Numbers Chapters 12 Bible Teaching

Back to Numbers 11 and to verse 18, we read where YAHAVAH now says to Moses,

Numbers 11:18-20 (KJV)

18 And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of YAHAVAH, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore, YAHAVAH will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.

19 Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days;

20 But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised YAHAVAH which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?

I see in this story a principle that material blessings, whether from the hand of God directly (like these quail) or from life itself by virtue of good fortune, will never sustain us.

The Hedonic Paradox and Epicurus

Greek philosopher, Epicurus, discovered that the most pleasant life is one where we abstain from unnecessary desires and achieve an inner tranquility (ataraxia) by being content with simple things and by choosing the pleasure of philosophical conversation with friends over the endless pursuit that physical pleasures afford.

He taught his epicurean philosophy around 350 BC to 270 BC but was not the originator as we see the very principles of such played out here as the Nation of Israel physically abandons what were relative comforts by comparison.

From Epicurus, a theory called the Hedonic Paradox was created (in large part) by writer Victor Frankle, who was once a prisoner of concentration camps in WWII Nazi Germany.

When I was in junior high, one of the first books I ever sought anything from was Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning where he borrows from the Epicurean advice to avoid needless pleasures and even in prison camp learn to focus on those that bring the most lasting happiness.

I’ll never forget reading about Frankl in a concentration camp observing those who let their physical surroundings dictate their happiness and mood versus those who took control of the surroundings imposed upon them.

I recall a certain story he tells of men who, the moment a morsel of bread was given, consumed it completely and without any restraint compared to others who would save their bread, not allowing it to dictate how they would relate to it, to the point that some of them would even share their meager ration with those begging for more.

Frankl noticed that in terms of their population, the immediate eaters died rather quickly, but those who governed their surroundings and situation prevailed over most temptations and lived the longest.

And even though I have long struggled to reign in my passion for immediate gratification, I’ve learned from such insights over the years and see them readily in the teachings and principles of scripture.

Frankl himself wrote,

“Pleasure is, and must remain, a side-effect or by-product, and is destroyed and spoiled to the degree to which it is made a goal in itself.”

The Hedonic Paradox (also called the Pleasure Paradox) states that if you seek pleasure or happiness for the sole purpose of achieving it for yourself, you will fail as it will more and more be elusive.

One reason is the pursuit of pleasure becomes a burden in and of itself, an imposing law upon us, if you will, and once in place, it controls us.

Another reason is based on the idea that pleasures naturally give a decreasing amount of enjoyment the more they are experienced.

This leads to another form of bondage, which is the pursuit of more, higher, better, different pleasures—a plight our youth are beginning to face.

Bottom line, happiness is not the goal, but a side effect of doing something “bigger than yourself.” To achieve it, you must not go after it directly, but engage in other things that are truly meaningful and are not linked to trying to be happy.

Simply put, satisfaction and happiness are not a goal to be achieved; they are a result of pursuing something outside of ourselves that is selfless and sacrificial.

The Pursuit of Happiness and Altruism

Pleasure seekers, whom history calls hedonists, live seeking activities that give them pleasure. They do things because they think it will make them happy.

Materially, they buy the latest car, wear the most fashionable clothes, go to the spa and get pampered, buy the most expensive things, eat the finest food—all in the pursuit of pleasure or happiness.

People do this religiously too. They want the spike, the next thing and focus on the fruit upward before patiently allowing for the root downward to establish itself.

As we all know, the pleasure, or what Christ called “sumptuous living” on the part of the rich man, is fleeting and increasingly offers diminished returns to the point that I wonder if in the hereafter such things fade entirely and we are all left with only the presence of what is ultimately the most important—eternal things—our selfless love.

Studies have actually shown that altruistic activities, meaning doing things for others, seem to cause greater happiness even here.

A study by Thoits and Hewitt (2001) showed that volunteer work causes greater happiness and life satisfaction, while increasing self-esteem and even improving physical and mental health.

In another study, Boehm and Lyubomirsky (2006) found that students who were asked to perform random acts of kindness during a ten-week period achieved a significant improvement in happiness levels.

