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From Eternity Past
Sin of Jealousy
Moses realized his own weakness and made God his counselor.
Aaron esteemed himself more highly, and trusted less in God. He had
failed in the matter of the idolatrous worship at Sinai. But Miriam and
Aaron, blinded by jealousy and ambition, said, “Hath the Lord indeed
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spoken only by Moses? Hath He not spoken also by us?”
Miriam found cause of complaint in events that God had especially
overruled. The marriage of Moses had been displeasing to her. That
he should choose a woman of another nation instead of taking a wife
from among the Hebrews was an offense to her family and national
pride. Zipporah was treated with ill-disguised contempt.
Though called a “Cushite woman,” the wife of Moses was a Midi-
anite and thus a descendant of Abraham. She differed from the He-
brews in being of a somewhat darker complexion. Though not an
Israelite, Zipporah was a worshiper of the true God. She was of a
timid, retiring disposition, and greatly distressed at the sight of suffer-
ing. For this reason Moses, on his way to Egypt, had consented to her
return to Midian.
When Zipporah rejoined her husband in the wilderness, she saw
that his burdens were wearing away his strength, and she made known
her fears to Jethro, who suggested measures for his relief. Here was the
chief reason for Miriam’s antipathy to Zipporah. She regarded the wife
of Moses as the cause of the supposed neglect shown to herself and
Aaron. Had Aaron stood firmly for the right, he might have checked
the evil; but instead of showing Miriam the sinfulness of her conduct,
he sympathized with her and thus came to share her jealousy.
Their accusations were borne by Moses in uncomplaining silence.
Moses “was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of
the earth,” and this is why he was granted divine wisdom and guidance
above all others.
God had chosen Moses. Miriam and Aaron, by their murmurings,
were guilty of disloyalty not only to their appointed leader, but to God
Himself. “And Jehovah came down in the pillar of the cloud, and
stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam.”
Their claim to the prophetic gift was not denied. But to Moses a
nearer communion had been granted. With him God spake mouth
to mouth. “Wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against My
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