Complaints - Jealousy - Consequences

In studying the book of Numbers, chapter 12 and verse 1 makes Miriam and Aaron sound what we call racist complainers today.  We read just the one verse, “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married.”   This sounds racist but did it come from a heart of racism?

Maybe, a woman from Ethiopia would have darker skin than Miriam, Aaron, and Moses, but common sense and knowledge of the skin tones of most people from the Middle East leads to possible fact that the children of Israel had dark or olive colored skin.  The Bible doesn’t give Jesus’ skin color or the color of skin of Moses.  It doesn’t matter.  God created us all to be individuals and commands many times for us to love one another.  So, can we say that it wasn’t due to the Ethiopian wife’s skin color?

If it wasn’t skin color that led to Miriam and Aaron’s complaint, it may have been the land of her birth.  I don’t know how a person from Ethiopia joined the children of Israel on their journey to the Promised Land.  Miriam and Aaron would not have complained if she was from one of the twelve tribes, but she would not be traveling with Moses and the twelve tribes if she did not follow their beliefs and worship their God.  Maybe, it did not come from a heart of racism as some may interpret this one verse.

In my studies, I like to read what comes before and after in order to know content.  The before has Moses leading the children of Israel out of Egypt.  They were in a hurry to leave a land where they were mistreated as slaves.  However, as soon as they entered the desert, they complained wishing that they had stayed in Egypt.  Moses petitioned to God for forgiveness and God supplied manna from heaven and enough quail to feed the thousands.  In chapter 11, God has Moses to gather seventy of the elders around the tabernacle, and when the Spirit that rested in Moses entered the seventy elders, they prophesied.  Two of the elders were in the camp, and they received the Spirit and prophesied. Then, the complaint against the wife of Moses follows.

Isn’t it a common thing to be criticized when things are going good?  Others see the accomplishments and feel like this person can’t be for real.  Or, they think “I could do better.”  The VP of your company praises a co-worker for doing the best and how do you feel?  You worked hard too.  Then, you watch the worthy person to find some kind of fault.  Yes, there is a fault and it is announced to the world.  The same happens when a ministry is going well.  People are making decisions for the Lord and here comes someone to topple the workers of the ministry.   In Numbers 12:2, it was Miriam and Aaron when they complained, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses?  Has He not spoken through us also?”

What just happened?  Moses leads seventy elders out to the tabernacle and they receive the Spirit of God and prophesied.  When something like this happens, everyone talks.  In verse 27 of chapter 11, a young man runs out to let Moses know that Eldad and Medad had prophesied.  Joshua says to Moses, “Forbid them!” (28)  Moses reply, “Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!”  In the scriptures, it did not mention Miriam and Aaron as being among the elders who received the Spirit of God.  What happened?  Miriam and Aaron were Moses brother and sister and they did not join the elders in prophesying.  Moses was always asking God to forgive the sins of the people, God gave Moses the laws, and God led Moses to pick seventy elders to be given the Spirit of God for a short time.  That’s what happened and the brother and sister felt left out as they asked, “Has He not spoken through us also?”

It is human nature to desire attention and want praise.  We see someone getting praise and we feel like we did just as good.  The feeling of not being appreciated can overtake and cause one to say things they will regret later.  Or, one may just hold those feelings in until bitterness and hate consumes.  For some reason, Aaron and Miriam used the Ethiopian wife to criticize Moses and put him down in front of others.  There were consequences for Aaron and Miriam.

God’s punishment fell on Miriam.  She became leprous and had to leave the camp because of the leprosy.  Aaron became upset and pleads for Moses’ help, and Moses cried for God’s help.  You see, Moses did not have the same heart as his siblings.  It is written that Moses was more humble “than all men who were on the face of the earth.” (3)   Moses was different. and he cried out to God for healing.  God healed Miriam but it was seven days later. 

We may not get leprosy for being jealous and complaining.  Jealousy is a sin.  Sin consumes and separates us from God.  Sin is like leprosy eating away at our souls.  It may not be seen on our skin, but it consumes us from within.  Leprosy affects nerves causing numbness and loss of feeling (www.leprosy.org).  We lose our close walk with God and the numbness will only go away with repentance.

Pray as David prayed in Psalms 51, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. (2) Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (10)