Why Was Aaron Not Punished by God in Numbers 12?

WHY WAS AARON NOT PUNISHED BY GOD YET HE AND MIRIAM SPOKE AGAINST MOSES IN NUMBERS 12? 

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

We learn from Numbers 12, that Miriam and Aaron confronted their brother Moses over his decision to marry an Ethiopian woman. No explanation was given for the reaction but we can guess at first instance that the decision went against the cultural norms of the Jewish people. 

There was a heated exchange which resulted in an emotional outburst with Miriam questioning the prophetic authority of Moses. God was monitoring the exchange and was apparently angered by the manner in which the two siblings ridiculed and humiliated their younger brother who was God's chosen leader over Israel. 

Make no mistake here: God does not condone sin and punishes the erring without partiality or favor. 

The Bible records that God came down to the tent of meeting and summoned the two to appear before His presence where He rebuked and judged them.  

Miriam immediately suffered leprosy as a punishment for her deplorable conduct in questioning the authority of Moses. Surprisingly Aaron escaped punishment by a whisker! Why was he not punished yet he had apparently conspired with Miriam in confronting Moses? 

This is the mystery question that we need to examine with care. 

The Bible records that Aaron cried to Moses when he noticed that his sister was struck with leprosy, perhaps fearing that the worst would hit him too! 

Yes, both Miriam and Aaron were guilty by conspiracy and connivance in confronting and humiliating their younger brother Moses who was undoubtedly their spiritual leader! 

The two had crossed the Rubicon line when they questioned Moses' prophetic authority and asked if God spoke only through him!

While it is true that God spoke through the three siblings in diverse ways as prophet, Judge, priest and prophetess, respectively, God had divinely designated Moses as His principal representative and judge over Israel. 

No matter how much we find fault in a leader, rest assured that God was aware of his shortcomings even as He called him to ministry! No leader is perfect. 

Moses was therefore the undisputed community patriarch who doubled up as prophet and judge in Israel. He was far above his elder siblings in spiritual authority and therefore deserved to be honored as God's servant. 

Miriam and Aaron possibly took advantage of the great humility of Moses (Numbers 12:3). The fact he was their last born brother may have made things worse for him! He was Mama's boy, so to speak! 

The pecking order in sibling rivalry always plays out even in later years of life whenever family conflicts arise. However, God's divine order is greater and preeminent above our family or community order. 

Moses was three years younger than Aaron (Exodus 7:7) and if the girl mentioned in the birth of Moses in Exodus 2:1-10 is assumed to have been Miriam, then she was definitely the senior of the three siblings in terms of age. 

The three siblings from a Levite family were privileged to serve in influential leadership capacities among the children of Israel. What a great honor before God! This is the reason they should have been most humbled and grateful to God. However they were human as we are, who are often ungrateful for what God has done for us. 

Were these siblings justified in confronting Moses?

In a way, yes. Of course Moses broke the Jewish law by marrying an Ethiopian [heathen] woman and his siblings may have been justified in confronting him over that matter. 

The conflict was initially a family affair until the matter blew out of its natural tangent and God was drawn into the conflict as He sought to defend His servant from humiliation. The two siblings had no authority to question Moses' prophetic mantle. Neither of them had conferred it upon him! God alone had called Moses to serve Him. 

The Bible goes on to reveal that the anger of the LORD was kindled against them as God departed from the tabernacle after rebuking them (Numbers 12:9-11)

Notice also that Aaron showed remorse and pleaded with Moses to pray for them and this is perhaps what held back the wrath of God from hitting him! Notice his words in Numbers 12:11 where he pleads with Moses saying ".... Oh my lord! Please do not lay this sin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned." (NKJV) 

Some have dispute this conclusion by arguing that Aaron was a priest and leprosy could not have defiled him! I disagree. He was not immune to God's chastisement. One of the sons of Abinadab was later struck dead after he mishandled the Ark of the LORD (2 Samuel 6:3). He too was no doubt a priest! 

There can be no better explanation for Aaron being spared punishment than the fact that he was remorseful for the sinful conduct and that God graciously preserved him. 

While Aaron was guilty as charged there is strong evidence from Scripture that he may have been saved by the prayer of Moses and his remorseful heart! 

There were obvious consequences too... 

Miriam had to stay out of the camp for the period prescribed by Levitical law for a leprosy. The children of Israel were therefore forced to wait for her to recover before moving on into the wilderness of Paran (Numbers 12:15-16). 

This sinful conduct cost them seven days of their journey through the wilderness! Some transgressions are too costly and their impact is cumulative in scope. 

One may also argue that Miriam took moral responsibility as the eldest of the three siblings. As a prophetess in her own right, she should have better understood the mind of God and refrained from attacking her brother in the manner she did. 

The order in which their names appear (Numbers 12:1) has been suggested by some as indicative of Miriam's greater responsibility for the conspiracy but this is difficult to prove from the passage because God dealt with them collectively (Numbers 12:5-9).

MORAL LESSONS

There are several moral lessons we can draw from this incident regarding the appropriate manner of dealing with acts and omissions of our spiritual leaders. 

Here are four of them: 

1) Sin is contagious and ruins relationships and affects innocent people who were not originally party to it. 

This is a warning to God's people. We should realize that our actions have wider ramifications than we may care to imagine. 

2) God is foremost responsible for reprimanding spiritual leaders who are divinely under his oversight charge. Spiritual leaders are primarily answerable to God for their dereliction of duty and moral excesses. 

This however does not imply that church tribunals or any disciplinary organs would be acting unbiblically in addressing the moral excesses of spiritual leaders and even defrocking them where this is legitimate. They too are divinely charged with plenary oversight of God's ministry, provided that their mandate is exercised in good faith and within the authority of God's word. 

3) We should never ridicule or demean our spiritual leaders or bring them into disrepute even where we are convinced that they are wrong or may have sinned. God expects us to handle them with diligence knowing that they carry His mantle over His people. 

This is not to suggest that we should condone the moral excesses of church ministers or look the other way where they have sinned. An erring Christian leader should receive sanctions that are consistent with the gravity of his transgression.  

Remember that the house of Eli was judged by God for his dereliction of duty and God finally cut them off from the priesthood.

Abiathar the priest was the last to serve under the lineage of Eli until he was defrocked by Solomon for his role in the Adonijah rebellion (1 Kings 2:26-27). 

How should we handle moral conflicts touching on church leaders? 

We should apply the rule established in 1Timothy 5:19 which says "Do not receive an accusation against an elder [overseer] except from two or three witnesses."

4) We should repent immediately we are convicted of our sinful conduct. 

Remember that we are sinful people who fail the divine standards of God. There is no other cure for sin other than repentance from a broken and remorseful heart that touches the heart of God (see Psalm 51:10-17).

Aaron cried to Moses asking him to pray for them. He recognized that they had sinned against God and was deeply remorseful for the transgression. 

As a priest, Aaron knew the gravity of sinful disobedience and that God alone had the cure for the transgressions of those who stood before a priest. 

Are you remorseful whenever you sin against God or offend others or do you justify and defend your actions? 

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2021