August 8 2023

And he said, ‘Hear my words:
When there are prophets among you,
I the Lord make myself known to them in visions;
I speak to them in dreams.
Not so with my servant Moses;
he is entrusted with all my house.
With him I speak face to face—clearly, not in riddles;
and he beholds the form of the Lord.

From Numbers 12:1-13, NRSV

Having reached the point of desperation over the complaints by the Israelites, Moses now had to face criticism from his own siblings. Aaron and Miriam spoke against Moses because of his marriage to a Cushite woman following the death of his first wife. Presumably their criticism was based on the fact that his new wife was not an Israelite. Perhaps there was also some sibling rivalry involved given the special status that God had given to Moses. God called all three of them to the Tent of Meeting and made it very clear that Moses was not only blameless but also that he was entirely suited to the special role to which God had called him. Aaron and Miriam had not only criticised Moses but had questioned God’s will. We are told that “The anger of the Lord blazed out against them.” Miriam, the chief instigator of the criticism, was struck with leprosy, and Aaron appealed to him for help. Moses, who had remained quiet during the whole of this encounter with God, then spoke to plead with God to heal Miriam. Moses did not seek punishment for those who had criticised him but rather wanted them to be healed.