Numbers 12:1-16  The Disease of Leprosy

[Study Aired July 17, 2023]

Num 12:1  And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 
Num 12:2  And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it. 
Num 12:3  (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) 
Num 12:4  And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. 
Num 12:5  And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.
Num 12:6  And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
Num 12:7  My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. 
Num 12:8  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? 
Num 12:9  And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed. 
Num 12:10  And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. 
Num 12:11  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. 
Num 12:12  Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother’s womb. 
Num 12:13  And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.
Num 12:14  And the LORD 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.
Num 12:15  And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.
Num 12:16  And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.

Introduction

One of the cardinal sins of a soldier is to try to usurp the power of his commanding officer. In military terms, this can result in mutiny which is punishable by death. Every nation has the Head of State as its commanding officer and is represented by the army chiefs. As the Lord prepares His army for battle, we are to submit wholly to our commanding officer who is Jesus Christ and is represented by the church. Any disobedience against leadership is disobedience against Christ. Chapter 12 focuses on the rebellion initiated by Aaron and Miriam against Moses. It reveals to us the root cause for the rebellion, its effect and the Lord’s recommended way of dealing with such a rebellion. This is what Moses told the people of Israel just before his death:

Deu 31:27  For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death?

We have all rebelled against the Lord during our walk with Him, especially when we were in Babylon. We therefore deserve to be put to death, that is, being spiritually alienated from the commonwealth of the Lord’s elect. However, unlike Saul, God has been merciful to us – He has not rejected us from becoming kings to rule the earth at the fullness of time. 

1Sa 15:23  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. 

Num 12:1  And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 

This marriage of Moses became a bone of contention used by Aaron and Miriam to discredit Moses’ leadership. The Old Testament uses the term “Cush” and “Cushites” to refer to Africa and Africans. During the Old and New Testament period, it was Ethiopia that was most prominent in Africa apart from Egypt. Thus, in most versions of the Bible, the word “Cushite” is used instead of “Ethiopian”. The word “Cush” means “black” and historically, the people of Cush have been dark-skinned. The prophet Jeremiah alluded to Cushites’ skin color when he rhetorically said:

Jer 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil. 

There is a biblical connection between the Cushites and the Midianites. We know that Moses’ wife, Zipporah, was a Midianite. 

Exo 2:16  Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.

Exo 2:21  And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. 

In Habakkuk, there is a connection between Cushan or Cush and the Midianites, which may suggest that Cushan and Midian could be the same people. In that case, Zipporah is the same wife mentioned here in Numbers 12:1, who became the bone of contention.

Hab 3:7  I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; The curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. 

Verse 1 therefore highlights racial sentiments underlying the accusation of Miriam and Aaron. Racism has been with humanity right from the beginning, and as we see the day approaching, it is going to get worse. It is only when one is in Christ that the seed of racism is destroyed completely through the destruction of the beast within. The fact that Miriam and Aaron were accusing Moses of marrying a Cushite woman shows that they were carnal, even though Aaron was a leader of the Lord’s people and Miriam was a prophetess. We were all carnal at a certain stage of our walk with Christ and looked at things from a carnal perspective, instead of the viewpoint from the new man after the image of Christ.

Num 12:2  And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.

Carnality brings forth carnality. When we are ruled by the flesh, we become contentious in everything, even in spiritual matters, as we see here in verse 2. In the previous study, we realized the spiritual maturity of Moses when he made the following statement: 

Num 11:27  And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”
Num 11:28  And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.”
Num 11:29  But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD’s people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!”

Moses desired that all God’s people will prophesy. In other words, God’s people will become spiritually mature and become like Him. Miriam and Aaron, however, were contending with the leadership of the Lord’s people. We have seen this a lot when we were in Babylon – how church leaders separate themselves to start their own church after a disagreement with leadership. As the Lord will show us later in this episode, the root cause of our rejection of authority is because we are carnal – ruled by the flesh. As a body of Christ, we have also experienced what happened to Moses when periodically, some of our members rebel against authority and leave the fellowship. As we shall see later in this session, being ruled by the flesh is very subtle, especially when we have tasted the heavenly manna. That is what the disease of leprosy is. It starts within us for a long period of time before it becomes obvious when the skin develops spots.

