Numbers 12:1-15
DON’T GET THE BIG HEAD
LIFT UP JESUS
NEGATIVE
TALK IS DESTRUCTIVE
V:1 Miriam
and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had
married a Cushite. 2 "Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?" they
asked. "Hasn't he also spoken through us?" And the Lord heard this.
A. It is believed that Moses's first
wife had died. Her name is not mentioned here.
1. Moses remarried an Ethiopian woman.
2. Miriam had been gifted by God as a prophetess
and Aaron ordained as High Priest
3. With the death of Moses first wife,
Miriam, Moses’s sister, may have thought she should influence Moses.
4. She became jealous of Moses 2nd
wife and stirred up Aaron to join her
Complaint.
5. Since Miriam's name is mentioned
first, she was the author of the complaint.
B. We should find contentment in the job
God has given us.
1. As soon as we look next door, we will
see something better.
2. God has gifted each of us for a
particular service to work together to
Glorify Him.
3. When we become jealous of another
person’s position we cause disruption
And confusion.
4. Miriam concluded that since she was a
prophetess,
That her words had the
same authority and influence as Moses.
a. Miriam claimed the honor of being
equal to Moses’ status with God.
b. In other words, I am as important as
Moses, because God talks to me.
C. When people become jealous of
another’s position, they become irrational.
1. Their complaint is not against the
person but God.
2. When people become jealous, they look
for support from others, in this
Case Aaron.
3. They may think that if others join
in, their complaint is valid.
GOD’S
RESUME OF YOU
V:3 (Now
Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the
earth.)
A. When God commends our humbleness, it
is genuine.
1. If someone claims to be humble, they
probably are not.
2. Miriam and Aaron by their complaint
showed their proud attitude.
3. According to the text, Moses did not
answer the complaint of Miriam and Aaron
B. By not answering their complaint,
Moses did not enable Miriam and Aaron to argue
Their complaint.
1. Some complaints are not worth the
time of consideration.
2. When complaints are baseless, we
should put them in the hands of God.
3. When we get prideful, we are in the
God hates your attitude zone.
James 4:6
That is why Scripture
says: "God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the
humble."
4. Miriam intended to lift herself up
before the nation
James 4:10
Humble yourselves before
the Lord, and he will lift you up.
5. Miriam’s pride opposed God’s
authority.
THROUGH
HIS WORD, GOD TEACHES US HIS STANDARDS
V: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 came 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 both of them stepped forward, 6 he said,
"Listen to my words:
"When a
prophet of the Lord is among you,
I reveal
myself to him in visions, I speak to him 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?"
A. Sometimes we ignore the lessons that
are in front of us.
1. Earlier, God killed all of those who
complained against Moses and
Wanted to return to Egypt.
2. We should not ignore the warning God
gives us.
3. What God did in the past, He can do
today.
Malachi 3:6
For I am the LORD, I change not;
4. We should never assume that our
position in the church makes us
Immune to God’s
punishment.
B. Because of Miriam’s pride, God called
a meeting immediately.
1. You cannot have division among the
leaders.
2. Division among the leaders sets the
stage for division among the nation.
3. If you have a question about your
position, you should ask the one who
Put you in that position.
4. You should never assume that your
position gives you the liberty to do
What you want to do.
C. God set the record straight.
1. He gave Moses. Aaron and Miriam, His divine
organization of His ordained people.
2. First, God put Miriam in her place.
a. God said I talk with my prophets in
dreams and visions
b. It is a lower level of communication.
c. You must wake up before you realize my Words.
d. The Holy Spirit must intercede for
you to understand God’s Word.
3. God explained to Miriam the difference
between her and Moses.
a. God gave Miriam and Aaron His divine
resume of Moses.
b. Moses is faithful in all He does and
everywhere he goes.
c. Moses is humble.
d. Moses is my good steward.
e. I speak to Moses' face to face.
f. My word to Moses is plain and needs
no interpretation.
4. The divine hierarchy was Moses, Aaron,
and then the prophet;
In the Church, the Hierarchy is Jesus, the Holy, the
preacher,
The officers then the congregation.
5. None of us can take pride in our
position, but be grateful
For being chosen to serve.
IN LOVE
GOD CHASTISES US
V:9 The
anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them.
10 When the
cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam — leprous, like snow.
Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had leprosy;
A. God is not pleased with our prideful
behavior.
1. Miriam wanted the glory of Moses for
herself.
2. She was not content with the
important position and gifts
God bestowed upon her.
B. The grace and mercy of God do not
allow us to go unpunished.
1. God’s love for us stops our foolishness
before it corrupts us.
2. God struct Miriam with leprosy.
3. Miriam was forced to look at herself
in the eyes of the dead.
4. Miriam who should have praised God complained
to God.
5. Miriam who should have encouraged
others, now needed
Encouragement.
JESUS IS
OUR INTERCESSOR
V:11 and he
said to Moses, "Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so
foolishly committed. 12 Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from
its mother's womb with its flesh half eaten away."
13 So Moses
cried out to the Lord, "O God, please heal her!"
A. Even in our sin, God loves us enough
to put people in place to pray for us.
1. Sin has a consequence of punishment
which draws us back to God.
2. It is in our human nature to sin.
3. If we learn from the consequence of
our sins, we will grow in grace.
B. Aaron seeing his sister with sores
all over her went immediately into prayer
Interceding on her behalf.
1. Miriam and Aaron complained about
Moses and, were put in a lower
Position needing his
intercession before God.
2. Aaron saw Moses as his lord with the
authority to heal his sister.
3. Aaron knew that leprosy was a death
sentence.
4. Aaron saw his sin and begged for
forgiveness.
5. Daily we need to see our sin and beg
for forgiveness
C. Aaron now understanding God’s divine
hierarchy, cried out to Moses who
Cried out to God.
THE
DISGRACE OF SIN, THE GRACE OF FORGIVENESS
V:14 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." 15 So Miriam was confined
outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was
brought back.
A. Not so fast Aaron, God’s grace is not
a burger king operation.
1. Your sin may have been done in
private, but God can make it known to the public.
2. God can shame you into real
repentance.
3. Miriam was struck with leprosy for
all the whole nation to see.
B. God is gracious, but He will not be
taken lightly.
1. God hears our prayers and knows our
intent.
2. He will answer our prayers in a way
that works best for us.
3. In Miriam's case, it was a spit in
the face to show God's total disgust with her attitude.
4. God publicly displayed Miriam before
the nation to show her disgrace.
5. God locked Miriam out of the camp for
seven days.
6. Sometimes we need to be publicly
shame and isolated from others to reflect on the seriousness of our sin.
7. To be locked out of God’s grace and
mercy and left to defend yourself should be a deterrent not to sin.
C. What we do in sin, delays the
progress of those around us.
1. The camp didn’t move until Miriam was
restored.
2. The God we serve show His love for us
by forgiving us and restoring
3. us to fellowship with Him.
4. God showed Miriam how important her
position was to the people
By delaying the movement
of the camp.
5. We should never downplay our gifts
because they are important to the congregation.
6. You may never know how much your
service means to others.
John 12:32
But I, when
I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."
OUR JOB IS
TO LIFT UP JESUS
MY POSITION
IS TO LIFT UP JESUS
MY OBJECTIVE
IS TO LIFT UP JESUS
MY JOY IS TO LIFT UP JESUS
MY PEACE IS
TO LIFT UP JESUS
MY SECURITY
IS TO LIFT UP JESUS
MY LOVE IS
TO LIFT UP JESUS
Rev. M. Mitchell
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