Pride v. Authority
Notes
Transcript
Scripture Intro:
Scripture Intro:
Series in the Book of Numbers
They are still in the process of heading to the Promised Land.
Out of Egypt
Delivered from Slavery
Traveled down to Mt. Sinai
Timeline:
The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month… the people of Israel set out by stages from the wilderness of Sinai.
So about 14 months after leaving Egypt.
As Todd reminded us last week,
They were 3 days into their journey of leaving Mt. Sinai...
heading to the Promised Land...
and they grumble and complain (ch. 11)
Now, here is chapter 12,
we see Part 2 of grumbling and complaining.
Scripture Reading (“Please stand…”)
Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman.
And they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it.
Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.
And suddenly the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.” And the three of them came out.
And the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward.
And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house.
With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”
And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed.
When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous.
And Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have done foolishly and have sinned. Let her not be as one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother’s womb.”
And Moses cried to the Lord, “O God, please heal her—please.”
But the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.”
So Miriam was shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again. After that the people set out from Hazeroth, and camped in the wilderness of Paran.
Pray...
Intro:
Intro:
“Et tu, Brute?”
This is one of Shakespeare's classic lines from his play, Julius Caesar.
It is a question that Caesar poses to his best friend as Brutus...
as Caesar is being assassinated,
and recognizes his his close friend among his assassins.
Brutus, pronounced “Brute” in Latin.
“Et tu, Brute?”
Translated literally, “And you, Brutus?” or “also you, Brutus?”
means, “You too, Brutus?”
“Even you, Brutus?”
Leading up to that point,
Julius Caesar’s growing power in Rome stirred deep resentment
among several senators who feared
he was becoming more of a monarch
Rather than a leader chosen by the people
and accountable to the Senate.
The conspirators believed they were defending the Republic,
but many were driven by pride, jealousy, and the fear of losing influence.
On the Ides of March in 44 BC,
they surrounded Caesar in the Senate and stabbed him to death.
They hoped to restore the old order.
Instead of saving the Republic,
their rebellion plunged Rome into chaos and civil war.
The revolt stands as a vivid example...
of how pride can challenge rightful authority
and ultimately destroy what it claims to protect.
And 1400 years prior to Julius Caesar,
Moses faces a similar challenge from his siblings, Aaron and Miriam.
They obviously didn’t threaten his life,
but they do challenge his place of authority.
FCF: This seems to be another aspect of the human condition.
Even when authority is rightfully places there and empowered,
something in our heart recoils at being “under authority”.
Something in us is convinced that we would do it better.
Something in us tells us that we should be in there role.
The problem is...
that we aren’t in their role.
God hasn’t placed us there.
God has called us to the role that you are currently living in.
Yet, we can so easily struggle to elevate ourselves
and detract from the authority and leadership
that God has placed in our lives.
In our passage this morning,
Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses...
The Disease of Spiritual Pride
The Disease of Spiritual Pride
(17 minutes left ??? )
Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman.
“Et tu, Brute?”
For this passage:
“You too, Aaron and Miriam?”
“You’re complaining against me as well?”
The nature of their complaint appears to be related to his wife.
“Cushite woman” that he married.
The identity of this woman has been debated for centuries.
Remember, he married Zipporah (Exodus 2)
She was from Midian (Midianite)
So why are Aaron and Miriam talking about a Cushite?
Two options:
Moses remarried (this is a 2nd marriage)
Cushite and Midianite were close parallels.
I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.
I tend toward the 2nd option,
that they are using “Cushite” as a slight on Zipporah.
But their real intent shows up in verse 2.
And they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it.
They were questioning Moses’ place of authority.
Now, Miriam and Aaron do have a unique role in Israel.
Miriam - prophetess (Exodus 15)
Aaron - First High Priest
Yet, they’re jealous of Moses’ role.
Pride Compares
Pride Compares
Miriam and Aaron start by measuring themselves against Moses.
Comparison is quiet, internal, and socially acceptable.
It’s the whisper that says, “Why them and not me?”
“Am I not good enough?”
“He’s not any better than me.”
Pride rarely begins with open rebellion;
it begins with quiet comparison.
Comparison is subtle...
and that’s what makes it extremely dangerous.
Pride Questions
Pride Questions
And criticizes
Comparison is the heart behind criticism.
I compare myself...
and then I need to knock them down a few notches.
Moses’ Cushite wife.
“Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?”
He thinks he is all that.
He is always taking the lead.
He thinks everyone looks up to him.
“Has God not spoken through us also?”
“Why don’t we have that special place?”
Pride Elevates
Pride Elevates
App.
Once we compare, we begin to question.
Once we question, we begin to elevate ourselves.
Once we elevate ourselves, we begin to criticize or challenge authority.
Pride Blinds
Pride Blinds
They believe they are justified. Pride always feels righteous in the moment, even when it is deeply wrong.
The presenting issue:
Grumbling and Complaining
Critique
Jealousy
The underlying issue:
Pride...
Already in places of prominent usefulness.
