Racism

Numbers 12:1-2,9-10,13-15: "Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. 'Has the Lord spoke only through Moses?' they asked. 'Hasn't he also spoken through us?' . . . . The anger of the LORD burned against them, and he left them. When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam-leprous, like snow . . . . So Moses cried out to the LORD, 'O God! Please heal her!' The LORD replied to Moses, 'If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.' So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days."

In the passage above, we find that the brother and sister of Moses, who presumably had significant influence in the Israelite camp, resented Moses' marrying a Cushite woman. The people of Cush were dark-skinned people from regions south of Palestine. Was Miriam and Aaron resentful of the fact that Moses has not married one of his own kind? Was this racism? Genesis 9:6 states that all persons are made in the image of God and have immeasurable value. Moses' brother and sister should not have resented Moses' decision to marry a woman who did not look like them. They used this resentment as an opportunity to question if Moses should be leading them.

The irony in this passage is God's response of judgment against Miriam by striking her with leprosy (as white as snow). God gave her the opposite complexion of Moses' wife, which resulted in her being cast outside the camp as unclean for a period of seven days. Whereas Miriam wanted to ostracize Moses' wife for being different, she in effect was separated from the people for her sin.

Today, we still find racism evident throughout the world. One race or color of people hold in contempt another race and vice versa. This pandemic problem is counter to God's desire that all people be treated with respect. God created humans as the pinnacle of His creation made in His image. For this reason, all humans should be treated with dignity and respect, irrespective of race or color.