Numbers 12:5, commentary and pictures

The Lord suddenly ordered Moses, Aaron, and Miriam out to the meeting tent while Israel journeyed in the wilderness, then descended in the pillar of cloud to stand in its entrance and call Aaron and Miriam forward to hear Him. He summoned them to answer their jealous murmuring against Moses, whom He declared His meek, faithful, chosen servant with whom He speaks mouth to mouth, greater than a prophet. Their envy at the prominent place God had given Moses was disloyalty to God Himself and a challenge to the heavy burden He had laid on His appointed leader, which God confronted lest it spread rebellion through the camp. That personal, public coming made clear He had heard their words, standing as witness and authority to vindicate Moses, judge the challengers, and warn all Israel not to speak against him or rebel. The same signal displeasure meets criticism, disrespect, evil surmising, and disparaging of His appointed messengers, requiring His people to guard one another's interests sacredly and purge the leaven of accusing and judging in little as well as large things.

Context and Divine Summons

While Israel was traveling through the wilderness the Lord spoke suddenly and ordered Moses and Aaron and Miriam to come out to the tabernacle of the congregation. Then He came down in the pillar of the cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle and called Aaron and Miriam to come forth to hear Him. This summons brought them before God Himself to answer their complaints and murmuring against Moses. In answering them He declared Moses very meek above all men and His faithful servant, distinctive for faithfulness and for direct communion with Him. His words were a rebuke to them for speaking against His faithful servant Moses. The Lord's coming in this way to give instruction illustrates that God often chooses the silence of the night, when minds are free from confusion and daytime busyness, to gain freer access to the hearts of His servants, making Himself known in a vision and speaking in a dream.

The coming down in the cloud to the entrance of the tabernacle was a personal, public intervention to address Aaron and Miriam after they spoke against Moses. His presence there made clear that He had heard their words against Moses. It stood as witness to them and as authority to vindicate Moses and to judge their opposition and their challenge to the responsibility and heavy burden God had given him.

After the Lord had called Aaron and Miriam to answer for their complaints against Moses His chosen servant, the cloud was removed because His wrath rested on Miriam. It did not return until she was put out of the camp.

Vindication of Moses

The summons brings Aaron and Miriam before God Himself to answer their complaints and murmuring against Moses. The Lord descends in the cloud to the entrance of the tabernacle and calls Aaron and Miriam to come out and come forth to hear His rebuke of them for speaking against His faithful servant. In answering them He declares Moses very meek above all men, His faithful and chosen servant, and His chosen instrument to carry out His will and purposes. Moses is distinguished by distinctive faithfulness and direct communion with God, identified as greater than a prophet, with whom He speaks mouth to mouth.

Their jealous whispering, envy and murmuring came after God had placed Moses in a prominent position. That challenge to the responsibility and heavy burden God had given him was disloyalty not only to God's appointed leader but to God Himself, who heard their words against Moses and would judge them. God intervened because unchecked jealousy could lead the whole camp into rebellion. He is displeased with those who criticize the one carrying a heavy burden for His work while refusing to bear that burden themselves.

Warning and Application

In confronting Aaron and Miriam over their complaints against Moses, the Lord made Miriam an example and a warning to all in Israel who might be tempted to rebel against him or speak against him. The judgment for jealousy and complaints warned not only those two but all Israel, whom God had instructed that Moses was greater than a prophet and one with whom He spoke mouth to mouth. The event shows that God sees hidden motives and brings them to light. Jealous whispering against Moses was disloyalty to God's appointed leader and to God Himself, and God intervened because unchecked jealousy could lead the whole camp into rebellion. Ambition for recognition can blind people to sacred things and lead them to accuse those God has called to serve.

The coming down of the Lord Himself in the pillar of cloud to call Aaron and Miriam forth to account for their words against His servant means that God personally confronts criticism of His appointed messengers with signal displeasure. That same displeasure will meet a similar course of remarks and disrespect, evil surmising and seeking to be first, criticizing and condemning brethren, putting human estimate upon God's messengers, disparaging their work, and cutting away the influence God appointed them to have. What is required instead is guarding sacredly the interests of one another, doing God's word in little as well as large things, and purging the leaven of criticism and accusing. For just as men judge others in little things, so God will judge what they have done which dishonors His name.

The Lord's coming to give instruction illustrates that God often chooses the silence of the night to gain freer access to the hearts of His servants. When minds are free from confusion and daytime busyness, He makes Himself known in a vision and speaks in a dream.