A BROTHER AND SISTER MURMUR
[Numbers:12:1-16 [1] And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. [2] And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it. [3] (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) [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. [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. [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. [7] My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. [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? [9] And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed. [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. [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. [12] Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb. [13] And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee. [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. [15] And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again. [16] And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran. ]
“Do all things without murmurings” (Philippians 2:14).
Moses’ Brother and Sister
We remember the story of the baby Moses who was hidden in the little ark by the river’s bring. His sister, who stood afar off to watch, no doubt was Miriam about whom we are now studying. Moses also had a brother, named Aaron.
Moses had been called of God to be the leader of the Children of Israel. Aaron and Miriam had been very helpful to Moses many times. We know that God loved Aaron, for at the time that God came down upon the mountain He called Moses and Aaron up into the mountain so that He could talk to them. However, sometimes Aaron and Miriam did things that displeased God very much and must have made Moses feel very bad.
We remember how displeased Moses was at the time that he came down out of the mountain and found that his brother Aaron had sinned and made golden calf for the people to worship. They should have kept right on worshipping the true God, even though their leader Moses was up in the mountain for a time. These people knew that Moses had prayed for them many times, and God had answered his prayers.
Brothers and sisters can be a great deal of help to one another if they love one another and love Jesus. But if they are not saved and quarrel and are unkind to one another, they can bring much trouble and sorrow into their lives.
God Hears Murmurings
The Lord had told the people at one time that when they murmured, it was not against Moses and Aaron, but against God. Just so it was now. Aaron and Miriam murmured against their brother Moses –- so they thought. But it was really against God, and He heard it, too.
When a child murmurs against a minister of the Gospel or even against his Sunday School teacher, it actually is against God. We should be careful always to obey those who are trying to teach us how to follow the Lord. A child is also murmuring against God when he murmurs against his parents. God said, “Do all things without murmurings and disputings” [Philippians:2:14Do all things without murmurings and disputings: ]). Sometimes a parent will tell a child to do something and the child will ask, “Why?” We should go at once and do what we are told to do by our parents, without having to know the reason: “Children, obey your parents in all things.”
The Punishment
We read that a terrible thing happened to Aaron and Miriam as punishment for their sin. The Lord came down in a cloud and stood in the door of the Tabernacle and called Aaron and Miriam. He rebuked them for the wrong they had done; He also asked them if they were not afraid to speak against Moses. Then Miriam became a leper.
Leprosy is a very bad sickness, and in many instances in the Bible the Lord punished people with leprosy when they sinned. The skin becomes white, and sometimes there are sports or sores all over the body. However, the stains of sin on a heart are even worse than the sports of leprosy on the skin. It takes the Blood of Jesus to heal the leper and it also takes the Blood of Jesus to save the sinner.
Moses prayed for Miriam to be healed; but she had to be shut out of the camp for seven days. Then she was brought back into the camp and the people could go on their journey. This was a good lesson for Miriam and Aaron as well as for all the people in the camp. It is also a good lesson for us to remember. God does not like murmuring.
1. Why was it wrong for Aaron and Miriam to murmur against Moses? [Numbers:12:6-8 [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.
[7] My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
[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?
]; [Hebrews:13:17Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
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2. How was Miriam punished for murmuring? [Numbers:12:10And 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.
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3. Who prayed for Miriam to be healed? [Numbers:12:13And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.
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4. How long was she shut out form the camp? [Numbers:12:15And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.
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5. Is Jesus displeased when we murmur? [Philippians:2:14Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
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6. When we murmur, against whom is it? [Exodus:16:8And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.
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