Jealousy & Presumption: Their Roots, Fruits, & the Gospel Remedy
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Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
In the first and seventh tests about food and water we have seen the sin of grumbling and complaining (in a sinful way) is rooted in unbelief in God’s wrok in our present providing and protectin us, as wellas an unbelief in prosies of God for the future. Instead we think the Pormsied Land is in an imagined past - the good ol’ days - And as fallen siners we all feel entitled to this national past-time , God-given right to compalin and grumble. Well as we now move closer to the climacic central test, we are on test 3 and 3 and 5 move closer to the cetnre - that grumbling now affects Israel’s leaders, and the root isn’t a hankering for food, but more inward in our souls and more inward in our fellowship with our family and friends, this is the sin of jealosuy and its twin presumption. ANd in this test not only does Moeses step u pto the plate in porividing a gospel solution at a most ciritical time for his sister Miriam and bortther Aaron, but God HImself answers with what the opposite of a heart controled by jealsouy and rpesumption looks like behaves like. If I had magic mirror ont he wall, called you to look intit, and the bmagic part was that it showed not your hair and stray eyebrows, your lipstick, crusties in your eyes. But if it showed you your attidue waht would it reflect bafck. In God’s very words, beginign with that most famous Jewish Wrod - SHEMA - hear oISrael - whole creed of Jduaism right there. Now HEar my Words - this is the attitude that is the opposite to jealousy and presumption - and in Moses exercise of that ttidue we will also see the gopsel at work remedying our jealousy and presumption.
Key Truth: Our jealousy & presumption, hinder our march with God’s people & cut off from God’s leadership
But by true humility and faith-filled reliance on God’s provision, restore us to God’s people march & service!
Our text begins as most of the episodes in the Book of Numbers, with someone speaking words. Usually its been and the Lord spoke unto. But signalling that something is rotten in the state of Denmark our text begins:
Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married
Key Truth: Our deepest jealousy and presumption, hinder our march with God’s people and cuts off from the leadership of God’s Son.
Our text begins as most of the epsiodes in the Book of Numbers, with somoene speaking words. Usuaully its been and the Lord spoke unto. But signalling that something is rotten in the state of Denmarkour text begins:
Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman.
The Word of the LORD is the most powerful force in the universe and it should be in our lives too. But so often in our hearts what reigns are words against other people. You know that critical spirit that wells up - in you some how you see others people’s sins, that you struggle with too, you see thm more glaringly obvios than your own. And we feel justified and judgming them harshly. So our text doesn’t begin with the Word and direction and mporsise and transfomrm ing power of the Word of God, but with words against - a brother, who happens to be God’s apointed leader who brings Gods’s very words.
And we would do well to stop before proceedings with the first point of discerning the roots of this sin in our lives, to situate the relationships of the text and our lives where jealousy springs up. This is a family, the best of families writes M Henry have follies and their crosses. I bet your family does too, and I bet some of the jealosuies that trheaten to sabbatoge your relationships and poison you herat in actually walking daily with God and for God - Of course this could be true of frinedships and church relationships too - you know the disdain and even hate that can flash up when - you think you should get the attention ppolulariyt, the gifts, the position that oterhs have. The New Testament asks these penetrating questions:
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
In the 3 and th testings which mirror and lead to the cliactic iddle one, it is not just petty jealousies, but those of the leaders, Miriam and Aaron, and then the sons of Korah, 1st trivbe of Levites, not preists, who want the highpreist jobs and Dathan, Abiram,, jealous and presume their postiion before the Lord. Here it is not just any family, but the Frist Family of th ation we could say, heroic Miriam - prophesied in song and led the women in , and Aaron - high pirest who can’t be seen ever as unclean -priestly service for th nation, these two presuming on their positions that God statiioned them in, jealous of God’s appointed mediator and not cotnetnt o be led by HIm, throw off all restraint, and not on ly in their heart, but to all the people around them speak against this Moses. Situate jealousy in your relatinoships at home, with your friends, at church, you get this jealousy in you - and you and i also so often don’t go and speak directly to the one we are jealous of, but who are the people you let that jealsouy fest with. And even if you can’t bring that jealsoyy to the other other person to resolve, the heart of the problem of presumption is that you and I don’t whant to bring it God either. Speak more to other saginst that person than to God in prayer.
If there is to be change, let’s start by digging for the roots of the sin of jealsouy and presumption.
A. Jealousy & Presumption’s Root is a Wrong-headed view of Self
Here we need to see what got Miriam and Aaron’s jealousy rolling. It is always a perceived injustice, a lack of something I’m entitled to, that other shouldhn’t have, and I will be bitter and nasty and resentful until I get it.
How might that have worked for Miriam and Aaron. The rabble had complained that spread to the camp, Moses over burdened and in despair - says its’ too much for me. Remmber that descritpion of how he carried this peole, actually a description of the motherly love of God for His people. And Moses doesn’t cry out or intercede, but God answered sending down manna, quail, but what else did he send down? The Spirit of God - of prophesy. 70 now spiritual elders to help Moses lead, but MOses in another class because they didn’t keep prophesy like that. Now Miriam the prpehteess, the leader of the women in feels slighted, we only have record of her prophesyihng that song, not an office not written insttruction - but yet such a powerful leader that recorded with Moses and Aaron as leader in Israel despite all the OT culture around them.
Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name. “Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea. The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble. At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’ You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode. The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia. Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone, till your people, O Lord, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased. You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established. The Lord will reign forever and ever.” For when the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the people of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea. Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. And Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.” Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.” Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
Oh to have that status, those gifts, and not to be chosen as one of the 70 to lead with Moses. Isn’t it true that those who are well prefered, are often seldom pleased if others are better. You have heard the story of the two shop keepers - rich, 2x as much, health, long life, “Strike me blind in one eye.” You heard it, but do you heed it? Matthew Henry is so right that sometimes the unkindness of our friends, are as great a trial of our meekness as the malice/hatred of our enemies.”
So how does that work for Miriam. And it is interesting that her name is not only first, but the first clause only says, she feminine and not Aaron yet complained:
Miriam (and Aaron) she spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married
Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman.
Now the rabble, the mixed multitutde who hadn’t committed and lkived on the edge, they caused the complaining to start. And now Miriam either against Moses original wife a Midiantie or a new or second wife, who must have had darker skin, Miriam attacks Moses - going beyond God’s Word and saying, you are no great leader, you don’t stand for our racial purity. God’s word never says can’t marry outside of ethnic lines, later does speak of not marrying unbelievers who drag you away from worshipping the Lord, even into worshipping idol gods, no gods at all. Earlier in Exodus stated not Cannaites. But Miriam wants to add to God’s wod, in a legalistic way, feeling more self-righteous. And she stirs this up in her heart and with the people but does’t go to Moses or the LORD.
Then Aaron, who was more than happy to take over the riegns of Moses a year before, when he dlayed on the mountain, and listen to the peope and make them an idol. Aaron, also slighted and not content with his positon, excluded from the 70, in the priestly not prophetic office. He goes along with led astray by Miriam and adds to the attack.
Jealousy is a sin of striving to be the greatest, have the most, be the best that besets even the disicples of the Lord JEssu and it is a greiveous sin. Are you jealous of anyones position, their riches, why do they have but I don’t, their reputation, and you have been looked over. C.S. Lewis said often show up as the quest for the inner ring… to be in teh inside circle above all. And that desire can overpower a person to get into those secret intimacies… until it turns a good person into a scoundrel! For others it works the other way, like for Miriam to use their status to keep others like Moses wife out!
Watch out that it doesn’t morph itnot the sin of presumption!
A2 What are throots of presumption. We see these in their second complaint against Moses. And watch out here because just like the first jealosies not just petty ones but about God’s servant, so too this presumption isn’t just about any old persons position, this presumption turns out to be against the God-appointed mediator, appointed by God for you. And if you presume to have his position, his priveleges, his gifts, his job - watch out for God’s strongest response!
And they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it.
Yes Aaron and Miriam, had recieved proehtic instruction from God, but they want the position, that we are equal oto Moses himself, the ONe God speaks directly too, the one who reveals God’s heart and will with clarrity iand percioino the one who mediates the whole Old Coveannt with God’s peole. We’re all on that leve., Give us His job , who is He to think that he alone has that positoin.
I wish we had time to dig deeper into presumption - but suffice it to say for now that you will reconginzie that in both your jealousies and presumpotions that - you are clawing for your position and rights and more stuff. Miriam didn’t have an issue with Moses mismanaging or sinfully carrying out his task of leaderhsip, Her issue was that Moses monopolized it. And so to in our jealousies and presumption, ou issue usually isn’t about a fair judgment of how that other person is doing, but more what we want, what we deserve.