Jud 1:8  Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. 
Jud 1:9  But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” 
Jud 1:10  But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. (ESV)

Gal 5:19  Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 
Gal 5:20  idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,
Gal 5:21  envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Num 12:3  (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) 

The word “meek” means humble or lowly. Moses’ meekness was very pronounced. In fact, during Moses’ time, he was the meekest person living on earth. The coming of Christ brought about a people whose meekness is after that of Christ, who is the meekest person to have ever lived. 

Php 2:6  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 
Php 2:7  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 
Php 2:8  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 

Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  

One of the key aspects of the fruit of the Spirit is to walk in meekness. It is not something we can produce by ourselves – it is a gift from the Lord.

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 
Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 

Num 12:4  And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. 
Num 12:5  And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.

As commander of the Lord’s army, the Lord deals swiftly with any act of insubordination. This is because, if delayed, it will become like cancer which will quickly spread through the body.

2Ti 2:17  And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;

When Diotrephes usurped the authority of Apostle John, then John told the church he would come soon to deal with the issue. 

3Jn 1:9  I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. 
3Jn 1:10  Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church. 

3Jn 1:14  But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name. 

Num 12:6  And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. 
Num 12:7  My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
Num 12:8  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? 

A prophet is one who speaks the word of the Lord, and his speaking or prophesying is for our edification, exhortation and comfort. In this regard, when we speak the word of the Lord to one another to comfort, edify or exhort, we are actually prophesying.

1Co 14:3  But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

Verse 6 shows us that the Lord speaks to us through visions and dreams. However, these forms of communication are at a lower level when compared with the Lord speaking directly to us (mouth to mouth). 

Hos 12:10  I spoke to the prophets; it was I who multiplied visions, and through the prophets gave parables. (ESV)

As seen above, visions are like parables. The reason that dreams and visions are regarded as relatively lower forms of communication is that most of the time, these dreams and visions have to be interpreted before one can understand exactly what they mean. In addition, even if it is interpreted, we do not see the full picture of what the Lord is saying through dreams and visions. That is why Isaiah said that dreams are like visions of the night. In the night, it is difficult to see clearly.

Isa 29:7  And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, all that fight against her and her stronghold and distress her, shall be like a dream, a vision of the night. 

The highest form of communication with the Lord becomes possible when the Holy Spirit is given to us. That is when we begin to understand clearly what the Lord is saying in the spirit and also the fact that the spirit searches our hearts to know what we need and is able to communicate what we need to the Lord in words that cannot be expressed. This means that even Moses’ mouth-to-mouth communication with the Lord was at a lower level in the sense that the Holy Spirit had not come during his time. We, His elect, are privileged to be able to understand the spiritual interpretation of His words through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Joh 16:12  “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 
Joh 16:13  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 
Joh 16:14  He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 
Joh 16:15  All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.  

Rom 8:26  Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 
Rom 8:27  And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

It is indeed insightful to note that the Lord regarded Moses as being faithful in the house of God despite his complaints and shortcomings. In a similar vein, we, His elect, will be counted as being faithful in the house of the Lord in the fullness of time in spite of our struggles, failures, doubts, etc. Are you discouraged? Do you have doubts whether you will ever make it when the Lord comes in His glory?  Are you focusing on your failures such that you cannot lift your eyes unto the hill from whence comes the help of the Lord? Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your heart. The Lord will bear you on eagle’s wings and bring you to an expected end. Have faith in Him and not in yourself that whatever the Lord starts, He is able to bring to completion!! This reminds me of the Methodist hymn that we sang a lot when we were in Babylon!! These days the song ministers so much to me. Those before of us wrestled with sins, doubts, and fears, just like what we are going through. However, in the final analysis, they overcame them. This is the song:

Give me the Wings of Faith – by John Wesley Harding

1 GIVE me the wings of faith to rise
Within the veil, and see
The saints above, how great their joys,
How bright their glories be.
2 Once they were mourners here below,
And poured out cries and tears:
They wrestled hard, as we do now,
With sins, and doubts, and fears.
3 I ask them whence their victory came:
They, with united breath,
Ascribe their conquest to the Lamb,
Their triumph to his death.
4 They marked the footsteps that he trod,His zeal inspired their breast;
And following their incarnate God,
Possess the promised rest.
5 Our glorious Leader claims our praise
For His own pattern given;
While the long cloud of witnesses
Show the same path to heaven.

