"Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all men who were on the face of the earth" (Num. 12:3). In God's lexicon, in the spiritual dictionary, to be meek is not to strive, not to fight back, when others are against you. In the constitution of the kingdom of the heavens, one of the nine blessings is given to the meek: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matt. 5:5). It is not those who fight or strive who will possess the earth; the meek will inherit the earth. Second Timothy 2:24 says, "A slave of the Lord must not contend, but be gentle toward all." Moses was such a person; he did not fight or strive.
Numbers 12:3 was written by Moses. It was not easy for Moses to write such a word about himself. This shows Moses' faithfulness (v. 7; Heb. 3:2, 5). Whatever God told him to write, he wrote, even if it was something good about himself. If he had refused, he would have been unfaithful, and he would have been political. He would have been playing politics. In every area of human society, we can see the playing of politics. It is difficult to find the frank faithfulness of one who serves God according to what God says.
In Numbers 12:5-9 God intervened.
"Jehovah came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the entrance of the tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward" (v. 5). God took the slander of Miriam and Aaron seriously because this matter touched God's authority. To touch, defy, or challenge God's authority is to shake God's throne. This is very serious, much more serious than murmuring evil and lusting for meat.
God vindicated Moses as His servant, one who was faithful in all His house (v. 7). God also vindicated Moses as one with whom He spoke mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in obscure words, and as one who beheld the form of Jehovah (v. 8a).
God rebuked Aaron and Miriam. He asked them, "Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant, against Moses?" (v. 8b). The anger of Jehovah burned against them, and He departed from them (v. 9).