But now we get to jump ahead past the fruits of what this jealousy and presumption will bring in your life, to a nseak peak at the remedy. And we have to see this in the response of both Moses and of God in v.2b-8. And this is so beatufiul - if yiou want the opposite attidue of jealousy to show up and register on the magic mirror this mronign - you want this attidue of humility!
B. The Remedy is a Commitment to God’s Will & Trust
Now here at the end of v2 is drama. Jealousy presumpotin breaks out in your family, in this church family - deep rooted resentment, maybe in you, maybe against you. What are you goin g to do? First athe end of v.2 recgonize that the first repsonse is not like SF said we often do fight fire with fire. Lash out, get defensive. Moses is silent. But his silence isn’t te most deafening. God’s is And the LORD heard it! Too often we speak and act and and carry ourselves, as if our rash words, our judgmental thoughts don’t register withthe livin gGod. Really Deists, impersonal God. But God hears - bring every last word into judgment.
And this next verse probably not written by Moses himself, but later editor as part of God’s word to his people, Moses didn’t defnd hismelf, woudn’thave. He was so jealous for God’s glry, but not his own.
Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.
Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.
And I’ve got to ask you what about you? DO you fly off the handle, are you quick to defnd or excuse yourself Is that your first point of reference your self, and your reputation. or your relationship with the Living God? That isn’t the usual word for meekness, and certainly doesn’t mean a door mat to other people. As SF explained from quoting CS Lewis, Humilty isn’t thinking less of your self, a negative devaluing of self. It is to think of your self less. QWhy because as God created us, before the dominating sin of self-centredness, selfishness pride came in, what is to register big in our lives is God and the people around us. That’s why we’re not to be big headed in the Somali sense. shows having the mind of Christ, having true humility is to psotively be commtied to service, they way Christ was. SDo Moses doesn’t defned hismelf but turns to God who defends and helps not the porud, but he humble!
The Lord lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground.
For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.
Jesus teaches
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
This is not easy, it is not for the fain tof heart, yet anyone who will turn to God and not self - humnbly turn to God in faiht, receive grace can do this. It wasn’t easy for Christ, Joyhn 7:5 tells us his brothers didn’t believe,
Do not gaze at me because I am dark, because the sun has looked upon me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept!
A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.
So what do we do when those around us are in seige mode in thier jealousy and grudges? We have to shoot for this humilty because our Saviour won by the meeknes sof his heart, and the Bible defines God’s people as teh meek of the earth.
Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord.
Moses doens’t resent or retun injury. No his strategy was more of
But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth. I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes. But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.
But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth. I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes. But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.
There are times when complaining godly lament isn not sin, and there are times when we can’t remain silent and must correct or rebuke or testify, demolish strongholds of arguments against God. , but in answering jealousy that’s not one of those times. Spuregon used to say: castle in England, what remains of it hundreds of years - They say, what do they, say, let them say. The more silent we are in the cause, the more God is engaged to plead the cause. The accused innocnent needs to say little if he knows the judge is his advocaate.
And this brings us to the greatest spiritual truth in our text which is not just about our jealousies and presumpotion with each other, but our seetting ourselves up against God’s mediator in our lives.And this is when God Himself, breaks the suspense of Moses silenece then God’s silence.
C. God’s Response to Presumption is to promote our Mediator’s Role
Have you ever heard that accusation of trying to play God. Control pepole around you, or I had a friend that in becomoing a Christian thought he had to play the role of Messiah. God blows the whistle on Miriam and Araon who followed her. It was a little like the day, I was summoned to the principles office. That’s were the authority of the shcool Principal Mr. Kenneth Kay judged cases. Stacey W and all the boys who walked to school down Victoria Rd. In trouble for teasing. Let out after speaking oen to one with Mr. Kay. He explained to me she was so small and quiet voice because born premature.
Well, God tells the three sibblings to come out of the camp of the Levites, and the pillar of cloud met thema the entrance to the tabernacle, like the gat eof anceint cities, where kings heard cases. And God thunders the wrods of what we are to do in His presence - HEAR< HEEED HIS WORDS, and those are gracious words that clarrifies not only our posturue to God and the postion he givbes us, but clarffies how he works in all our lives.