I think we all have to be reminded of this story of Abraham’s failure when he lied about Sarah being his sister to King Abimelech, and the king took her to his home. The Lord intervened, and as a result, He asked Abraham to pray for king Abimelech, and when Abraham prayed, Abimelech and his family were healed in spite of Abraham’s failure. That is intercession in the midst of failure!! The Lord answered because He did not look at Abraham’s failure at that moment but called Abraham a prophet because he was looking at the finish line – that is, Abraham becoming a prophet. In spite of all that we are going through, the Lord hears our prayers, and He will surely bring us to the finish line!

Jas 5:11  Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.  

Gen 20:2  And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 
Gen 20:3  But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” 

Gen 20:7  Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

Gen 20:17  Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. 
Gen 20:18  For the LORD had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. 

In verse 8, the Lord is warning us to be afraid of speaking against His elect. Speaking against our brothers and sisters is the same as speaking against the Lord since we are representing Jesus Christ here on earth.

Act 9:4  And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 
Act 9:5  And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Num 12:9  And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed. 
Num 12:10  And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. 
Num 12:11  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. 
Num 12:12  Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother’s womb. 

The anger of the Lord is what brings His judgment on our old man. The Lord is always seeking an occasion to judge us, and, in this case, speaking against the Lord’s representative was the occasion the Lord used to judge Miriam. When we are judged, the Lord comes and deals with the root cause of our disobedience, which in this case is the flesh or the beast within Miriam. 

Before we continue, let us answer the question of why the Lord punished Miriam and not Aaron and Miriam together, since both were guilty of speaking against Moses. We know that a woman represents the church. Thus, Miriam represents the church in the wilderness, including Aaron, and therefore judging Miriam means judging all the people including Aaron. What this means is that speaking against Moses was a common sin among the people of Israel at that time, and the Lord was dealing with the problem among the people of Israel. As we can see, not long afterward came the rebellion of Korah with the key leaders of the assembly, which shows that this sin was plaguing the whole of the people of Israel. In other words, the whole of the congregation was leprous. That is the situation now in Babylon.

Num 16:1  Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:
Num 16:2  And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:
Num 16:3  And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

The speaking against the Lord’s appointed leader (Moses) was only a symptom, but the root cause is that the people had become leprous and the Lord used Miriam’s leprosy to show that the people of Israel were sick. Being leprous spiritually signifies that we are being dominated by the flesh, and this can only be identified by a priest or an elect. This is how leprosy is identified:

Lev 13:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying,
Lev 13:2  When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests:
Lev 13:3  And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.
Lev 13:4  If the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh, and in sight be not deeper than the skin, and the hair thereof be not turned white; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague seven days:

When there is a rise in the skin of the flesh or there is whitish spot on the skin, then there is the likelihood of leprosy. The rising of the skin of the flesh spiritually means the deeds of the flesh are becoming visible. The negative aspect of the color white is that we are not what we claim to be. This means that the whitish spot on the skin means that we are dominated by the flesh within, but we portray ourselves as angels of light (white).

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 
2Co 11:15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

It takes a priest or an elect to identify whether the rise on the skin or the whitish spot is actually leprosy or a temporal disease of the skin. According to Leviticus 13:3, if the hair on the skin has turned white and the plague is deeper than the skin, then it is leprosy. In other words, if we appear to be what we are not (negative significance of white) and our fleshly deeds are becoming obvious, and the beast is still sitting on the throne of our hearts, then we are leprous. On the other hand, if the plague is not deeper than the skin, then it means that it is just a sin of the flesh, and therefore we have to be disciplined until we become whole. The seven days means the complete period of our discipline. That was what happened to Miriam. Aaron asking Moses to pray to the Lord to heal Miriam signifies that when a brother or sister is caught in a fault, we who are spiritually mature must restore the person, but in doing so we must keep an eye on ourselves less we contract his or her disease.

Gal 6:1  Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

In verse 12, Aaron saying that Miriam should not be left as one dead of whom the flesh is half consumed is another way of saying that in disciplining a person who is at fault, we must do it in such a manner that it does not result in the person becoming spiritually dead and alienated completely from the people of God. 

Num 12:13  And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.
Num 12:14  And the LORD 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.
Num 12:15  And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.
Num 12:16  And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.