And they even maintained this state months after the experiment. The acts of kindness were nothing more than them opening the door for an elder or doing the dishes for a roommate.

This is the genius of Mormonism; it understands and encourages the fortification of the Spirit of Man—which is also its failure.

All of these findings are firmly ensconced in the teachings of the Proverbs, Psalms, the Prophets, the stories of the Nation of Israel, and most poignantly, in the comprehensive teaching of Yeshua our Lord.

These teachings, however, include a process, and it is letting Him bring them forth in your life by the Spirit and NOT just choosing to amplify and reform the Spirit of Man in us.

In fact, the number of passages referring to selflessness, sacrifice, and suffering for the benefit of others and to the detriment of self, are so many it’s almost like we should read passages that don’t speak to it.

Selflessness and self-control begin to walk hand in hand as we mature in Him.

The Apostolic Record makes it plain, saying in Romans 8:13,

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

Moses’ Frustration and God’s Response

I suspect that all of these insights are what led YAHAVAH to be so darn angry with the Nation. They thrived on the “next thing,” they complained when they had to suffer and go without, and all of this was indicative that their love for God was essentially based on “what have you done for me lately?” and/or “I love you because of what pleasures you give me, and not because I trust all you do and allow in my life.”

Interestingly, Moses appears to have gotten fed up and to have even lost some trust as we read, in the face of God promising to send enough food to satisfy the Nation for a month,

Numbers 11:21-23 (KJV)

21 The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month.

22 Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?

23 And YAHAVAH said unto Moses, Is YAHAVAH’S hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.

I suggest that Moses is a good example for us to see that even the biggies wondered and doubted—almost all of them—at some point in time in their lives, and in the face of some special circumstance, got weakened in the faith, and temporarily lost some trust and reliance on what they formerly were certain of.

It’s part of being human. In fact, to even walk in faith appears to be something of a miracle in the face of the fact that Yeshua said if his own disciple had faith the size of a mustard seed they could have moved mountains.

Suggesting that even the apostles had less faith than that of a mustard seed, and therefore that walking in faith is rare, that few be there that find it, and we are most blessed to possess and live by even a modicum of the stuff.

Anyway, YAHAVAH comes through, both for the people and Moses as we read at verse 31,

Numbers 11:31-35 (KJV)

31 And there went forth a wind from YAHAVAH and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.

32 And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers

: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.

33 And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of YAHAVAH was kindled against the people, and YAHAVAH smote the people with a very great plague.

34 And he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted.

35 And the people journeyed from Kibrothhattaavah unto Hazeroth; and abode at Hazeroth.

Lessons from Numbers 12

Inner Family Uprisings, Curses, and Restoration

Some things of interest to point out: Aaron was with Moses and the Nation from the Exodus, and he will die on the 10th day of the fortieth year of their wandering. So, he was there throughout.

Because we read so little info, it seems that God just grew fed up with the people and waited for them all to die before He would bring their offspring into the promised land. So in the end, we don’t have much to read from about 36 of those years of the forty.

On to Chapter 12. It’s a short chapter with an interesting cautionary tale surrounding inner family uprisings, curses, and restoration.

We can read it – it’s only 18 verses long:

Numbers 12:1-16 (KJV)

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.

The Question of Moses’ Wife

So back to verse one, and we will end today covering this story.

Numbers 12:1 (KJV)

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

Right off the bat, we have a question – was Moses married to Zipporah, the Midianite and a Cushite/Ethiopian woman, or are they one and the same persons?

Let’s speak first to Zipporah. She was one of the seven daughters of Jethro (Exodus 3:1; 18:5) also called Reuel/Raguel (Exodus 2:18; 4:24, 25; 18:1-6; Numbers 10:29).

She was a Midianite married to Moses during his 40 years in the wilderness after his flight from Egypt.

When God commanded Moses to return to Egypt to free the Israelites, Exodus 4 says Moses took Zipporah and sons and started his journey. It does appear that Zipporah departed from Egypt before the Exodus but later rejoined with Moses in the wilderness.

In Exodus 18, we read how once Jethro heard that Moses liberated the Nation, he sent Zipporah and their sons to join them, presumably because it was now safe and that she left them when it wasn’t?