Aaron
Miriam
Leading to rebellion, slander, prejudice, discontent,
and a failure to honor God’s presence and calling.
How does God respond?
And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed.
Contrast that against...
The Distinctiveness of Spiritual Authority
The Distinctiveness of Spiritual Authority
(Timer: How much time left?)
Marked by Humility
Marked by Humility
Yet, this is not how Moses responds.
Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.
Moses keeps him mouth shut.
Even when those closest to him challenge his rightful place,
he doesn’t say anything.
So much so that (v. 4) is somewhat shocking.
And suddenly the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.” And the three of them came out.
Moses didn’t say anything to defend himself...
So God “suddenly” spoke up for him.
“unexpectedly”, “in an instant”
“abruptly”
self-importance (contrasted with Moses’ humility)
And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.”
But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”
ILL. Abraham Lincoln During the Civil War
Few leaders in history endured more criticism than Abraham Lincoln. Newspapers mocked him, politicians belittled him, generals questioned him, and even members of his own cabinet doubted his competence. Yet Lincoln consistently responded with restraint, patience, and a remarkable willingness to absorb personal attacks for the sake of unity. He refused to retaliate, refused to shame his critics, and often chose reconciliation over vindication. His humility didn’t make him weak — it made him steady, principled, and trustworthy in a moment when the nation was tearing itself apart.
Common Criticisms Lincoln Faced
Many newspapers mocked him as a “backwoods lawyer” who lacked the refinement and intelligence to lead a nation.He was called unqualified and incompetent.
Critics called him “awkward,” “ungainly,” and even “the original gorilla.” One political opponent said a gorilla in the zoo looked more presidential.He was ridiculed for his appearance.
Some believed he moved too slowly on emancipation or too cautiously in military strategy.He was accused of being weak and indecisive.
Suspending habeas corpus and expanding wartime powers led some to label him a tyrant or dictator.He was attacked for overstepping his authority.
Habeas corpus is a legal protection that keeps governments from imprisoning people without cause.
Lincoln suspended habeas corpus early in the Civil War, and he did it for a very specific reason: the nation was on the brink of falling apart, and Washington, D.C. was nearly cut off from the rest of the Union.
Here’s the clear, simple version that works well for teaching or preaching:
🌿 When Lincoln suspended habeas corpus
He first suspended it in April 1861, just days after the attack on Fort Sumter. The immediate crisis was in Maryland, where riots, sabotage, and Confederate sympathizers were disrupting rail lines and telegraph routes. Washington, D.C. was in danger of being isolated, and Lincoln believed the government might literally collapse if troops couldn’t reach the capital.
Why he did it
Lincoln argued that extraordinary circumstances required extraordinary measures. His reasoning was essentially:
The Union was in rebellion.
Public safety was at risk.
The capital needed to be protected.
Arresting suspected saboteurs quickly was essential.
He famously asked whether all the laws but one should go unexecuted, allowing the nation to fall apart, just so that one law (habeas corpus) could remain untouched.
Why it was controversial
Suspending habeas corpus meant the government could detain people without immediately charging them. Critics accused Lincoln of acting like a dictator, overstepping his authority, and violating civil liberties. Yet Lincoln maintained that preserving the nation was the higher duty, and that the suspension was temporary and necessary.
🌿 Why this fits your sermon theme
It’s a moment where Lincoln was attacked fiercely for a decision he believed was essential. He absorbed the criticism without lashing out, stayed focused on the mission, and led with a steady humility — very much in the spirit of Moses in Numbers 12.
Opponents said he lacked dignity and spoke like a common man rather than a statesman.He was mocked for his storytelling and plain speech.
Appointed by God
Appointed by God
God defends Moses.
And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses.
With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”
Rooted in Faithfulness
Rooted in Faithfulness
Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house.
God trusts him to lead his people.
Moses is fulfilling the role that God gave to him.
Intercedes Rather than Retaliates
Intercedes Rather than Retaliates
This is what happens to Miriam...
She seems to be the ring leader of this critique and jealousy.
When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous.
And Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have done foolishly and have sinned.
Let her not be as one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother’s womb.”
Here we see what leadership and authority is design to look like...
And Moses cried to the Lord, “O God, please heal her—please.”
So God sent her outside the camp for seven days.
So Miriam was shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again.
(v. 14) God is saying that this is such a light discipline for her rebellion.
But he relented nonetheless.
True humility doesn’t defend itself.
Doesn’t fight back
Moses doesn’t defend himself, retaliate, or even respond. His quiet posture stands in stark contrast to Miriam and Aaron’s self‑elevation.
Moses pleads for the one who wronged him.
That is grace and mercy.
That is leadership.
That is the design of true authority.
The one who was wronged becomes the one who pleads for mercy.
Jesus intercedes for us.
Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
** On Communion Sunday...
If after 10:30,
go straight to the Lord’s Supper.
Close in Prayer
Close in Prayer
Closing Song:
Closing Song:
Benediction:
Benediction:
