Moses’ Intercessory Prayer for Israel at Taberah and for His Sister Miriam

A third recorded intercessory prayer by Moses for the children of Israel occurred at Taberah (Num 11:1-3).

The name “Taberah” means, “to be consumed by fire.”

Were it not for this intercessory prayer, the nation of Israel would surely have been consumed by fire from the Lord as judgment for the nations’ complaining.

Now, in Numbers 10:11, the children of Israel had been at the Horeb portion of the Sinai mountain range for almost a year receiving the Law of God and were now preparing to leave the area and travel through the Desert of Paran (Exo 19:1; Num 10:11).

Numbers 11:1 Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the LORD; and when the LORD heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. (NASB95)

Even though the citizens of Israel had the visible presence of the Shekinah Glory in their camp, even though they had been delivered from Pharaoh’s hand at the Red Sea in Egypt, and even though they had had everything provided for them, logistically, to sustain them physically and spiritually in the desert, they still complained.

Let us note that complaining is a manifestation of a lack of faith in the Lord.

Hebrews 3:17 And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief. (NASB95)

Complaining is also a manifestation of ingratitude toward God.

The citizens of Israel were chronic complainers, as we have seen (Exo 16:2-3; 17:3; 32:1-4; Num 12:1-2; 14:2-3; 16:13-14; 20:2-13; 21:4-5).

Numbers 11:2 The people therefore cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the LORD and the fire died out. 3 So the name of that place was called Taberah (means, “to be consumed by fire”), because the fire of the LORD burned among them. (NASB95)

In Numbers 11:2, Moses acted as a mediator between the Lord and Israel to reconcile the people with the Lord.

The biblical concept of mediation is to bring sinful man to reconciliation with a holy God.

Moses operated according to his priesthood by offering up intercessory prayers on behalf of rebellious Israel and reconciling Israel with the Lord.

Moses is again prefiguring our Great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, by offering up another intercessory prayer for Israel.

This intercessory prayer, in Numbers 11:2, was answered solely based upon the merits of the future work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, since mercy and forgiveness were extended to Israel and the entire world on the basis of the Lord Jesus Christ’s voluntary substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross, which is the propitiation for every sin in human history—past, present, and future.

Number 12 records a beautiful prayer by Moses for his sister, Miriam.

He prayed that the Lord heal her of her leprosy, which was given to her by the Lord as discipline for her rebellion.

Numbers 12:1 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman). (NASB95)

Miriam was the sister of Aaron and Moses. Miriam was a “prophetess,” according to Exodus 15:20, and her song of victory, after Israel crossed the Red Sea, was one of the oldest pieces of literature written in Hebrew (Exo 15:20).

Aaron was Moses’ older brother and a high priest in Israel.

The fact that Miriam’s name is mentioned first in the passage indicates that she was the one who instigated this rebellion, which Aaron fell in line with.

It appears that Aaron was a weak leader, having no moral courage, since he gave in to Israel’s rebellion at the foot of Mount Horeb with the golden calf.

Numbers 12:2 and they said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And the LORD heard it. (NASB95)

Miriam and Aaron rejected Moses’ authority, which was delegated by the Lord.

Therefore, Miriam and Aaron were, in reality, rejecting the authority of the Lord, since the Lord placed Moses as leader of Israel.

The Lord taught this principle to the prophet Samuel.

Miriam, in Numbers 12:2, revealed her jealousy towards Moses.

Jealousy is a mental attitude sin directed toward another’s success, possessions, or relationships.

Jealousy is resentful, intolerant, and suspicious.

This sin originates with Satan in eternity past, since he is influenced by jealousy in wanting the angels to worship him (Isa 14:12-14; cf. Jam. 3:14-16).

Jealousy concerns itself with self-advancement and personal gain.

Miriam was solely concerned with herself.

Jealousy leads to inordinate ambition and competition.

Miriam was involved in inordinate ambition and competition with Moses.

Numbers 12:5 Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the doorway of the tent, and He called Aaron and Miriam. When they had both come forward. 6 He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. 7 Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household. 8 With him I speak mouth to mouth, even openly, and not in dark sayings, and he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant, against Moses?” 9 So the anger of the LORD burned against them and He departed. 10 But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. As Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she was leprous.” (NASB95)

Leprosy is a chronic, infectious disease characterized by sores, scabs, and white shining spots beneath the skin.

Modern medicine has all but eliminated the disease after learning proper methods of treatment.

Note that the leprosy did not strike Aaron because he was the high priest.

If afflicted with the disease, he would not be able to serve as high priest.

Numbers 12:11 Then Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, I beg you, do not account this sin to us, in which we have acted foolishly and in which we have sinned. 12 Oh, do not let her be like one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes from his mother's womb! 13 Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, ‘O God, heal her, I pray!’” (NASB95)

Up to this point, Moses had said absolutely nothing to defend himself against Miriam and Aaron’s disobedience towards his authority, but rather, in complete and total submission, he allowed God to be his defense.

In Numbers 12:13, Moses again acted as mediator between the Lord and Miriam for the purpose of reconciling her to the Lord.

The Lord was angry with Miriam’s attack upon Moses, whom the Lord had delegated authority to, therefore, Moses would mediate with intercessory prayer for her.

Numbers 12:14 But the LORD said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut up for seven days outside the camp, and afterward she may be received again.” 15 So Miriam was shut up outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until Miriam was received again. (NASB95)

Miriam’s discipline was public because her rebellion against Moses was public.

Miriam’s discipline had to be public because rebellion against God’s delegated authority was a serious sin and required discipline.

This quarantine of Miriam was done according to the Law in Leviticus 13-14.

Once, again, Moses illustrates the effectiveness of intercessory prayer.

In this prayer, he expressed the love of God for Miriam, even though his sister mistreated him.

Without any bitterness towards Miriam or Aaron, Moses interceded for his sister as he interceded for the entire nation of Israel when Aaron made the golden calf.

God forgave Miriam and Aaron, but not without public humiliation and severe discipline.

Moses demonstrated his great humility here by letting the Lord deal with Miriam and not attempting to defend himself.

His humility was also demonstrated in that he did not take this attack upon his authority personal.

Instead, he immediately prayed for Miriam when Aaron begged him to, and she was healed.