Podcast Introduction

Our reading today Numbers 9-12. After the reading, I’ll have some comments for you.  I’m calling today’s episode “Move Out.”  

Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Dmytro Matsiuk on Unsplash

Comments on Numbers 12

I don’t recall ever hearing a message, or a sermon on Numbers 12. So that’s what I’m going to talk about today. It seems like somewhat of an unusual chapter to me. Does it seem that way to you? Let’s dig in.

1Miriam and Aaron began to criticize Moses because he was married to a woman from Sudan." (GW)

Miriam and Aaron were the brother and sister of Moses. And because of the way the sentence is constructed in Hebrew, and the fact that Miriam is listed first, she is probably the instigator of this confrontation. We'll talk more about that in a moment.

Out of the 35 translations I checked, this is the only translation that says Moses was married to a woman from Sudan. Most other translations say she was a Cushite woman. Others say she was Ethiopian. The original language says Cushite. The Cushites were descendants of Cush. Cush was the oldest son of Ham. Ham was the son of Noah. So Cush was the grandson of Noah. Interestingly, one of Cush's sons was Nimrod, who is thought to be the ruler of Babel when the Tower of Babel was built. So the great-grandson of Noah probably built the Tower of Babel. (There's another reminder that it is imperative to teach faithfully each generation the Word of the Lord. Just because you're a believer is no guarantee that your children will be, or their children. Be diligent in living in such a way that your children see that God is real.) 

The land of Cush might very well be, and probably is synonymous with Ethiopia. Though the Ethiopia of the Bible is not exactly the same as the Ethiopia of today. However, the Ethiopia of the Bible included an area of what is Sudan today! See how it all comes together?

Given this background, it is probably not going to surprise you when I say that the Cushite people were dark skinned. As a matter of fact, Cush means "black." 

One last thing about Cush. I found this at gotquestions.org: Significantly, Cush is also a nation that received the gospel and will be involved in the millennial kingdom. The evangelist Philip gave the gospel to an Ethiopian eunuch, who would have been referred to as a Cushite in Hebrew, and the eunuch was one of the first converts of Ethiopia to Christianity (Acts 8:26–39). He undoubtedly took the gospel back to his land, where he had great influence as a royal official to Queen Candace (Acts 8:27). During the millennial reign of Christ, Jesus will receive honor from Cush/Ethiopia: “From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, my scattered people, will bring me offerings” (Zephaniah 3:10).

So the fact that Moses was married to a Cushite woman is the reason Miriam and Aaron gave for their complaint. It was not forbidden for Israelites to marry Cushites, so that is not likely to be the basis for the complaint. It is possible, and maybe even probable that their reason was because of the color of her skin. Something she had no control over. 

But this was not the real problem. As is often the case, there was something deeper. 

Verse 2 says, " 2They asked, 'Did the Lord speak only through Moses? Didn’t he also speak through us?'” 

Can't you just hear Miriam? "Who do you think you are, Moses? You think you're so special because God speaks through you. He speaks through me! And Aaron, too!"

In a way, she was right. God spoke through Aaron in Exodus 4:30, He spoke to Aaron in Exodus 12:1, and Miriam spoke God-inspired words in Exodus 15:21. But God spoke through Moses in a very unique way, and He selected Moses as *the* leader of Israel. 

Miriam and Aaron were jealous of Moses. They wanted to have some of the authority and attention. And they thought that by bringing Moses down, they would get it.

And verse 2 ends with "The Lord heard their complaint." Of course He did.