Numbers 12:10-16

Miriam became leprous.

The punishment of Miriam and Aaron

I. The divine judgment because of the sin of Miriam and Aaron.

1. The punishment was inflicted by the Lord.

2. The punishment was appropriate to the sin.

3. The punishment fell most severely upon Miriam.

(1) She was the instigator of the sin.

(2) Aaron’s office of high priest also probably helped to shield him.

Had he been smitten with leprosy he would have been disgraced in the eyes of the people, and his holy office would probably have been brought into disesteem amongst them.

(3) Yet Aaron was not altogether exempted from punishment.

As priest he had to examine Miriam and pronounce her leprous. Again he had to examine her and pronounce her clean before she was readmitted to the camp. That he deeply realised his painful position is evident from the narrative (Numbers 12:10). Let us remember that there is judgment with God.

II. The divine judgment leading to personal humiliation.

1. Humble acknowledgment to Moses.

2. Confession of sin.

3. Entreaty for the removal of the judgment from Miriam.

III. The remarkable acknowledgment of the eminence of Moses the servant of the lord.

1. In the manner in which he was addressed by Aaron.

2. In the appeal which was made to him by Aaron. This appeal implies on the part of Aaron--

(1) Faith in the magnanimity of Moses--that he would not retaliate upon them for their attack upon him; that he was forgiving and generous.

(2) Faith in the influence which Moses had with God.

IV. The distinguished magnanimity and grace of Moses. “And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech Thee.” There was no resentment in his heart, but fullest forgiveness and sincerest pity. His prayer for Miriam is an anticipation of the precept of our Lord, “Pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

V. The great power of the intercession of good men.

VI. The justice and mercy of god as manifested in his treatment of Miriam.

VII. The sin of one person checking the progress of an entire nation. (W. Jones.)

Miriam smitten with leprosy: transfiguration through transgression

I. This transfiguration was brought to pass on account of the jealousy of Miriam of Moses, and the jealousy of god for Moses.

II. The transformation was in keeping with the expressed jealousy of God and of Miriam (W. Jones.)

The punishment of wrong doers

I. That both God and man express their displeasure towards wrong doers on this earth.

1. God, in many ways.

(1) Providential afflictions.

(2) Moral remorses.

2. Man, also, in many ways.

(1) Sometimes in his personal, capacity, by denunciatory language and physical chastisement.

(2) Sometimes in his corporate capacity, as a member of the State, by pains and penalties.

II. That the wrong-doers are generally far more affected by the expression of man’s displeasure than with that of God’s.

1. Most irrational.

2. Most impious.

3. Most perilous. (Homilist.)

The leprosy of Miriam

1. We should humbly submit to the will of Heaven.

2. We should remember that in the distribution of gifts, what is best for one may be destruction for another.

3. To covet the gift of a neighbour is a wrong to him and an offence to God.

4. Each man’s duty is to develop the gift that is in him. (Homiletic Monthly.)

Miriam and Moses

Was this weakness, as some would say? Nay, verily, it was the exhibition of colossal spiritual strength. It is the weak man who gives blow for blow, who blurts out his wrath, who cannot control the passion of his spirit. It may be well to give some closing rules as to the attainment of this meek and quiet spirit, which in sight of God is of great price.

1. Let us claim the meekness of Christ. This, of course, was not possible for Moses in the direct way in which it is for us. And yet there was no doubt in his case also a constant appeal for heavenly grace. And in moments of provocation there is nothing better than to turn to Him and claim His calm, His sweet silence, His patience and meekness, saying, “I claim all these, my Lord, for the bitter need of my spirit.”

2. It is acquired, next, by cultivating the habit of silence. Express a thought, and you give it strength; repress it, and it will wither and die. You will often hear it said that the best way of getting rid of an importunate passion is to let it out and have done with it. It is, however, a very mistaken policy. Silence will kill it as ice kills fish when there are no ventholes by which they can come up to breathe. Learn to be still, to keep the door of the lips closed.

3. Next, by considering the harm done by the aggressors to themselves. The cloud removed from over the tent, as if it must leave the very spot where the culprits stood; and behold, Miriam was leprous, white as snow. There is a profound piece of instruction here; you cannot say unkind or bitter things about another without hurting yourself more than you hurt him. Like the boomerang of the savage, curses come back to the spot from which they start.

4. In allowing God to vindicate our cause. Moses let God vindicate him, and the Almighty God rode upon a cherub and did fly, and flew on the wings of the wind. This is the secret of rest, to cultivate the habit of handing all over to God, as Hezekiah did, when he spread out Sennacherib’s letter in the house of the Lord. Commit yourself to Him that judgeth righteously.

5. Also in intercessory prayer. Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, “Heal her, O God, I beseech Thee.” When we pray for those who have despitefully used and persecuted us, it is marvellous how soon the soul gets calm and tender. And the Lord heard His servant’s prayer, and healed Miriam; but the whole host was delayed a week through her sin. We may be forgiven, but these outbreaks of sin always entail disaster and delay. Neither we nor others can be where we might have been had they not occurred. (F. B. Meyer, B. A.)

