be brought in again” (v. 14); and “the people didn’t travel until Miriam was brought in again” (v. 15).
This week: Think of someone with whom there is a distance between you. Pray for them once each day this week.
Scripture: World English Bible.