Word of Salvation – December 2010

 

Numbers 12 – PRIDE AND PREJUDICE –  by John Westendorp

(Sermon 12 in a series on Numbers)

 Scripture Reading: Numbers 12.

Singing: Book of Worship 359 / 451 / 23a Rejoicing 441

 

Introduction: Very early in my ministry someone made a sobering remark that has always stayed with me.

He said: You won’t know how painful it is to be wronged till you’ve been wronged by another Christian.

When an unbeliever tells lies about us we tend to shrug it off.
We say: They don’t know any better. What else can you expect from people like that?

But when a fellow Christian tells lies about us we are often devastated.
How can they possibly say things like when they know it’s not true?

 

Our worst pains are often caused by those who are our nearest and dearest.
That’s what made the betrayal of Jesus by Judas so painful for our Lord.
It wasn’t an enemy that did that to Him. That wasn’t done by a stranger.
It was done by someone who ate and drank, walked and talked with Jesus for three years.

 

Here in Numbers 12 we have a conflict within a family.
It’s not enemies or strangers that are grumbling against Moses.
It’s two folk who also belong to the people of God. It’s actually worse than that.
It’s Moses’ own brother and sister who are attacking him and grumbling against Him.
We’re not told how Moses felt about that… but we can imagine how painful it must have been.

 

The previous chapter of Number showed that grumbling is very contagious.
In Numbers 11 grumbling begins on the fringes of the camp… but it spreads like wildfire.
And yet… despite God dealing with that we now have yet another instance of grumbling.
And this grumbling has now infiltrated right into Moses’ own family.

 

A] A FAMILY ATTACK ON MOSES.

 

1. We’re told that there were two issues that led to this grumbling by Miriam and Aaron.

The first reason for their grumbling was prejudice.

They had issues with Moses’ wife… an Ethiopian woman that he had married… a Cushite.

We’re not told the circumstances.
Perhaps his first wife of forty years ago, Zipporah, had died and Moses had remarried.
It’s very likely that being an Ethiopian this lady was a black woman… or dark skinned at least.
In any case she wasn’t an Israelite… she was a foreigner.
And Miriam and Aaron had problems with that.

 

So we have here a family situation that is turning ugly. It’s really an “in-law” issue.
In-law issues are notorious for causing family tensions and friction, aren’t they?
A man and woman travelling to Sydney got into an argument about that subject.
The conversation got very fired up and both were hot under the collar.
They just happened to be passing a pig farm at the time.
So he couldn’t resist pointing to the pigs and asking: “Hey, relatives of yours…?”
She shot right back at him and said: “Yep, in-laws!”

 

Here the grumbling about the in-law is initiated by Miriam – she is mentioned here before Aaron.
The Hebrew grammar makes it even clearer that Miriam was the instigator.
We know too that Aaron was not a strong character… we see that in the Golden Calf episode.
So he simply joins his sister in spreading the gossip and the innuendo about Moses.

 

Notice that they don’t talk to Moses about their prejudice against their new sister-in-law.
Undoubtedly Moses could have convinced them that his new wife was a godly woman.
They don’t consult God’s will in the matter either.
If they had they would have found it was only Canaanite women Israelites were not to marry.

 

2. So Miriam and Aaron talk about Moses and against Moses.

You can imagine their conversations with other Hebrew people:
You’d think that in his position he would have married a Hebrew.
Doesn’t he realise that he’s a role model? And there’s so many nice Hebrew widows around.

 

However our text makes clear that it isn’t just prejudice that is the issue.
The discontent becomes more focused on Moses’ leadership.
It is pride that shows up as the real problem for Miriam and Aaron.
Pride makes them envy Moses’ position of leadership among the people.
And so they ask: Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he also spoken through us?

 

So you can imagine the way things developed.
It began with this in-law problem: prejudice against their sister-in-law.
And – by the way – it wasn’t the last time that a church leader was attacked this way.
Over the years I’ve often heard grumblings against a minister’s wife.
And there have been times when that grumbling made life very difficult for that pastor.

But that’s not where their problems with Moses ended.
There was jealousy about the fact that Moses was God’s special leader.
They wanted part of the action and some of the honour attached to Moses’ leadership.
And so the gossip and innuendo worsened.
Who does he think he is? An Ethiopian wife and he’s still leader number-one.
He really ought to step back and let us have a go.

 

Perhaps Miriam and Aaron’s pride had been dealt a blow by the events of Numbers 11.
Moses had groaned under the weight of leadership. He complained that he couldn’t do it alone.
And so we read of the appointment of seventy new leaders in Numbers 11.
I can imagine Miriam and Aaron thinking: “But what about us? We’re leaders too you know.”

 

3. Pride and prejudice… they have often undermined the work of ministry among God’s people.

And the consequences of that can be devastating. They certainly were here.
And then not just for Miriam… but for the whole nation.
Look how the chapter concludes in the second last verse:
The whole nation comes to a halt for a whole week because of it.
One whole week of travel time to the Promised Land was wasted.
Pride and prejudice can very effectively halt the work of ministry.
It can bring a whole church to a standstill.