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.
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.
The two come forward. And God begins his encomium, like a knghts tale oetic introduction, of praise, catalogue ofpraise and worthy acts. God’s going to give this about HIs mediator, and why we are not to seek to become his rival, or pretend equality with Moses or with Christ. The normal prophet of the LORD has God speaking in two modes dream or vision. God gives some sor tof physicail manifestation or audibly speaks. Miriam and Aaron had experienced something like that. All OT prophets ever receiveing God’s word, speak it but there is something they don’t quite get, doesn’t always sit easy with them end of
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?”
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?”
Buthere it is, there is the clarrification of what we need the Mediator of Godf’s Covenant to do in our lives. Mouth to mouth, better than face to face. Of course God has neither literally, but with Moses on the mountain God spoke as frined to friend. No uneasiness with the message, not consulting Moses but as King’s friend discussing whatGod’s doing, agreeing, make known His will. The rest of propehsy precitions of the OT, God’s psises of future work - riddled. LIike Jesus use of parabables - not everyone gets the inner meaning, only revealed slowly. But when God spoke to Moses in the mountain, face to face, see not essence of God’s nature, which is nto physical but spiritual, but manfestation of His glory, and what was given when Moses in the cleft of the Rock saww back of God’s glory - God pronounced His name, his character, summariaze all He is and does and stands for - Given the Word the Name. And God cotnued to i sp[eak in clear ongoing way - And thse frist five books of the old covenant the Torah instruction - super clear.
This was God’s big beef with Miriam and Aaron, they thought they didn’t need this mediator of the covenant in all his special revealing of God’s will and especially his pleading! And so God in the mdidle of this song sings the highest praise to Moses role:
Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house.
Only a few in teh Bible called my Servant by God, Abraham, Moses, JOshua, Elijah and the Messiah. But Faithful in all my house. That’s the key phrase. God is building his house, his kingdom, are you in it. Well there has to be Someone who adminsters the house for God on earth - and guess what inthe OT that was a human person - kind of the founder and originator of the Kingdom of God on earth - Israel. Only one like that Miriam and Aaron, and either you receive his revealtion from me, and you receive his mediation - you let Moses reveal my will to you and the peole of Israel, and you get in ohnthe peope of Israel leetting Moses represent them to God - or your not in the house! And that is pure grace, God gracious deliers his mind to Moses , and God graciously lets Moses represeent them to Him. Sure Moses has other gifts and they are woenerful ,b uthis is the greast gift of grace - to have a dmeiator who will always plead for God’s honour and Israel’s welfare.
But if you understan how unique Moses positin was and how we aren’t to rval that, listen to how the New Testament describes God’s mediator
Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house.
God’s still builiding a house, a kingdom and Jesus has been apointed to paly that special role in your life they way Moses did in the OT. But there is more:
Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son.
Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.
Think of the initmate communion with God that Moses had, how much more the God-man Jesus Christ, think of the wonder of God’s clear law to form a ntion of slaves into a woneder nation -proclaim righteousness and love and justice, to the nations - out of ragtag group of slaves - potentionall totatlly there and in so short at ime. Well now think about Jesus communion with HIs Father, - says, from the mountain I’ve got a constittion turn you into theat kingdom . But you can’t take Miriam and Aaron’s approach - we all have some truthy, it doesn’t matter, we’re all equal in God’s house, all can play the role that Moses, and now JESUS CHRIST PLAYS.
Do you remember Jesus parable that ends:
But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’
The Son has shown up, one greater than Moses, and the question is whether you will in love and in comunion with HIm, receive HIm, receive His salvation, but aslso his Spirit, His resource, His llaw, His example, his pattern of life. Is the Son rulinng your life, your house, this house. You say, No come Lord Jesus rule over us, you see the coimuion he has with the father, the calrrity of HIs ways - begin hearing this word without confusion or restratint - become pure light . Then know that the least in this kingdom in the house of the SOn, has more than Miriam or Aaron, or the propthets. Know that having the Son and lettinghim play that role of revealer and mediator in your life is coming true at the same time:
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.
Miriam and Aaron, those proptehts and even Moses only saw the msyseries and the kingdom of God from afar. But now you having the Son
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
God speaks to us by His Son, and with Jesus revealsing the mysteries and the kgindom - we shar ein his propehtic gift as we make His gopsel kknown.
