In the Face of Shame
The Lord’s displeasure with Aaron and Miriam’s disrespect was revealed as He turned and walked away. The conversation ended and the cloud resting on the tabernacle departed.
Did they feel relief when He left? Or were they afraid as the Lord left without a backward glance or a word of comfort?
Aaron lacked inner integrity. When Moses caught him red handed before the golden calf, sorry he was caught, he excused away his behavior. Although he led his people into idolatry, he was forgiven.
Integrity and humility are crucial to the priesthood. If you are right in your own eyes or view yourself as above God’s standards, your conscience won’t be pricked if you violate them; you won’t feel uneasy because His standards are not relevant to you. Without inner humility, there was no inner integrity. Aaron felt sorry, but self-justified.
Leprosy
Aaron was shocked when he looked at Miriam. Her skin was white as snow. Struck by the Lord, in a moment, she became a leper.[1] Leprosy is a progressive skin disease, nega` means stroke, disease, wound; it indicated a mark or spot, a stroke or calamity God inflicted on that person.[2] Beginning with a small mark, it spread through the body.
The priest’s job was to examine and diagnose leprosy. After 7 days isolation, if the spot worsened, he diagnosed leprosy and pronounced the person unclean. There was no doubt. Miriam had the advanced stage of leprosy. She was unclean.
Imagine Aaron’s horror and shame as he realized she was in the final stages of leprosy. His breath caught in shock, fearing his face mirrored hers. Quickly looking at his hands and feet, he felt his face, then breathed a quiet sigh of relief. His pulse quickened. He would have to pronounce Miriam a leper, publicly declare God’s sentence, and banish her outside the camp. Aaron had been her partner in sin, he deserved to share her shame.
God Sees The Heart
Though siblings, each child responds differently to discipline. Some respond to a look, or a gentle rebuke, others need physical discipline. God sees us as individuals; He does not discipline us the same. Aaron responded in repentance when he saw his sister afflicted with leprosy. Compelled to take responsibility against Miriam, he moved in genuine compassion and demonstrated sincere repentance. Without realizing it, he stood in the intercessory place of the high priest to request God’s forgiveness.
Moving Into Repentance
The Lord set a boundary when He walked away. Aaron would have remembered the Lord’s swift action against his sons. The Lord felt dangerous. In genuine grief, all jealousy and resentment burnt away, he turned to his brother. Moses had power with God and was merciful. Whenever Israel sinned, Moses would fall before the Lord and plead for mercy. Repentant, Aaron modeled what he had observed in his brother as he pled for Miriam.
“My lord, please don’t hold against us this sin we have so foolishly committed.” The Hebrew Aaron used was like a prayer and is better translated, “if it please”, or “pray, excuse me”[3]. He addressed Moses as lord or master, “an address of honor for those who are nobler, and to whom respect is due[4]. He petitioned, “Do not place or set the guilt, or punishment, or penalty for sin[5] upon us who have been foolish and shown wicked folly[6]. We missed the mark and have become liable to bear the blame.”[7] Aaron identified with Miriam and stood in the place of the guilty one under God’s judgment.
Through Scripture, men of faith took ownership for the sins of their people, then powerfully interceded for them before God. Aaron had slandered God’s anointed; he saw Miriam’s leprosy placed on himself. Publicly he humbled himself before Moses and named their action wicked folly.
Aaron used “a primitive particle of incitement and entreaty” that demonstrated submission and honored Moses as his superior. He was not passive or self-righteous when only Miriam was leprous, but intentionally moved forward and in repentance, humbled himself before the Lord as he took ownership for their sin.
Restoration From Death
True repentance takes ownership for sin without blame, accusation, or excuse. Aaron humbled himself before Moses and before the Lord, taking responsibility for their sin.
As Aaron interceded before Moses, he said, “Do not let her be as one who has died prematurely,[8] whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb” (Numbers 12:12). The word dead is used twice; don’t let her be one who is dead, who is dead. It is a strong emphasis denoting premature death.
From Aaron’s description, Miriam’s leprosy was in a very advanced stage where her flesh had rotted away, was half consumed. Consumed is the same word used in Deuteronomy 4:24 in reference to idolatry, “For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire[9], even a jealous God.” We see something of the fire of God, as there is a consuming of Miriam’s flesh. Engaged in defiant behavior, the Lord acted strongly against her placing herself over Moses.
Aaron recognized his sin against Moses and against the Lord and bowed before God’s righteous anger. Seeing Miriam was a leper whose life would end prematurely, he acted the man. Facing the truth, he picked up his mantle of responsibility. By the act of his will, he moved from irresponsibility of slavery, to the responsibility of maturity as a free man. With courage and humility, he moved out of his slave mentality into his identity as high priest.
The door was temporarily shut as the Lord turned His back and walked away. Aaron respected the Lord’s boundary.
Jarred out of complacency, Aaron turned to his brother. Moved with compassion, Aaron stood as mediator between Miriam and Moses as he asked Moses for help. Then he requested Moses to stand in the gap between Miriam and God. A mediator steps between two for the purpose of making or restoring peace or friendship.[10] In effect, a mediator covers the one he mediates for.
Satan meant to use Miriam and Aaron to bring chaos and strife by undermining Moses’ position before the community. But the Lord used it to purify Aaron, who emulated Jesus Christ, the High Priest and only mediator between God and man. What Satan meant for evil, God turned to good.
True repentance closes the door to the purposes of the demonic. As we open the door to the Lord, shame is defeated by God’s mercy.
[1] Leprosy: H6879 tsara` verb. Gesenius. Accessed 7 Mar 15.
[2] Plague: H5061 nega`; stroke, plague, disease, mark, plague spot (wound); mark of leprosy. Ibid.
[3] Alas: H994 biy part of entreaty. Gesenius. Ibid.
[4] Lord: H113 'adown, masculine noun from unused root (meaning to rule). Gesenius. Ibid.
[5] Sin: H2403 chatta'ath; sinfulness, misstep, penalty, calamity, misfortune. Ibid.
[6] Done foolishly: H2973 ya'al verb. To be foolish, become fools, show wicked folly. Ibid.
[7] Wherein we have sinned: H2398 verb. To miss, err from the mark, to become liable to a penalty or forfeiture of something, to bear the blame. Gesenius. Accessed 18 Mar 15.
[8] Died: H4191 מוּת muwth verb. To die, have one executed; die as a penalty, be put to death; die prematurely. Accessed 19 Mar 15.
[9] Consume: H398 אָכַל 'akal, verb. To eat, devour, burn up, feed: fire that consumes; to devour oppression. Accessed 15 Oct 14.
[10] Mediator: mesitēs G3316 One who intervenes between two to make or restore peace and friendship, to form a compact, or to ratify a covenant. Accessed 24 Mar 15.