Miriam’s punishment humiliating

The punishment was as humiliating as it was public. Her tongue, so free upon her brother’s conduct, is mute enough now, except to cry if any approached her, “Unclean! Unclean!” She who aspired to be Queen of Israel is cast forth as an unclean thing from the camp. When the dreadful punishment was finished, she came back to the camp humbled, and no doubt strengthened in her soul by the correction she had received. (S. Robinson, D. D.)

Shame for the envious

The lesson here has a very close application to all who engage as the Lord’s instruments and agents in the work of building up Christ’s kingdom. When those so engaged forget the nature of their calling, and fall into contentions and bickerings about their relative position as agents for Jehovah, the result must in the end be shame and humiliation for the envious and jealous, and damage to the cause of Christ, about which He will surely make inquisition. How much of the strifes and bickering between Christians of the same Church, and between different sects comes not from earnestly contending for the faith, but from the narrow jealousies and envyings wholly personal with those who indulge them! How often is it simply the Miriams and Aarons giving way to their petty jealousy under cover of scruples of conscience! (S. Robinson, D. D.)

Such as have the chief hand in sin, are principally subject to punishment

Aaron was accessory to this mutiny against Moses, but Miriam was chief in the sin, and therefore is also chief in the punishment. Simeon and Levi were not the only murderers of the Sichemites and invaders of the city, but they were the chief ringleaders, and therefore are only named (Genesis 34:25), and punished (Genesis 49:5). Whosoever practiseth any evil, whether he be principal or accessory, is guilty in the sight of God, and therefore such as are ministers of other men’s evils are oftentimes punished, whether they be reasonable or unreasonable creatures (Genesis 3:14; Leviticus 20:15; Exodus 21:28; Exodus 21:32; Joshua 6:17; Isaiah 30:22). As God is just, so He punisheth the instruments of injustice. Notwithstanding, though the instruments do offend and not escape, the chief punishment is ever reserved for the chief offender.

1. For such as are chief in government ought to stay their inferiors from evil, as the head governeth the members. Eli is charged with the wickedness of his sons (1 Samuel 3:13). Such governors make themselves the tail and not the head, whereas they should order those of their house as the soul ruleth the body.

2. God will require the blood of those that perish at the hands of the governors; the magistrate is the watchman of the commonwealth; the minister is the watchman of the Church; the householder is the watchman of the family; all set as it were in their watch-tower, and all must give an account for such as are under them.

3. The sin of those that have the chiefest hand in it is greater than of others, so it deserveth the greater punishment; forasmuch as the sin and punishment shall be suitable one to the other.

Uses:

1. It belongeth to all, especially to such as are superiors, to consider this; they think themselves absolute, and that they ought of right to command what they list to their inferiors. But as they are superior in place, so they shall also be superior in punishment, if they command anything against God and His Word.

2. It is the duty of all householders to be careful to order their families aright, and to compel them to serve the Lord.

3. Lastly, there cometh a great blessing upon their heads that are the chief in any good work, that encourage others in the ways of godliness, for they shall have a principal reward. Happy and blessed therefore are they that govern their charges as becometh them (Genesis 18:18). This is a notable commendation of Abraham, he was chief, and one that went before the rest in good things, and therefore he should chiefly be rewarded. This should stir us up, not only to do good, but to be chief in doing good, to go before others, to lead them the way, that so we may have the greater and better reward in that great day, (W. Attersoll.)

Miriam’s degradation

A striking spectacle was once Witnessed in the Four Courts of St. Louis. A young man was under arrest for some crime. Before being committed to prison, he was taken to the photographer’s rooms, and his picture taken to be sent to the various cities keeping “rogues’ galleries,” to be hung up on the walls with the faces of other criminals kept there. The description of the feeling manifested by the young man on this occasion is both touching and suggestive. “Big tears formed in his eyes and fell down on his cheeks. He dropped his head on his breast and cried. He was so overcome with emotion that he could not speak until he was again placed in his cell in the gaol. After swallowing great lumps in his throat, he said he now felt he had dropped from the role of a gentleman to that of the lowest criminal; and the thought of his picture being placed in the rogues’ gallery was more than he could bear.” How dreadful to be classed with the workers of iniquity, and to become the spectacle before man and angels of one who rejected light and truth, and basely sinned against a great and gracious God. (S. S. Chronicle.)

Heal her now, O God, I beseech Thee.

The prayer of Moses for Miriam

I. The prayer.

1. Explicit. Nothing vague.

2. Earnest.

3. Generous.

4. Well-timed.

II. The answer.

1. Most gracious.

2. Most wise.

3. Most speedy. (R. A. Griffin.)

Moses’ generosity

Miriam would have wounded Moses with her tongue; Moses would heal her with his: “O Lord, heal her now.” The wrong is the greater, because his sister did it. He doth not say, I sought not her shame, she sought mine; if God have revenged it, I have no reason to look on her as a sister, who looked on me as an adversary; but, as if her leprosy were his, he cries out for her cure. Oh, admirable meekness of Moses! His people, the Jews rebelled against him; God proffers revenge; he would rather die than they should perish. His sister rebelled against him; God worlds his revenge; he will not give God peace till she be re-cured. Behold a worthy and noble pattern for us to follow! (Bp. Hall.).