We really can only guess.

After the mention of Zipporah going back in Exodus 18, we never hear of her again until this first verse in Numbers where Moses’ wife is referred to as a Cushite or Ethiopian, and you believe that this was her.

Some scholars maintain that they are the same woman, but if that is the case, we have to figure out how a Midian could also be considered an Ethiopian or Cushite.

If they are different women, we have to admit that Moses either had two wives and practiced polygamy, or perhaps Zipporah died and he took on another.

We do have some scholars say that the Ethiopian woman was actually married to Moses BEFORE he went into the wilderness where he also picked up Zipporah from Jethro, and when he returned to liberate them, he reunited with her.

Interestingly, the scripture does not have Moses mention the passing of Zipporah, and because he was the writer, I wonder if there was some difficulty between Moses and Zipporah that goes unstated.

We do know that when she confronted Moses about failing to circumcise her son or sons, she was aggressive, and perhaps this friction from her led Moses to taking on another woman?

In the story, we see that both Aaron and Miriam harshly criticize Moses’ marriage to a Cushite woman, but it appears this opinion came out after he returned to Egypt to set the children of Israel free.

Cushites were of the ancestry of either Kush (a.k.a. Nubia) in northeast Africa, or Arabians. The sons of Ham, mentioned within the Book of Genesis, have been identified with nations in Africa (Ethiopia, Egypt, Libya), what is called the Levant (Canaan), and Arabia.

The Midianites themselves were later on depicted at times in non-Biblical sources as dark-skinned and called Kushim, a Hebrew word used for dark-skinned Africans.

One Dr. Claude Mariottini, Professor of Old Testament, in an article “Moses’ Cushite Wife,” discusses extensively the controversial question: Did Moses have one wife, Zipporah or did Moses have two wives, Zipporah and the Cushite woman?

He points out that “In his book, Antiquity of Jews, Book 2, Chapter 10, Josephus wrote that while Moses lived in Egypt, he commanded the Egyptian army in a war against Ethiopia (which we covered back then) and that it was at this point he married an Ethiopian woman.”

This sounds like she was an additional wife. What I don’t understand is why it took this long for Miriam and Aaron to express this displeasure with her.

Perhaps their relationship had been touchy and reached a boiling point for some reason, whether she is Zipporah or a separate Ethiopian woman.

It appears that jealousy of the power and influence Moses had was the real cause of their complaint, though his having married an Ethiopian woman was the vehicle used to fuel everything.

Finally, having come from seven sisters, having been arguably tough on Moses when he was derelict of duty, and not one to withhold her opinion, perhaps Zipporah was a driving, strong woman in Moses’ life, and what we are reading about here is a power-struggle reaching a boil with Moses’ siblings who were sick of her ways.

In the end – we do not know if these are one woman or two.

Aaron and Miriam’s Complaint

So, what did Moses’ siblings actually say? Verse 2:

Numbers 12:2 (KJV)

And they said, Hath YAHAVAH indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And YAHAVAH heard it.

According to Exodus 4:15, Aaron had received a portion of the Spirit to speak through, and Exodus 15:20 literally calls Miriam a prophetess in her own right.

So, their claim was true of also receiving inspiration, but it was the heart of the comment, it seems, that YAHAVAH heard from them—which was not good.

What was the heart? Apparently, envy, maybe anger and frustration, of feeling that Moses was being led around by his wife. Why say this? Verse 3:

Numbers 12:3 (KJV)

(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of

the earth.)

Remembering that Moses was the writer of Numbers, it seems odd that he would describe himself this way – sort of like a humble brag, right?

We know that Moses was meek, and even though all the translations I consulted use the line, “very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth,” it seems that in the Hebrew there is reason to retranslate the line to better mean,

“Now this man Moses was depressed or afflicted more than any man of that land.”

That sounds more fitting in reason and context, especially in light of what Moses’ attitude was in the last chapter when he was overwhelmed and even angry and complaining against God.

Add in the fact that his wife (whoever she was) was somehow influencing or riding him on items, to the point that his siblings got angry with her, Moses was in a pressure cooker for sure.

