“Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married” (Numbers 12:1).
The above text aroused my curiosity. Why did Moses marry an Ethiopian? Wasn’t he married to Zippora? Why did Moses’ brother and sister oppose him? What’s with this Ethiopian woman? Why would God punish Miriam with leprosy? I found the answers in a sermon by Rev. F Mul.[i] More or less the message came down to this:
What was the problem? Miriam was jealous of the prominent position her younger brother Moses had in Israel. As Moses’ older sister, she had looked after baby Moses when she was a girl. When he’d been placed in a reed basket in the Nile and adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter, it was Miriam who had taken the initiative to offer to find a nursing mother for baby Moses so that, in God’s providence, Moses was nursed by his own mother. Eighty years later, after the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea, it was Miriam who had taken the initiative to lead other women in praising the Lord with tambourines and dancing. Evidently she had talent. But jealousy can lead a talented woman to become a dangerous shrew.
And Aaron? Yes, he was a good man. As high priest he did his work dutifully. But he was sometimes too inclined to cave in to the wishes of others. That’s okay if it’s not related to matters of principle, but if you cave in and say ‘yes’ at times when you are called to say ‘no’ then it’s wrong. We saw that happen in the golden calf rebellion when Aaron succumbed to the sinful pressure of the people in wanting to serve God through a golden calf. Now again his weak response was evident when he agreed with Miriam to oppose Moses.
For what happened? Israel was travelling through the wilderness. Miriam observed how Moses, her younger brother, had become the great leader of the nation. God had done great miracles through Moses and spoke directly to him. He was held in high esteem and was even called the greatest prophet in Israel. This aroused resentment in Miriam, a resentment that became an obsession with her. It was, she thought, time to teach Moses a lesson, to bring him down a peg or two. But how to do this in a way that appeared justified? She first roped Aaron into her scheme. He had shown to be easily manipulated. Together they would tell Moses off about something or another, cut him down to size.
But what could they accuse him of? Well, recently he had married an Ethiopian woman, a black negress. Evidently his first wife Zippora had died; hence, this was his second wife. [ii] We don’t read of the LORD objecting, so it’s likely that this negress had joined the people of Israel. However, this marriage is not to Miriam’s liking; it’s below the dignity of this leadership family. Anyway, it’s a handy reason to give him a good telling off, a reprimand which would put him in his place and impress the people of Israel. That’s the aim: Moses had to lose his high name and reputation among the people!
We can imagine how it goes. Come on, Aaron, help me to give Moses a good shove! I’ll get the ball rolling, start off, and then you’ve got to add your bit. So together they go to him and say: Listen Moses, we need to have a good talk with you. There’s something bothering us and no doubt you know what we’re on about! We find it most objectionable that you have married that negress from Ethiopia. Thereby you have lowered yourself and us and in effect have brought shame on the whole people of Israel. Surely you can see that, can’t you?
And when Moses stands dumbstruck by this vicious attack by his older sister, she follows it up in grim jealousy with: you consider yourself to be leader of God’s people who receives special revelations from Him. But don’t forget we’re also here, aren’t we Aaron? We have also received words from the LORD and we also have leadership positions. And Aaron nods in agreement. Sure, Miriam’s right. “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they say. “Hasn’t He also spoken through us?” And Moses stands there perplexed at this jealous demand for equal leadership status.
But it’s now evident that it’s not so much the marriage that is bothering them but something else. The focus on Moses’ Ethiopian wife merely hides another aim: to humble Moses. Actions can hide a deeper purpose; in Miriam’s case, one fuelled by jealousy. Miriam and Aaron object to Moses receiving all the honour of being the great prophet and leader of the people. The matter of the marriage was a handy excuse to denigrate Moses.
The attack on Moses is an attack on his God-appointed office and hence a rejection of God’s authority. God Himself had given Moses this high position as leader of the people. This did not mean that Miriam and Aaron had been pushed back. Aaron was a high priest. And Miriam was a prominent woman; she had a privileged position and she had every reason to be satisfied with it. Her jealousy at her younger brother having a higher position is a terrible evil. It leads to sly, sneaky attempts to bring him down. But in effect it’s revolution! In this way the office of Moses as mediator is dragged through the mud by his own sister and brother.
And the whole nation of Israel is acquainted with it. The congregation waits in tense expectation of what will happen now. What will Moses do? What can he do?
Then God steps in. He cannot tolerate this evil. He is deeply offended, for we read, “And the LORD heard it.” Now we could say: of course, the LORD hears everything. But the fact that it’s emphasised here shows it’s a highly significant matter and that God finds it necessary to act immediately.
He commands that all three—Moses, Aaron and Miriam—come to stand in front of the tabernacle, that is, in the courtyard right before the holy place. Then a cloud appears before the entrance wherein God appears in His awesome majesty. He commands Aaron and Miriam to step closer.
