But we have not yet done with the painful phases of unbelief. It must be proved everywhere. What is man? “And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses.” And for what? Avowedly because of the type of still richer counsels which their hearts never appreciated. “Because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. And they said, Hath Jehovah indeed spoken only by Moses? hath He not spoken also by us? And Jehovah heard it. (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)” So much the worse for them. Had Moses defended his own cause, I am persuaded God had not so dealt with Aaron and Miriam. Supposing a person were ever so much in the right, still the want of faith which fights for self always thwarts the activity of grace.
Here therefore as everywhere, when the thing is simply committed to Him, the Lord takes it up; and nothing is more serious for the adversary. “Jehovah spake suddenly unto Moses”; for now it was an incomparably graver thing than the complaints and murmurs and lustings of the mixed multitude, or even Israel.
In proportion to the blessings that grace has given is the grievousness of that which is contrary to God, and therefore does He speak suddenly unto Moses and to Aaron and to Miriam, “Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation.” They do His bidding; “And Jehovah came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam.” It was in the presence of Moses; but Jehovah had to do with them. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
“And He said, Hear now My words: If there be a prophet among you, I Jehovah will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. 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? And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against them; and He departed.” But not without the mark of His hand, not without the judgment that dealt in the way most painful to her who evidently was the chief in this stroke of insubjection.
For, “behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. 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. Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother’s womb. And Moses cried unto Jehovah” – how blessed the place of intercession! – “Moses cried unto Jehovah, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee. And Jehovah 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. And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not until Miriam was brought in again.”