 

In the light of that I find it especially interesting that nothing is said by Moses.
There is no hostile reaction on his part to his brother and sister.
I think if I had been in Moses’ shoes I would have found it so tempting to say something.
To tell Miriam to butt out and to stick to her own particular area of ministry.
To tell Aaron that the last time he was left in charge they had made the Golden Calf.

 

But there is no defence by Moses. He doesn’t raise the issue of Aaron’s previous lapse.
Why? Well, we’re told the reason in our text.
It’s because Moses was a most humble man. Older translations read: a meek man.
More meek than anyone else on the face of the earth.
(Moses was the author of Numbers but I’m sure Moses didn’t write that. Perhaps Joshua did.)

 

Moses was meek… but today we have this problem that meekness is seen as weakness.
Meekness is not seen as a desirable quality… it’s a quality that is detested by the world at large.
But in Scripture it’s a strong quality.
Meekness is the quality that doesn’t immediately flare up in one’s own self-defence.
It’s a quality that we see especially in our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s a quality worth imitating.

 

B] GOD’S DEFENCE OF MOSES.

 

1. At this point Numbers 12 makes a profound statement… but also a very obvious statement.

We’re told: “And the Lord heard this” Well, of course the Lord heard this… He hears everything.
But that’s not what the text is really trying to say.
What it is saying is that the Lord took notice of what was happening.
There is no reaction from that meek-mannered man, Moses.
But there is most definitely a reaction from God in heaven.

 

It’s very telling that God takes the initiative in dealing with the prejudice and pride of Miriam and Aaron.

The Lord heard it and He dealt with it.

 

Let me remind you that there are many warnings in Scripture for us to let God defend our cause.
Today we are particularly prone to forget that. Our culture teaches us to stand up for our rights.
We don’t want to let anyone get away with anything when it comes to our rights and privileges.
So today many people would say that Moses should have defended himself.
No! The Scriptures offer us a different picture.
Yes… by all means stand up for rights and privileges… but not for your own.
Stand up for the rights and privileges of the weak and defenceless.
The Widow and single Mum who have no one to take up their cause.
But you for your part let God defend your cause.

 

This is part of the real issue when it comes to meekness of character.
Meekness is not weakness. Moses was not weak.
Repeatedly Moses stood up to Pharaoh. He demanded of Pharaoh: Let my people go!
But Moses was ready… when it came to personal attacks… to rest his case with God.
And God heard and God acted… God vindicated His servant’s meekness.

 

That’s a real encouragement for us to cultivate Christlike meekness of character.
We as Christians will often be grumbled against… we’ll be attacked and slandered.
And some of us here have experienced that… in our places of work… in our families.
But we’ve also experienced that God heard and God vindicated our cause.

 

2. In the process of God dealing with this the Lord spells out something of the nature of prophecy.

God says that normally he makes His will known to prophets in visions and dreams.
In the light of that it shouldn’t surprise us that some Bible passages are cryptic.
Many parts of the Bible are not easy to understand.
We often struggle with some of the Bible passages, for example, in the prophets.
That’s not surprising. God has spoken to those prophets in visions and dreams.

 

But then by contrast there is the way in which God has made things known to Moses.
God spoke to Moses face to face. Literally in the Hebrew: ‘mouth to mouth’.
IOW to Moses God revealed things in very direct conversation: “Clearly and not in riddles.”
The book of Hebrews quotes part of Numbers 12.
It does that to highlight that Moses is a type of Christ.
But God’s revelations through Jesus His Son were even more clear and direct.
So Hebrews makes the point that Jesus is greater and better than Moses.

 

When all is said and done this confronts us with the authority of the Word.
When Moses speaks as a prophet he speaks God’s Word.
And so this prejudice and pride is not just against Moses.
It’s against the God who reveals Himself through Moses.
So God asks: “Why then were you not afraid to speak out against him?”
That explains why God is tough on Miriam: This is disrespect for God’s Word.
And we have the even clearer Word that has come to us through Jesus. We must respect it.

 

3. The result is that Miriam (as leader of the grumbling against Moses) is struck with leprosy.

When the cloud of God’s presence lifts from the Tent of Meeting Miriam stands there as white as snow.

If you think about that a moment you’ll realise that this is a most appropriate punishment.
We see that so often in Scripture: God makes the punishment fit the crime.
We can see that here in two ways.

 

First, Miriam had spoken out against Moses’ rather dark-skinned wife.
It’s as if God is saying to Miriam: Your prejudice is against dark-skinned people.
Well, if it’s a lighter colour skin you prefer then try the snow-white of leprosy.

 

This punishment is also appropriate because this leprosy effectively isolated Miriam.
It was not only a contagious skin disease… it also made one ritually unclean.
And that uncleanness of leprosy effectively banished her outside the Israelite camp.
She is now isolated both from God and from the people of Israel.