We must pray fervently for our brothers and sisters who are overtaken by a fault as we see Moses interceding for the healing of Miriam in verse 13. The fact that Miriam was taken outside the camp for only seven days means that the leprosy was superficial. In other words, she was overtaken by a fault and not that her flesh was dominating her. After one is healed of leprosy, there is the need to go through a purification process in order to be restored back to fellowship or camp. This cleansing process is as follows:

Lev 14:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 14:2  This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest: 
Lev 14:3  And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper; 
Lev 14:4  Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: 
Lev 14:5  And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water: 
Lev 14:6  As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water: 
Lev 14:7  And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field. 
Lev 14:8  And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days.

The bird that is killed in an earthen vessel over running water is Christ, who took the form of humanity (earthen vessel) and was killed according to the living word of the Lord (running water) in order to cleanse us. We, His elect, are the living second bird which is let loose into the open field. In other words, in view of the Lord’s mercies towards us, we must live our lives as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord, which is our spiritual form of worship. This entails completing the suffering of Christ through the fiery trials we go through in this life. 

Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

In the Bible, the hair on the body is a symbol of our natural strength. Thus, the shaving of all the flesh signifies the cutting off of all our natural strength. This implies that in our service to the Lord, we must not depend on our natural strengths and abilities.

Jdg 16:17  And he told her all his heart, and said to her, “A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.”

Clothes are a symbol of righteousness. Dirty or torn clothes therefore refer to unrighteousness, which could be the result of contamination or self-righteousness, which is iniquity.

Lev 15:6  And whoever sits on anything on which the one with the discharge has sat shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening.

Isa 4:1  And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach.”

Clean clothes (white linen) are the righteousness of the saints, which is imputed by the Lord. 

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

The washing of our dirty clothes therefore signifies the truth of the word of the Lord, which cleanses us of all unrighteousness.

What is significant is the fact that the whole of the congregation waited until Miriam was healed before they continued their journey from Hazeroth to the wilderness of Paran. This means that we must carry our brothers and sisters who are weak or overtaken by a fault along and not leave them behind. It also implies that we must carry each other’s burden.

Gal 6:1  Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 
Gal 6:2  Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

May the Lord help us to conform to His image as He roots out any disease of leprosy within us. Amen!!

Hi Mike,

I needed to write you about a topic that came up between my husband and me. He gets very upset whenever he sees a white woman with a black man or the other way around. He believes it is morally wrong for them to be together and that God never designed for the races to mix.. He believes that is why we have been separated in our races. And he doesn’t want to hear anything I believe about it, because he believes I am wrong. I believe that God puts together whom He wills. God works all out after the counsel of His will.

How to I answer him about this? What are my best words? I could use some help from a brother in Christ.

Ysic,

K____

Hi K____,

Thank you for your question. I can tell you that I was reared with your husband’s doctrine, and I did not believe in interracial marriage myself, until my own children showed me this verse of scripture many years ago:

Exo 12:48 And when a stranger [including an oriental or a black ‘stranger’] shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
Exo 12:49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.

There it is for all who are given eyes to see and ears to hear. All I had ever been able to see or hear before that verse was pointed out to me by my middle son, was this verse of scripture, and I alway had my Babylonian glasses firmly in place when I would quote it to Sandi and to my children:

Act 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

Now with my Babylonian glasses I saw in that verse that God had placed the white race in Europe, the black race in Africa, and the Oriental in the orient, and that is where they should stay.

But the Truth of the scriptures is that Moses himself had married an Ethiopian woman, and when his sister Miriam and his brother Aaron despised him for doing so, the outcome was not good for Miriam and Aaron:

Num 12:1 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.
Num 12:2 And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.
Num 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
Num 12:4 And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.
Num 12:5 And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.
Num 12:6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
Num 12:7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
Num 12:8 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?
Num 12:9 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.
Num 12:10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.

Miriam bore the brunt of our Lord’s anger, for His own reason. But rest assured, Aaron was wishing he and Miriam had never used Moses’ interracial marriage as an excuse to attack Moses.

It is no excuse to this day:

Exo 12:48 And when a stranger [including an oriental or a black ‘stranger’] shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
Exo 12:49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.

