So they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. (v.2)
The basis of the complaint here by Miriam and Aaron was essentially, “What’s so special about Moses?” This question was meant to tear Moses down, asked with the assumption that Moses was spiritually proud. The idea was that Moses arrogantly presented himself as the only spokesman of God to Israel.
God then vindicates Moses in verses 6-9. There God explained exactly what was so special about him. Most prophets receive revelation through a dream or in a vision; God spoke with Moses face to face. What did it mean that God spoke with Moses face to face? Didn’t the Lord say in Exodus 33:20, You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live? How then could God speak with Moses face to face?
Face to face is a figure of speech, telling of great and unhindered intimacy. Moses’ face was not literally beholding the literal face of God, but he did enjoy direct, intimate, conversation with the Lord. This is also demonstrated by the phrase, and "he sees the form of the Lord" (v.8). This is what Moses had actually seen of God with his physical eyes – only the “form” of the Lord, nothing specific, because he could not see the Lord and live. The word ‘form’ is used of visual representations, pictures, or images, of earthly and heavenly beings (Exodus 20:4). Job saw someone’s form, but could not identify the person from it (Job 4:16).
Moses did however enjoy a remarkable communion with God as seen in verse 7, "he is faithful in all My house." Moses' walk of righteousness and purity (demonstrated over forty years in obscure service of God in the smallest things), revealed the faithful heart God saw in Him. As much as Miriam and Aaron did not want to recognize it, Moses did have a unique calling and equipping before the Lord.
It was not that Moses was beyond criticism. Moses was not to be simply obeyed and praised, and never confronted or asked the tough questions. In fact, another relative of Moses, his father-in-law Jethro, did confront Moses and ask him the tough questions and he was greatly used of God in doing so (Exodus 18:12-24). Miriam and Aaron should have been afraid to speak against Moses because their criticism was simply not true; Moses was not a proud man, but the humblest man on earth. Their criticism was prompted by their own self-interest; they were jealous of all the attention Moses was receiving and wanted some of it for themselves - plain and simple.
Because of Aaron’s slander, his wife was stricken and became leprous, as white as snow. As a result of the judgment brought on Miriam, Aaron confesses his sin and Miriam’s health was restored after 7 days of banishment outside the camp. Slander, gossip are designed to tear someone else down while at the same time, elevating the person or persons doing the damage. While this kind of behavior is never pleasing to God and will incur a response from Him, we can still be restored, brought back into His fellowship and even be used by Him. The key is repentance and a genuine repentance for sure.
The Bible says that, “Man looks on the outside but God see’s the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) In other words, you can’t fool God. He sees right through you and me. Oh friends, pour out your heart to Him today, ask for forgiveness if you have wronged someone and let the healing begin in your heart today as it did in Aaron’s many years ago.
The Truth: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9)