Let’s take a step back now. Jesus is in the palce of Moses but even more clear in his commuion with God, HIs onogiong revealing of God’s super clear Word. And you and I come murmuring up to him, each day, and say God - I don’t need to listen to your Son on x,y,z. I don’t need to know you and what your will is through Your Son, We all got equall revelation of the tteruth, we can know it on our own, and let me be my own relvealer and mediator.
Anfd God’s anger storms at that attitude, it’s not just jealousiy against other people but against Jesus and teh role He is to play in our lives. He says how dare you speak against my friend, mys ervant who uniqeuly represent me and you, why are you his rival instead of leeting Him do His work as I sent Him. And God says to us when we in our folly would pretend to rval tnot the servant of God’s hosue ,but the Son. Are we carefuil not to speak against the Lrd Jesus, not to set oursevels as his rival, not to ingrore HIm in God’s hosue.
And that brings us to the vital conlcsion:
D. The Fruit of Jealousy & Presumption vs. the Fruit of Humility & Faith
And here I get to paint a picture of the Mediator, ulitmately of Jesus Christ - who He can be to you that is so appealing! When God responds with anger at the lack of faith and the despising the presming not to need His Son for revelation and ediation, what happens.
And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed.
And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed.
But when God’s gracious presence is removed from your life, evil will fill that vaccuum. Trouble will come. It isn’t chavinistic, but Miriam who misled is disdtinction from Araon who was misled. The cloud leaves and the one who’s tongue was so rash first to speak against and presume the judgment falls first on her. Not just her tongue but now her face and and her whole outer appearance coveered in uncleanness. Putrified hardeneed scaly white skin. Ot leprosays that made her not only unclean, but made like spritiual death, helpless like a baby, It was a dath sentence to live outside of the camp away from the presence of God’s tabernacl e and commyunity and blessing. and before the punshiment falls on Araon too, the one he spoke against, now akcoelwging God’s role for the mediator, he falls at his feet, confesses how foolish and sinful their jealousy and presumption was. Aaron was the one who was supposed to be the priest who would go to God and seek frogivenss and atonement, but he recongizes asJesus teh greater Son would later teach, I’ve got to leave my gift at the altar and first be reconciled to my brother. Anyone you need to do that with?
And I also need to ask you what would you do, to the one who insulted, attacked, undermined publically your God-given role in God’s kingdom. Especially if it were a sister a brother a close friend. Would you say , no you should grovel more. Relaly feel it, test if you’re really sorry. Look at the Mediator’s heart and how it reveals God’s!
And Moses cried to the Lord, “O God, please heal her—please.”
And Moses cried to the Lord, “O God, please heal her—please.”
Just like Moses ended each day in prayer - Lord return to us - and at the moement Miriam’s skin is healed! Do you understand that God didciplines those he loves, and he loves us as we are, but too much to leave us as we are. Do you understand as teh Church of Jesus Christ, Christ hismelf says, unrepentant sin must be disciplined? Do you understand cheap grace, neither saves nor transforms. But look at the manner in which we do discipine with ourselve or with each other:
May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.
so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
When we are dealing with isin - not overload, with the shame they deserve - but as repentant with great tenderness. Pentitent sinners are to be taken in with joy. And unrepentant siners after pateint attempt casst out with great grief. And so we need to see in this sober conclusion that Israel’s highp pirest graciously not cast out, and Miriam not given life senence, but healed, With sober we’r to hear God’s serious call to deal with any presumption in our living life without Christ:
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.”
If I in folly and rage spat in my dad’s face, and he forgave me, still suffer consequence of go to my room separated from the family for awhile. And we are to hear the same about our jealousy of being ruler of our own lives, and rejecting our Father’s Son -
Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
And all of Israel, who had heard Miriam’s jealousy and presumption, they mourn for her and the camp waits out of respect and compassion. Our calling withthose are mislead and are misled - do we wait fo them. Butnote also that the people make no prgoress unti sin is dealt with. But then God’s presence upon them in the mddile of the camp, with them, now leading them.
We have a choice to make, not just bitter or better, but also glory in God’s Mediator and His Revaling and Pleading wrok in our livesl or hearts full of jealousy and presujmption thin kour glry is always just around the corner with more selfish. Fruit of jealousy or humble faith in Jesus!