(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
Numbers 12:10–16, “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. 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 the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee. 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. And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again. And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.”
There are always consequences for whatever choices that we make. Both Aaron and Miriam defied the Lord when they showed that they were jealous of Moses. They defied the Lord and the Lord challenged them for this defiance. Miriam was struck with leprosy. This was a consequence of her sin and the Lord acted with justice. However, Aaron realised that both he and Miriam acted foolishly. That is, the acted in a way that would damage themselves and their relationship with the Lord. When a person was diagnosed with leprosy they were cast out of the camp and forced to live by themselves, away from all their families and friends. As far as Miriam was concerned, she might as well have been dead. Moses, with his meek and forgiving heart prayed to the Lord that Miriam might be healed of this disease. The Lord heard this prayer but told Moses that she would have be unclean for seven days. When a person was suspected of leprosy they were told to wait for seven days and then be tested again (Lev 13:27, “And the priest shall look upon him the seventh day: and if it be spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy.”) Miriam also had to wait for seven days to prove that she was healed of her leprosy.
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