Having been married to the same wife of my youth for over forty years, I can attest to the human fact that for men, everything works better at home, at work, and at play when our other half is at peace.

There is something about the two becoming one that takes a toll on the women (for sure) but there is a toll on the men as well because we are driven to want to please her, make her happy, and help her thrive—because for whatever reason a man who loves his wife is concerned with her well-being—we get sort of sidelined when they aren’t well.

Adding his wife’s complaints or opinions on matters relative to his leading the Nation, and I see Moses as really feeling depressed as:

The people are ungrateful,
God is angry,
and now his family is at odds
due to friction between Moses’ wife and sister and brother.

You can bottle the pressure he was under.

Now there is a semi-coup to retake power by Miriam and Aaron. Guess who comes to Moses’ aid?

Numbers 12:4 (KJV)

And YAHAVAH 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.

Can you imagine such an invitation from God? “Meet me at this location – now.”

Numbers 12:5-8 (KJV)

5 And YAHAVAH 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 YAHAVAH 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 YAHAVAH shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

This is fascinating because God Himself tells them that He would or did speak to prophets/prophetesses via dreams and visions.

Just to say, Moses was not considered a prophet in this sense, which we will get to momentarily.

But as YAHAVAH says to Miriam and Aaron, He would speak to those who are prophets in and through dreams and visions.

Interestingly, throughout the scripture, God has made use of dreams in communicating His will to humankind.

The most notable are tied to:

Jacob: Genesis 28:12; 31:10
Laban: Genesis 31:24
Joseph: Genesis 37:9-11
Gideon: Judges 7:1-25
Solomon: 1 Kings 3:5

Other significant dreams include:

Abimelech: Genesis 20:3-7
Pharaoh’s chief butler and baker: Genesis 40:5
Pharaoh: Genesis 41:1-8
the Midianites: Judges 7:13
Nebuchadnezzar: Daniel 2:1; 4:10, 18
Joseph had the Lord appear in a dream regarding Yeshua: Matthew 1:20; 2:12-13
the wise men from the east: Matthew 2:12
Pilate’s wife: Matthew 27:19
and Paul: Acts 16:9; 18:9; 27:23

Interestingly, God Himself describes these dreams “as dark riddles” in verse 8 as opposed to the direct speech which He communicates with Moses.

Visions are considered apparitions and the word means a looking glass where something is visualized.

Dreams and Visions

At Pentecost, we are familiar with Peter telling the crowd that Joel’s fulfillment was occurring right then and there, where we read:

Acts 2:17 (KJV)

And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.

What is the difference between dreams and visions? Dreams happen when we are asleep, and visions happen when we are awake.

The question becomes are such things—dreams and visions, things YAHAVAH admits to using among the Prophets—still occurring today?

The writer of Hebrews wrote back after Yeshua had ascended into the clouds,

Hebrews 1:1-2 (KJV)

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.

The Greek here seems to be saying that God not only spoke by His Son’s words but by who His Son was and what His Son did.

Taking that, we might assume the following:

That a dream or vision is not in any way oppositional to the person of His Son, we might see them as revelatory.

That said, dreams and visions are also suspect in some ways and a person must be willing to do as James says, and take the dream, lacking wisdom, to God, and asking Him to provide the meaning or interpretation.

I tend to think that dreams and visions today are personal and without question, meaning, we do not doubt the dreams that come from God in any way, whereas dreams that don’t come from God are always suspect and mysterious.

There is a body of believers who are known as cessationists today. The Calvinist John MacArthur is the most widely known of them.

The word means you believe that the spiritual gifts mentioned in the Bible have ceased.

There are all sorts of spiritual gifts mentioned in scripture and we will discuss those as they come, but when it comes to dreams and visions, are they over or continuing?

I don’t rightly know, and the confusion is based on the fact that I’ve had both, but what they literally mean and where they actually originated from is up for debate as I suspect that the majority of them come from non-God sources.

I reject the idea that a person can have a dream or vision for or on behalf of another – I believe that God would at least inform all parties if such were of Him and applicable to others.

