Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife. His siblings turn on him. Not because he's failed in leadership. Not because he's led them astray. They're bothered by his marriage choice. There's something deeply human about this. We can accept someone's achievements, their calling, their position, right up until something about their personal life bothers us. Then we find ourselves questioning everything else. Miriam's punishment is severe: leprosy. She's excluded from the camp. She's made physically unclean, which in this culture is a profound consequence. But notice that Moses doesn't punish her. God does. And Moses pleads for her healing. The person she was criticizing intercedes for her restoration. There's mercy even in judgment. I think about conflicts in my own family, how quickly sides can form, how the person you've known your whole life can suddenly seem like an opponent. But there's also usually a moment where someone chooses mercy, chooses to pray for the other person, chooses to ask for their healing.
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