Handle Slander in a Christ-like Way – Numbers 12:1-16
12 Then Miriam and Aaron began to speak against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married—for he had married a Cushite woman. (2) They said, Has Jehovah spoken only through Moses? Has he not also spoken through us? And Jehovah heard what they were saying. (3) Now Moses was a very meek man, meeker than anyone else on the face of the earth.
(4) Suddenly Jehovah spoke to Moses and Aaron and Miriam, Come out to the Tent of Meeting, all three of you! So the three of them came out. (5) Then Jehovah came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the door of the Tent of Meeting. He summoned Aaron and Miriam, and they both stepped forward. (6) He said to them, Listen to my words: When there is a prophet among you, I, Jehovah, will reveal myself to him in a vision, I will speak with him in a dream. (7) But this is not the case with my servant Moses, he is faithful in all my house. (8) With him I will speak face to face, plainly and not in riddles; and he shall see the form of Jehovah. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? (9) The anger of Jehovah was aroused against them and he departed from them.
(10) When the cloud was lifted from over the Tent, there stood Miriam—leprous, as white as snow. Aaron looked at Miriam and saw that she had leprosy. (11) Then Aaron said to Moses, O my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. (12) Do not let her be like a stillborn infant that comes from his mother’s womb with his flesh half eaten away. (13) So Moses cried out to Jehovah, O God, I beg you, please heal her. (14) Jehovah replied to Moses, If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp for seven days; after that she shall be brought back again. (15) So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not break camp until Miriam was brought back again. (16) After this incident, the people left Hazeroth and encamped in the wilderness of Paran.
Now proceed to the next section of this study, entitled, Exploring the Passage.
