Compassion and Forgiveness

Numbers 12:9-13 ⁹ And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed. ¹⁰ And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. ¹¹ And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned. ¹² Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother’s womb. ¹³ And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.

It certainly helps to understand the setting of Moses’ cry.  Moses, after the death of his wife, married an Ethiopian woman.  Aaron and Miriam then withstood Moses.  As a result the Lord God became angry with Aaron and Miriam’s presumption and rebellion and God struck Miriam with Leprousy.  What strikes me about Moses in this passage is that without hesitation Moses prayed for Miriam’s healing.  He did not have to think about it for a while.  He did not have to pray about it for a couple of days, a week, or a month.  He just instantly loved and forgave his sister.  It is notable that Moses forgave and pleaded for his sister even before she asked for his forgiveness. 

This is so uncommon among human beings, even those who should be strong spiritual Christians.  When we are offended we demand first an apology and a request for forgiveness.  Often, Christian people will stew for a while and think of all of the reasons why they have the right to chew the bitter cud a bit.  Then, hopefully, bye and bye, they will forgive the transgressor, but it seems the debt is never fully paid and forgotten.  But God’s people ought to be anything but common.  Moses demonstrates the uncommon compassion and forgiveness of a true spiritual giant.  All the while this passage records that Moses was the meekest man on the face of the earth (vs 3).  This meekness must have helped Moses to be able to show this uncommon and instantaneous forgiveness.  Clearly Moses’ reputation was wrapped up in God, and when your reputation is not your own, then it is far easier to love and forgive. 

Let Moses be our example for instant and complete compassion and forgiveness.