Links for today’s readings:
Read: Numbers 12-13 Listen: (5:53) Read: Galatians 2 Listen: (3:44)
Scripture Focus: Numbers 12.1-2
1 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. 2 “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this.
Reflection: Complicit Silence
By John Tillman
The most personal and insulting complaint in the desert came from within Moses’ family. His sister and brother, Miriam and Aaron, complained against him. They challenged Moses’ leadership “because of his Cushite wife.”
In our culture, ethnicity often gets flattened out to just three groups: White, Brown, or Black. We shouldn’t sloppily assign modern labels to the people in this story; however, in the Bible, Cush refers to what we call Ethiopia, and a Cushite would be darker-skinned than most Israelites. Miriam and Aaron’s disapproval seems to be ethnically based. Moses was in an interracial marriage, which caused Miriam and Aaron to oppose him.
God heard this and called all three siblings to stand before him. Anyone with siblings knows that when parents call all their children to stand before them, someone is in big trouble.
God focused the punishment on Miriam. Perhaps it was because she was the eldest or a prophet. Perhaps she was the instigator and main critic.
Regardless of why God singled her out, her punishments seemed related to her offenses. She spoke against someone based on ethnicity or skin color, and God made her skin leprous—“white as snow.” She spoke against someone because she considered them outside the community of Israel, and God forced her to spend seven days isolated from that community.
Like everything else God has provided, ethnicity is a gift. However, like the Israelites, we sometimes reject or misuse what God has provided. Every ethnicity will be present in eternity, praising Jesus as Lord. (Revelation 7.9) We are to show “no favoritism.” (Acts 10.34) We are to treat “foreigners” as native-born. (Leviticus 19.34) Do we live like this?
If Miriam was the instigator, it would have been easy for Aaron to say, “I’m not like her!” The best thing in this story is that Aaron didn’t try to excuse himself by blaming Miriam. He confessed “we” have sinned.
Perhaps we aren’t blatantly racist. But do we imply that our race has a corner on God’s ear, good theology, orthodoxy, or leadership? Or do we tacitly endorse such talk? Do we go along with leaders or peers who display racism?
Like Aaron, we must confess any degree to which we participate in racism, including failure to oppose it. Like Miriam, we can repent and be healed. Like Aaron, we must pray for, correct, and restore the repentant. We should not, however, be silent. God hears our complicit silence. (Numbers 12.2)
Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
God looks down from heaven upon us all, to see if there is any who is wise, if there is one who seeks after God. — Psalm 53.2
– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle.
Read more: Racism Wears a Mask
Even if we are not like Haman, many of us are like Xerxes…We have allowed racism to rise wearing a mask decorated with other concerns.
Read more: Poisoning the Heart of the Gospel
“There’s too many detestable foreigners endangering our country.” Sound familiar? It should. It’s the ideology of the wicked Pharaoh.