I would also suggest that all dreams and visions must accord with biblical principles established beginning to end and in light of God, in those last days, speaking by His Son.

What is troubling are all the facets of potential counterfeits, whether they are by accident (bad burrito before bed) or by sinister infiltration by the Dark.

Interestingly, cessationists are ready to completely shut down all spiritual gifts while at the same time believing that spiritual forces from Satan and his angels continue to reign and afflict Man.

Finally, I am taken by Jungian archetypes, the collective subconscious, and what he called synchronicities, on the basis that when God breathed His living breath of life into Man made in His image, there is a collective soul-pool, so to speak, that is as living as any other created thing and that it has the potential to operate, influence, and appear to us in and through dreams and life.

Up in the air. Totally unsure of it all. But in the end, look solely to Him, the scripture, and the Spirit, and its fruit of love to govern and guide you, and be wary of visionaries and dreamers.

God’s Direct Communication with Moses

Interestingly, where God communicated through prophets by enigmatic riddles, He did not so do with Moses.

In His case, God communicated Himself to Moses in a different way—He spoke to him face to face, apparently, showing him His glory, with Him hearing His voice and not in dark or enigmatic speeches that He would speak to the Prophets.

In this way, we see how God directly worked in and through Moses as the Lawgiver, and therefore the communications with Him were clear and concise.

These facts led YAHAVAH to then say to Miriam and Aaron,

Numbers 12:7-8 (KJV)

7 My servant Moses is not so (meaning, not so in the way I speak with prophets, but adds), 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 YAHAVAH shall he behold: wherefore then (why) were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

The word, faithful here is also applied to

Samuel (1 Samuel 2:35; 3:20), David (1 Samuel 18:27).

And then YAHAVAH differentiates clearly between Moses and others, saying,

Numbers 12:9 (KJV)

9 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.

Interestingly, the picture of Moses speaking clearly with YAHAVAH is a direct type of Father speaking directly to that of His only begotten Son.

The comparatives are there. Moses was faithful as His Son was even more. Listen to the writer of Hebrews as he informs us of such in the third chapter, beginning at verse 1:

Hebrews 3:1-6 (KJV)

1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

2 Who was faithful to him (God) that appointed him (Yeshua) as also Moses was faithful in all his house.

3 For this man (Yeshua) was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath built the house hath more honour than the house.

4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

So, in this, we have a type found in Moses. Back to Numbers 12:

Numbers 12:10-16 (KJV)

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’s Punishment and Moses’ Plea

I think we can rightly say that it was likely Miriam who led the attack against Moses and why she is punished where Aaron is spared.

I find the disease sort of humorous because there may be (MAY BE) a little just deserts God gave to Miriam for the simple reason that if Miriam’s heartburn had ANYTHING to do with this woman being a black-skinned Ethiopian, then the irony is God sort of seemed to say to Miriam, “well, let’s just make your skin white as snow!”

Numbers 12:11-13 (KJV)

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.

And we get another insight into the Living God—Miriam’s brothers were concerned for her and sought to have her healed, but God knows how to rightly administer remedial justice, and so we read Him say:

Numbers 12:14 (KJV)

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.

Spitting in someone’s face was a great sign of disrespect, and apparently, there was a custom where a father who is fully overwhelmed by anger at a rebellious child would spit in their face.

It appears that if a parent did such a thing, the child would be banished from the father’s proximity for seven days.

The logic here is if this was an allowed and judged method in matters of high provocation on the part of a child, should not the punishment be equally severe where the creature has rebelled against the Creator’s chosen?

Miriam, having rebelled against the one YAHAVAH called to be an elohiym to the people, was shut out of the camp for seven days in the same manner she would be for angering her father.

Some suggest that the picture of Aaron and Miriam’s jealousy or envy of Moses and His Bride was a type for the Jews being jealous over Christ and the apostles gathering a bride.

Some believe that the leprosy with which Miriam was hit was a picture of the sinful Nation also turning against the living God and His chosen prophets.

Numbers 12:15-16 (KJV)

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.

And that wraps up Chapter 12. Chapter 13 and beyond (perhaps) next week.