Growing
up, did you ever call your brother or sister a bad name? If your parents heard
it, what did they do?
As
we read last week, Miriam and Aaron did far worse than just calling Moses a bad
name. They spoke against him as God's chosen leader. Of course, the Lord heard
it and rightly burned with anger.
Numbers
12:4-9
4 At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all
three of you.” So the three of them went out.5 Then the Lord came down in a
pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and
Miriam. When the two of them stepped forward,6 he said, “Listen
to my words:
“When there is a
prophet among you,
I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions,
I speak to them in dreams.
7 But this is not true of my servant Moses;
he is faithful in all my house.
8 With him I speak face to face,
clearly and not in riddles;
he sees the form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid
to speak against my servant Moses?”
I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions,
I speak to them in dreams.
7 But this is not true of my servant Moses;
he is faithful in all my house.
8 With him I speak face to face,
clearly and not in riddles;
he sees the form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid
to speak against my servant Moses?”
9 The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them.
Moses
had a special relationship with God. Moses was also obedient to follow God's
commands and God Himself called Moses faithful! I don't know that God would
have called Miriam and Aaron faithful. They certainly didn't lead the people in
following God's commands for the 40 days Moses was on Mt. Sinai. Aaron even
aided in creating the golden calf (see Exodus 32).
Who
of God's chosen leaders have you and I spoken against, whether verbally or just
to ourselves?
Have
you and I thought we could do their job just as good or better? I know
sometimes I have.
From
verses 1-2, it appears Miriam and Aaron did not take their concerns to Moses or
God. They just pridefully spoke against Moses to others and tried to elevate
their own status themselves.
Instead
of speaking against our own leaders or pridefully thinking more highly of
ourselves than we ought, lets take our concerns to God. If we are willing to
listen to the answer, He will show us how best to move forward and handle our
frustrations in a humble and godly way. God may have us sit down with the other
person and respectfully discuss some of our frustrations. Or, He may show us that
we need to humbly submit to their authority. Or He may have us offer our
assistance.
God's
servants are God's servants. So, God knows best how we are to work together to
accomplish His purposes.
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