The complaining from the children of Israel and the punishment from God has just passed. Moses has barely had a moment to breathe when another trial arises to confront him.

Numbers 12:1-2
1 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2 And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.

• To have the children of Israel to complain against Moses was one thing, but to have his brother and sister complain would have caused more pain. The trials that Moses would bear, he was shouldering it alongside with Aaron many times. Aaron was always there to support and to help carry the burden.
• But now, Miriam and Aaron are speaking out against him.
• What are they saying? It sounds racist to some extent.
• They were speaking out against his wife, Zipporah. They called him an Ethiopian woman or a Cushite woman.
• Moses had not married an Israelite. He had married outside. However, even though she was not of the children of Israel, she and her father were worshippers of the true God. But it was obvious that they did not take much liking to her because of her racial background, especially with the position that Moses was in. They seemed jealous for their brother’s welfare. At least that’s what it appears to be.
• For some reason they are picking on Zipporah and her background, but yet then what did they say?
  • “Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath he not spoken also by us?”
• These two things did not seem to be connected in any way. What would Moses marrying a non-Israelite have anything to do with God speaking not only to Moses but also to then?

Well who was Aaron and Miriam?

• Obviously, they were brother and sister to Moses. Miriam was the oldest, then Aaron and Moses came in last, the youngest.
• Both, alongside Moses, had been involved with the deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage.
• Micah 6:4
  For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
• Miriam, was the one at a young age that stood there watching over Moses when he was hidden as a baby in the river to preserve his life, the chosen one to lead God’s people out of Egypt one day.
• What else do we know about her?
  • Exodus 15:20
    And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
• She was endowed with the gift of prophecy and was the one that led the children of Israel in victorious song after God delivered them from the Egyptians at the Red Sea.
• She held a prominent position in Israel.
• Aaron of course was the high priest. The second in command. And pretty much the right-hand man of Moses.
• To both were committed large and great positions of responsibility in the leadership and direction of the children of Israel.

So why would Aaron and Miriam say such a thing to murmur against Moses?

• Well, what had happened in the previous chapter that we studied about in the previous lesson?
• The children of Israel had complained again. They were complaining about their food and how they missed the food in Egypt. Moses had gotten so upset that he was asking God to kill him because he couldn’t take all their complaining already.
• So God asked Moses to choose seventy elders and He would take some of the spirit that was on Moses and put it on them.
• It seemed like Miriam and Aaron were not consulted. Maybe they were wondering why they didn’t receive of the spirit from Moses.
• But it most likely reminded them of what had happened earlier.
• Jethro, the father of Zipporah his wife, had come to meet the children of Israel after their deliverance from the Egyptians to return his wife back to him. But upon seeing the burden that Moses carried every day and seeing him wear himself out with all the incessant work, he had given suggestion to put people in charge of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. And then only the hard matters would be brought to him.
• This suggestion was given and also accepted without any counsel from Miriam and Aaron, making them feel that their position and authority had been ignored.
• And so the connection with them murmuring about Zipporah and also why God had not spoken to them were most likely linked in this way.
• They were jealous for their own position and pride had filled their hearts. And so they began to murmur. Murmur about Moses’ wife and murmur about Moses himself. They were trying to put themselves in the same position as Moses, their little brother.

However, what does the Bible describe about Moses?

• Numbers 12:3
  (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
• Moses was very meek. The word meek means gentle, humble, quiet. The very characteristic that he learnt being in the wilderness for forty years taking care of sheep. And a characteristic that was so needed to lead the children of Israel.
• We will come back to this characteristic in a moment.

Though Miriam and Aaron come to make this murmuring against Moses, it is God that actually stands up to respond.

• Numbers 12:4-8
  4 And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. 5 And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. 6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. 7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. 8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
• God comes in the defense of Moses.
• First He talks about a prophet. If there is a prophet among them, God would come and make Himself known to them through visions and dreams.
• Remember, Miriam is a prophetess. God is talking about her.
• Yes, a prophet is a high honor. It is a high calling. She was in an exalted and high position.
• However, God does not stop there. He gives contrast to that of a prophet to Moses. He exalts Moses far above that of a prophet. Moses was more than a prophet. God would not speak to him in visions and dreams. He would come and speak directly with him. Mouth to mouth and not in dark speeches.
• God was exalting the position of Moses far above that of Miriam.
• Remember what Aaron and Miriam had said? Has God only spoken by Moses? Has He not spoken by us as well? How come we weren’t consulted in the forming of the seventy elders and the governance of Israel?
• But God is telling them, that though Moses was their younger brother, he held a far more prominent and important and exalted position than they had ever held. They were not on the same level.
• And then God concludes by warning them to be very careful what they were to speak against Moses.

This holds such an important lesson for us today.

