Weekly Devotional

God Does Not Tolerate Racism

Scripture: Numbers 12

1 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2 So they said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the LORD heard it. 3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.) 4 Suddenly the LORD said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!” So the three came out. 5 Then the LORD came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward. 6 Then He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you,  I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. 7 Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house. 8 I speak with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?” 9 So the anger of the LORD was aroused against them, and He departed. 10 And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper. 11 So Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord! Please do not lay this sin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned. 12 Please do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb!” 13 So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “Please heal her, O God, I pray!” 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp seven days, and afterward she may be received again.” 15 So Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days, and the people did not journey till Miriam was brought in again. 16 And afterward the people moved from Hazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran.  ( New King James Version )

This is an interesting account of God’s dealing with people who have a problem with someone’s race or skin color. 

In this chapter we find Moses, God’s appointed leader and servant of the people married to an Ethiopian woman and his family members speaking out against him because of it.  In verse 1, “Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman.” This goes on to anger God to the point that He departs from the camp (vs. 9) and gives Miriam a skin disease and it is at Moses’ plea that God does not take her life or make it a permanent condition (vs.13).  This racism is referred to in this chapter as sin (vs.11) and it stops the movement of the entire group toward the Promised Land (vs.15). 

Racism or discrimination because of color, nationality, race or any God-given feature is not acceptable to God. 

There are three things that racism does in this chapter and none of them are good in God’s eyes.

1. It is disrespectful to God because God is the one who created us all.  To discriminate or be racist is to say to God that “God I don’t approve of what you created and I would have created them differently if it were up to me.”  Racism says that God is not perfect and that the racist knows what is best for society more so than God does.  You can see how this would anger God as it did in Numbers 12. We were created to Worship and Reverence God... not show disrespect to His creative abilities."
2. Racism angers God.  To be racist or discriminate because of color, nationality, race or any God-given feature angers God to the point of action, as we see in verse 10.  God is not ever pleased with anyone who will mistreat any of His creation because of the way He created them.  We too should respond to racism by not being racist ourselves, praying for those who are (like Moses did) and letting God handle the racist.
3. Racism stops the progress of us all.  In this chapter the people are stopped from their journey to the Promised Land for 7 days because of racism.  This says to us that we cannot move forward with racist attitudes and behavior.  The interesting thing about this is that God was going to punish Miriam with permanent disease if it had not been for the plea of Moses.  This speaks volumes to the Church, we must pray for the racist so that we all may get to the place God desires for us all.

Remember that all human beings have one thing in common, God is creator of us all. 

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