I hope these words are of some help to you. If Christ is in the heart of a person, these verses of scripture will destroy the Goliath of racial division that is within them. If Jesus Christ is not within them, then the words “he [including all three races] shall be as one born in the land” will be like water on a duck’s back to that person, and they will remain afflicted with the leprosy of looking down on a brother or a sister who has married a person of another race.

If Christ is living within the heart of that person, these verses of scripture will reveal to him or her that all God requires of us is that we marry only those who are “circumcised of heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter”:

Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew [black, white, or Oriental], which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

This verse of scripture is in the word of God, just for people like me and like your husband:

Num 12:1 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.

I thank God that He has given me eyes to see that “men look on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart” applies to interracial marriage just as much as it does to coming into the body of Christ.

1Sa 16:7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

Your brother in that “one [undivided by race] body”.

Mike

Hi Mike,

Was reading one of your articles this morning before heading out to work and I had a thought I would like to bounce off of you (see cut and paste of scripture below… bold font your emphasis). Miriam being shut out of the camp for 7 days (i. e. 7 meaning completely shut out of the camp)… only afterward let her be received again… I see this as one of two types and shadows (maybe both):
1) This scripture a type and shadow of what happened to Miriam as representing all thepeople who come in on the 2nd resurrection rather than the 1st resurrection.
2) This scripture is also as part of God’s elect living by every word…. who ‘in times past…” “…. God’s wrath against all ungodliness” lived this out and was shut out of the camp completely and only on God’s appointed time received mercy to be brought in again in this aion rather than in the 2nd resurrection.
Any thoughts?

Num 12:1 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.
Num 12:2 And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.
Num 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
Num 12:4 And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.
Num 12:5 And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.
Num 12:6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
Num 12:7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
Num 12:8 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?
Num 12:9 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.
Num 12:10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.
Num 12:11 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.
Num 12:12 Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother’s womb.
Num 12:13 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.
Num 12:14 And the LORD 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.
Num 12:15 And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.

M_____

Good morning M____,

This is a wonderful bit of revelation the Lord has given you to share with me and with others.
Thank you for taking the time to do so.
It is not a mere historical fact that it was Eve who gave the forbidden fruit to Adam, rather for those with eyes that see and ears that hear, it is a commentary on the state of the Laodicean state of the church throughout history.

Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing;” corresponds to Miriam and Aaron’s “Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath He not spoken also by us?” This is the mindset of the church today.
The Lord had indeed spoken by Miriam and Aaron, and they should have been grateful to have been of that service, but as you are given to see, Miriam typifies those in the church who hate the fact that God has an elect with whom He has a special relationship. Miriam and Aaron typify the rejected brother and sister of Moses, just as Esau was Jacob’s rejected twin brother and just as Joseph had ten rejected brothers, all of them being Abraham’s seed. They are all the type of Christians who are indeed called, but who are not all “children of promise”, the chosen seed.

Rom 9:6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
Rom 9:7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Rom 9:8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

The rejection of the nation of Israel, in the days of Christ and the apostles, foreshadowed the rejection of the orthodox church as a whole today which “cannot receive the things of the spirit”.

Joh 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Joh 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the [ spiritual] Jews. (Rom 2:28-29)
Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

“In spirit” simply is not “in the letter” which any natural man can understand. Worshiping God “in spirit” is knowing God and His words as spirit, and this is only for those who have “ears to hear”.

Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Rev 2:29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

“The words… are spirit”. Joseph’s brothers demonstrate the fury that is in those who see themselves as not being as loved by their Father as others appear to be. At any rate, any who dare to claim to be God’s elect must expect their fellow ‘seed of Abraham’ rejected brothers to be completely incapable of “speaking peaceably” to them.

Gen 37:4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

The natural man will see this too, only as a history lesson. The man who has eyes that see and ears that hear, will see this as each of us “living by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”.
That is what you have done with this story of Miriam and Aaron withstanding Moses.
We have all wondered why Miriam was stricken with leprosy, instead of Aaron. The answer is that Miriam typifies the church, which is always the instrument which leads us into error.
It is very instructive to note the meaning of the name ‘Miriam’. Here is what Strong’s says concerning the meaning of Miriam’s name:

H4813
mirya m
meer- yawm’
From H4805; rebelliously; Mirjam, the name of two Israelitesses: – Miriam.
H4805
mer y
mer- ee’
From H4784; bitterness, that is, (figuratively) rebellion; concretely bitter, or rebellious: – bitter, (most) rebel (- ion, – lious).