• We must be so careful what we speak and against whom we speak.
• God is the One that raises kings and removes kings.
• He is the One that puts people into positions and allows them to be there.
• And so we must be so careful to not murmur against those who are our leaders, especially in the church.
• To be in a position of leadership is to set yourself up for criticism on every side. People will have opinions, they will have their own thoughts and ways. But let us not be on the side where we are found murmuring and complaining of them.
• Even when David had been anointed king of Israel by Samuel the prophet, and Saul was still king, he was careful what he did though Saul was hunting him. When he had opportunity to kill Saul, look at what he said.
• 1 Samuel 24:6
  And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD’s anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.
  • David called king Saul the Lord’s anointed even though it was clear that he was no longer the anointed.
• David was careful to not kill him or hurt him. Two times he had the opportunity to do so, but each time he said the same thing.
• You must remember, Saul was hunting his life. But yet David trusted in the Lord’s timing, for God to work out the situation for him at the appointed time.
• And often it is difficult for us to wait on the Lord. We wonder why God allowed certain people to be put in certain positions and we begin to murmur and complain. But we must remember that it is God that allowed such thing to take place.
• God was the One that had chosen Moses and chose to put His Spirit upon him. And for Aaron and Miriam to murmur, they were murmuring against God. So God had to stand up in vindication of His choice in choosing Moses.

I think it is important to understand clearly whether we are envious for the cause of God, or whether we are hurt in our pride and envious of another person in comparison to our own situation.

The character of meekness was displayed by Moses at this time. A characteristic that is so needed for us today also. What does the Bible say about the meek?

• Psalms 25:9
  The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
• God will guide the meek. And God will teach the meek His way.
• The reason that God is able to do this is because the meek are those that are teachable and willing to be instructed. It is our attitude and our character.
• Such people have a sincere desire to know and to do the will of God.
• James 1:5
  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
• If we actually realise that we lack wisdom, if we are humble enough to see that we don’t know it all, then God can lead us. He can give us the wisdom that is needed for every situation. But we have to be willing to ask. We must humble ourselves enough to be taught and guided.
• God cannot lead those who are too proud to be taught and who are bent on having their own way.
• Matthew 5:5
  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
• Such an important characteristic is highlighted in the beatitudes.

So how can we be meek?

• Matthew 11:28-29
  28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
• Let us learn from Christ Himself how we can be meek. Let us behold His glory and read His word. We must be transformed into that same image.

So coming back to the story, how does God respond after that?

• Numbers 12:9-10
  9 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed. 10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.
• God strikes Miriam with leprosy. God has pronounced a death sentence on her.
• But straightaway Aaron realizes their folly and turns to Moses. Look at what he says,
• Numbers 12:11-12
  11 And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned. 12 Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother’s womb.
• How does Aaron address Moses? He calls him lord which is master. He quickly realizes his place and position.
• But he calls out to Moses for help to heal Miriam.

Now Moses has been silent all this time. How does he respond?

• Numbers 12:13
  And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.
• Moses immediately cries out for healing for his sister.
• Some might call this love for his sister. But you must remember that they have just been murmuring against him.
• This is the meekness of Moses shining through. He did not take it personally. He did not hold a grudge in his heart. All he had was love for the people around them even though they had been speaking against him and his wife.
• This was the lesson that was so important to learn before he could lead the children of Israel. It wasn’t leadership skills, knowing how to manage a team or meetings, or knowing how to organize a nation properly that Moses needed to learn when leading the Israelites. All this he learnt in the Egyptian schools.
• He needed to learn to have meekness, forgiving spirit, unconditional love for the erring and a non-retaliatory spirit.
• And so he cries to God to help those who had just murmured against him.

How does God respond?

• Numbers 12:14-16
  14 And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again. 15 And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again. 16 And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.
• Miriam would be healed but she would be shut out from the camp for seven days because of her leprosy. But the whole camp would wait for her to return before moving on.
• Everyone would know of their act of murmuring and of God’s displeasure. It was a warning to everyone to be careful in how they would speak against Moses and his position and authority and speaking out against leadership in general.
• If the spirit of discontent and murmuring had not been held in check with Aaron and Miriam, it would have spread over the camp quickly like wildfire because of the position that they held. So that is why God had to resort to such measures to hold in check any wrong spirit that would pervade over the camp.

So this murmuring against leadership and those that God has called to act as His ambassadors is a serious lesson for us to learn today.

2 Peter 2:10-11
10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. 11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

• We must be careful not to speak evil against dignities, those in authoritative positions. Even the angels in heaven don’t dare do such a thing.

And even those in church we must be careful:

• 1 Timothy 5:19
  Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.

We must be careful how we treat God’s servants and those whom He has ordained. We are to honour those whom God has honored. Let us be careful with our tongues today, careful not to murmur or complain against those whom God lays the burden of His work.