You may wonder what is fitting about that.
It’s fitting because Miriam was bragging that God had also spoken through her.
In her pride she was saying: I too am an instrument, a channel of God’s revelation.
So God cuts her off – both from Himself and from the nation.
The result is that there is no possible way she could ever be considered as an equal of Moses.

 

In this way we are encouraged to allow God to take up our cause.
Just as Jesus too did not retaliate against the injustices He suffered.
And in due course God justified his servant Jesus.

 

When grumbling ruins the life of God’s people God hears and God acts.
But we are also shown how God acts.
That His punishments are appropriate to the sin that is committed.
This is how God takes up the cause of His slandered servants.

 

C] INTERCESSION LEADS TO GRACE.

 

1. If there is judgment in Numbers 12 there is also grace. And that grace comes out in a number of ways.

It’s lovely to see, for example, that Aaron is remorseful.
And Aaron expresses his repentance very carefully and deliberately.
Again there are lessons in that for us.

 

Notice that Aaron doesn’t rest satisfied in Miriam’s punishment and that he came out unscathed.
Also, he doesn’t make any excuses… or play down the wrong that they did.
Instead he labels sin for what it really is.
Some of our politicians could learn from that.
So often when prominent people get caught out they make some kind of confession.
But they usually speak of their misdemeanour as an ‘error of judgment’.
Politicians and prominent people in our culture wouldn’t think of using the word ‘sin’.

 

But Aaron does: Don’t hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed.
He names sin for what it really is… and he labels their actions as foolishness.
Here is true repentance and genuine effort to seek forgiveness.
And we need to take note of that.
It’s so easy to make excuses for our foolishness.
Or to try to tone down what we did wrong. Hey! Nobody is perfect…?

 

Please notice too the respectful way in which Aaron now addresses Moses.
He speaks to him in a most deferential way: He refers to his brother as “my lord”.
Wow! That shows that he has learned the hard lesson and dealt with his pride and prejudice.

 

2. He then asks Moses to do something about the restoration of his sister Miriam.

It’s clear that he expects Moses to pray to God on Miriam’s behalf.

His compassion for his sister is aroused.
Keep in mind that Leprosy was the incurable illness of that day.
Humanly speaking… when God struck Miriam with leprosy she was doomed.
And now Aaron pleads with Moses for the life of his sister who got him into trouble.

 

The point is that Aaron cannot do that work of intercession himself
It’s the one who has been sinned against who must pray to the Lord.
Confession has been made and prayer has been requested.
And so Moses prays and God hears.

 

And so we see yet a further picture of grace in this chapter.
It is grace that Aaron’s heart has been softened to repent.
It is grace that Miriam’s punishment is curtailed. Miriam will not die from this disease.
Instead she will be healed and restored to her rightful place in their society.
That’s grace.

 

At the same time God’s justice is also seen in that Miriam is not instantly restored.
She must bear for seven days the shame of her actions.
In most societies to spit in someone’s face is to shame them.
For the Hebrews a father spitting in a daughter’s face would lead to seven days of shame.
Here there is a sense in which God spat in her face for her pride and prejudice.
And so she must bear the disgrace for seven days. God is not a God to be messed with.

 

3. Today pride and prejudice don’t appear on our radar as deadly sins… nor does grumbling.

I can’t remember anyone ever coming to me and confessing:
Pastor I have a serious problem with pride for which I need help.
Nor do I ever recall anyone lamenting that they have a problem with prejudice.
Okay! We know we do sin in those matters from time to time but we don’t get hung up about it.

 

And now here in Numbers 12 God shows us the seriousness of these sins.
They can have deadly consequences as they might have had for Miriam if Moses hadn’t prayed.
And their sin was certainly serious enough to affect the whole nation.
The progress of the nation just came to a screaming halt that day.
And no one went anywhere for the next week as the nation came to a standstill.
In His punishment of pride and prejudice God showed how seriously he treats it.
It is a sin for which we deserve condemnation.

 

And yet there is grace for us too.
Pride raises its ugly head so often in our lives… prejudice is still a reality in the church.
And so often these things break out in ugly bouts of grumbling.
So just as Miriam needed a Mediator to pray for her so we need one to rescue us too.

And that’s where I again want to point you today to Jesus.
In this story Miriam is put outside the camp for her own sin.
But the book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus was treated as sinful and unclean.
And He was put outside the camp… and there they crucified Him.
But that was not for His sins… it was for our sins.

He bore the shame and punishment for our pride and prejudice.
He was isolated to pay the penalty for our grumbling.
That’s the wonder of God’s grace and mercy.

 

Moses was a wonderful mediator… he didn’t refuse to pray for the sister who had hurt him deeply.

But Jesus is an even more wonderful Mediator – let’s then go to Him for pardon and peace. Amen.