Then come the punishing words of the LORD: Hear my words, Aaron and Miriam. I send prophets from time to time, and I reveal myself to them in dreams and visions. But with Moses it’s much richer. He comes into my tent and I speak to him clearly, face to face. That’s a sovereign privilege I give only to him. In fact, I’ve even revealed part of my form to him! He is the man I have placed over all my people, including you, Aaron and Miriam. So, why weren’t you afraid. Don’t you see that if you rebel against him, you rebel against Me?
God’s words are accompanied by punishment. As Aaron turns to Miriam, he is shocked: she’s suddenly snow white with leprosy! He sees how Miriam, the instigator of the attack, is struck by God’s covenant punishment. Deadly leprosy! Oh, my sister Miriam!
Aaron and Miriam had leadership positions in the church. Aaron was even the high priest. Yet, in undermining Moses they were undermining the Word of God that came through His prophet, Moses!
There’s a warning in this for us, too. In the OT God spoke through Moses. In the NT He speaks through His Son Jesus Christ, the Word become flesh, the incarnate Word. It’s clear how terrible it is when we, New Testament covenant children, devalue the Word of God in Jesus Christ. If God defended Moses in his office by punishing His covenant children, how much more will He not be angry with those who offend and shame the Lord Jesus Christ, the One so much greater than Moses! As we read in Hebrews 5:
“Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant … but Christ [is faithful] as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.“
That is to say: Moses was faithful as God’s servant in the house of God, i.e. the people of Israel. But Christ is much more. He is the Son of God who is Lord over all God’s house, the Lord of His people through the ages and throughout the world. He even paid for their sins with His life and rules over His children, the church.
That’s why God is highly offended when His Son is slandered, especially when covenant children don’t show respect for God and His Word and for the church. God does not leave such revolution unpunished.
We must respect God-appointed authorities where they are acting in obedience to God’s authority, as Moses was. Where that is not the case, even if the authority is a high priest, such as Aaron, or an ecclesiastical body, such as the synod that led to the church liberation of 1944, we must follow and obey God rather than man. For “we must forsake all creatures rather than do the least thing against His will” (LD 34). God is slandered when the churches’ biblically-based rules are ignored; when office bearers act pope-like by placing themselves on the throne; when ecclesiastical assemblies seek to bind God’s people in a way that is not in accordance with the Word of our Lord; when, like Miriam and Aaron, they seek to arrogate to themselves an authority that does not belong to them.
God stepped in and restored the office of Moses. Aaron got to see how sinful his action was. Now he was obliged to plead with Moses. That’s quite something! He’d wanted to push Moses down in his office but now he must beg him to mediate. He addresses him, not as his brother, but as his lord.
“Oh, my lord! Please do not lay this sin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned. Please do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb!”
Thereby Aaron acknowledges that Moses must again be honoured in the special office he holds. God has stepped in to bring Aaron to his senses.
And it’s a fine point that Moses is instantly willing to act as mediator. He doesn’t hold a grudge. Immediately he cries out to the LORD: “Please heal her, O God, I pray!”
And the LORD heeds his prayer. His anger subsides and His peace radiates back upon His children. It’s likely that Miriam’s health is immediately restored, though she has to be isolated for seven days. We read:
Then the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp seven days, and afterward she may be received again.” So Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days, and the people did not journey till Miriam was brought in again.
Moses’ office has been restored, and who would now dare to question his position? And as for Miriam, she has time to think about the seriousness of what she did. So does the congregation. It stays put for those seven days. It won’t leave without her, and she remains an honoured member of the people. More importantly, she has a place in God’s eternal kingdom, as we, His children, all do.
That’s because Christ, who allowed himself to be humiliated, rejected, spat upon and crucified, even though He was the Son of God, took Miriam’s, and Aaron’s and Moses’ and the sins of all who believe in Him, upon himself. Through what He suffered, He is now acknowledged and recognised as the True Mediator. He gives us the rest and peace that far surpass all understanding. For He is the great Leader and Finisher of our faith. To Him we want to submit, governed by His Word and Spirit, assured that, notwithstanding the constant battles and hardships we experience, He remains our wonderful covenant God and Father who constantly cares for us.
[i] Rev. F Mul, GKv Berkum, 12 May 1974, sermon (in Dutch) on Numbers 12, Waarheid en Recht Prekenserie, Vol. 30, No. 19. Summary by J Numan.
[ii] It has been suggested elsewhere that the Ethiopian woman is actually Zipporah. But this is unlikely because we know that Zipporah was not an Ethiopian but a Midianite. It is also most unlikely that Miriam and Aaron would have waited 40 years to object to his marriage.