You have seen this jealousy, bitterness and rebellion that Miriam and Aaron had toward Moses as the spiritual type of the treatment which God’s elect must expect from their brothers and sisters who are in the church, who are in Christ, and who are called but are not chosen.

Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

It was apparent that Moses’s ‘father loved him more than’ he loved Miriam and Aaron, who saw themselves just as Korah, only a few days later, saw the whole congregation of Israel:

Num 16:3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

Was the Lord really “among them”? Of course He was, just as He had indeed spoken by Miriam and Aaron, but He was not ‘among them’ and dealing with them in the special way in which He dealt with Moses or with Joseph. Neither did God love Ishmael in the same way He loved Isaac.
Had Moses “lifted up himself above the congregation”? Absolutely not. Moses’s position was forced upon him just as Joseph’s was forced on him also, and they both wanted their brothers to be saved. Nevertheless, God makes it clear that He has a special elect which He is saving first, and through whom He will later save all men.

Gen 17:18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
Gen 17:19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
Gen 17:20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
Gen 17:21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.
Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

So again Isaac is the type of God’s elect today.

Rom 9:7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Rom 9:8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

“The children of the flesh” are the children of the ‘ten- second sinner’s prayer’ who are Christians in name only. They consider themselves as Abraham’s seed, but they know nothing of the necessity of being judged, nor of the chastening grace of God and “that it is through much tribulation that we must enter into the kingdom of God”. They have Christ’s name, but ‘His Word has no place in them’.

Act 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching [ Greek, chastening] us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Joh 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

Thank you for showing me “the deep things of the spirit” concerning this story of Miriam’s and Aaron’s jealous spirit toward their elect brother, Moses.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike

Mike,
Why is it so important that a man do the teaching?  What about Miriam? Who was paul taught by… a male or a female? 
C___

Dear C____
You ask me who taught Paul and questioned  whether Miriam was also teaching men.
You mention Mic 6:4

Mic 6:4  For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

Miriam was a prophetess. Being a prophetess means she did what we are told she did:

Exo 15:20  And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
Exo 15:21  And Miriam answered them [the women], Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Miriam lead “the women… with timbrels and with dances… in singing to the Lord.” The Lord did not then and does not today, use women to lead men into battle against the enemy. Many despise these words, but they were written under inspiration of the Holy Spirit:

1Co 14:34  Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but [ they are commanded] to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
1Co 14:35  And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
1Co 14:36  What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?
1Co 14:37  If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
1Co 14:38  But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.

If one cannot acknowledge that what Paul writes are the commandments of the Lord, then the Holy Spirit tells me to “let him be ignorant.”
Paul’s teacher inspired Him to tell us:

1Co 14:34  Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but [ they are commanded] to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
1Co 14:35  And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
1Co 14:36  What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?
1Co 14:37  If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

So answer me now. Who was it that taught that to Paul? Be very careful when you answer that question.
Getting back to your question about Miriam, it is very revealing to see what Miriam means. Here is Strong’s definition:

H4813
mirya m
meer- yawm’
>From H4805; rebelliously; Mirjam, the name of two Israelitesses: – Miriam

Read The Head of Christ Is God. You will learn that a wife rebelling against her husband is as natural as a carnal mind not being subject to the law of God. It is all part of being a “marred vessel.” We just naturally do not like what is in God’s Word.
Here now is the one other story about what Miriam did as God brought Israel out of Egypt “sending before them Moses, and Aaron, and Miriam:

Num 12:1  And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.
Num 12:2  And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.

It is revealing that in Mic 6:4 Miriam’s name is listed last; “and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.” But here in Num 12 it is first. Aaron here, just as at the foot of Mount Sinai, typifies God’s priests down through the generations. He could not stand up to the people then, and he cannot stand up to Miriam here. Aaron truly is the ‘father’ of such as Annas and Caiaphas, he utterly fails as the leader of God’s people. Aaron typifies the priests and ministers today who will not acknowledge that the words written by Paul are the commandments of the Lord. All the people want to ignore them and call them ‘mere letters’, and the Aarons of today just go along “and out comes this golden calf” which leads them right back into Egypt.
Mike