Numbers 12:10, commentary and pictures

After the Lord rebuked Miriam and Aaron for speaking against Moses, the cloud lifted from the tabernacle and Miriam was left white with leprosy before Aaron's eyes. The cloud withdrew because God's displeasure rested upon her, and the token of His favor did not return until she was shut out of the camp. The stroke punished jealousy, murmuring and presumptuous opposition to Moses, God's chosen and faithful servant with whom He spoke directly and upon whom He laid the burden of leadership. To dishonor Moses was to dishonor God, so the public affliction vindicated His appointed instrument and showed He does not treat such sin lightly even in leaders. The judgment was set as a warning to all Israel against jealousy, complaint and rebellion toward those God entrusts with His work, and against disparaging fellow workers and seeking to be first.

Cloud Departs, Leprosy Falls

The anger and rebuke of the Lord against Miriam and Aaron for speaking against Moses was followed at once by the departure of the cloud from off the tabernacle, and behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow, and Aaron looked upon her and saw that she was leprous. The stroke came as punishment and public vindication, because in jealousy, murmuring and presumptuous opposition they had challenged Moses as God's chosen servant, appointed and distinguished as faithful. Her sudden, visible affliction marked God's displeasure and the seriousness of speaking against His chosen servant and resisting His appointed agency.

The cloud left because God's wrath and displeasure rested on Miriam, and it remained away and did not return until she was removed from the camp. Its absence was the withdrawal of the sign of God's favor, which did not come back to the tabernacle until her exclusion was complete. In this way the departure itself declared judgment for jealous complaints and disloyalty, for irreverence toward Moses as the one God had chosen and filled with His Spirit was irreverence toward God as well.

Aaron was spared the disease, yet Miriam's punishment rebuked him and humbled them both. After Aaron confessed their sin, Moses prayed, and Miriam was cleansed and healed of the leprosy. Healing did not cancel exclusion, for she still had to remain outside the camp for seven days.

Sin Against God's Appointee

The leprosy that fell when the cloud lifted was punishment for jealousy and for murmuring and complaints against Moses. It was punishment for disloyalty and opposition to him and for the presumptuous sin of speaking against him and challenging his leadership. The anger that produced the stroke followed a direct rebuke for that speaking against Moses.

Moses was God's chosen servant and chosen instrument to carry out His will and purposes. He had been appointed and distinguished as faithful, chosen and filled with His Spirit, entrusted with the burden of leading His people and carrying the burden of His work. God had affirmed his special position by speaking with him more directly than with a prophet. Aaron and Miriam had lost the sense of this appointment, and their faultfinding was the more wrong because they would not bear that burden themselves while blaming the one God had entrusted with it.

Disrespect toward Moses was irreverence toward God as well as toward Moses. The stroke that made Miriam white as snow therefore publicly vindicated Moses.

Warning to All Israel

The sudden stroke that whitened Miriam with leprosy when the divine presence withdrew showed how grave it is to speak presumptuously against the servant God has appointed and distinguished as faithful. Her visible affliction marked God's displeasure with murmuring and made plain that He does not treat such sin lightly, even when it comes from those given positions of responsibility. Though the leprosy was afterward removed in answer to Moses' prayer, she was still required to remain outside the camp seven days.

That punishment was made a warning to all Israel, not to Miriam and Aaron alone, and the instructions given to them were for the benefit of the whole congregation. The cloud left because wrath rested upon her and did not return until she was removed from the camp. Her jealous complaints against the one God had chosen and filled with His Spirit and entrusted with the burden of His work were irreverence toward God as well as toward Moses, whom God had affirmed in a special position by speaking with him more directly than with a prophet. The event therefore stands as a rebuke to jealousy and to murmuring, accusing, complaining against, and opposing those on whom God lays responsibility.

God struck her as a deliberate public example to expose secret, heart rebellion against Moses and to warn all who might be tempted to rebel. It was meant especially for Korah, who was already rebellious at heart and secretly working against Moses while serving in the tabernacle and seeking to exalt himself to the priesthood God had given to Aaron and his sons. In the same way the verse signals God's displeasure against speaking against His appointed messengers and fellow workers. A like course of disrespect, contempt, evil surmising, loose-tongued criticizing and condemning of brethren, disparaging their work and cutting away the influence God appointed them to have, and seeking to be first, will meet His displeasure, and this requires guarding sacredly one another's interests and purging the leaven of Pharisaism, criticism, and accusing from the heart.