In the midst of the first few chapters of Numbers we are treated to some of the harder to read chapters in the Bible. The census taking among the Israelites, for those of us with short attention spans can sometimes seem less interesting than other chapters of the Bible. Still within the span of 2 chapters, it manages to pull the reader back in rather quickly.
I speak of Numbers 11 and 12. This blog will be specifically related to an incident in Numbers 12, but it's important to note that prior to this story, we have just seen God's anger against some of the Israelites play out in a rather firey form.
Once Moses prays to quench the fire, the LORD stops it and we proceed on to Numbers chapter 12.
Now one would think after the experience in the previous chapter, the people would have learned not to complain about Moses or their situation. But, now we find some of those closest to him, Aaron and Miriam, speaking ill of the woman Moses had married.
Miriam questions whether the LORD has spoken only through Moses. This is an envious conversation, and she is basically wondering why the LORD doesn't speak to everyone as He does to Moses.
"And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? and the LORD heard it.' Numbers 12:2
So, now you have God who hears this conversation, and in what I like to think of in terms of a parent about to scold the bickering siblings, calls all three of them into the tabernacle of the congregation for a meeting. The term "family meeting" comes to mind for me here.
God begins by saying that if there is a prophet in the camp, He will make it known to the prophet. In the case of Moses, God points out that this is not the method by which He speaks to Moses. Moses is set apart by God for special discussion.
"My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches..." Numbers 12:7
God's anger towards Miriam and Aaron is kindled at this point and He departs and the cloud departs from the tabernacle.
I can see Miriam and Aaron simultaneously breathing a sigh of relief here thinking they got away with their sin of gossip and envy. Not so.
God punishes Miriam with Leprosy. Miriam and Aaron repent of their sin beseeching Moses to speak to God on her behalf. Moses obliges and speaks to God on their behalf to effectively reduce her punishment. Miriam gets off with only a 7 day leprosy sentence, to be fulfilled outside of the camp.
-----------------------------------
This is where I woudld like to offer some practical advice and thoughts based on the above stories. We see a couple things happening here.
1.Sin will always have consequences- Even with Christ's forgivness for us, there is always consequence to sin. Christians cannot just go around murdering people and then praying for forgiveness. If, God forbid, a Christian kills someone, they may be forgiven in Christ, but will likely be in prison their whole life, or even pay with their life. Will they miss out on Heaven? If they are truly saved and in Christ then no. But they will have a fairly miserable earthly existence at that point--filled with regret and guilt.
2. Our consequences subsequently can affect large numbers of people- IN the case of Miriam, her being outside the camp for 7 days causes all 600,000 plus Israelites to remain in that location until her punishment is fulfilled.
Imagine Miriam coming back into camp on the 7th day with everyone whispering, "there's Miriam, she's why we haven't moved in 7 days." The After consequence of the consequence of sin is that your sin can have dramatic effect on any number of people--in this case a MULTITUDE.
God loves us and may discipline us for growth- IN this story it would be easy for a non-Christian to view God as "mean spirited or harsh." But look at your own family. If you sin or do something wrong, parents punish as well. God is our great Father in Heaven, so Christians should understand that He may discipline us from time to time to help our spiritual growth. I like the word discipline because it has disciple as it's root. I think to be great disciples, we need pruning and discipline from time to time. Otherwise, we show no growth.
God's long suffering is something we should all be thankful for. The Israelites were a "stiff necked" people during this time, and always had something to complain about. Just one chapter after this, we see the men of the armies cowering at the thought of conquering a land that God had already promised them they would conquer. Friends if God says you will do something, you can rest assured He will bring you through it.
Miriam and Aaron were two people very close to one of God's favorite people Moses. Yet even they saw temptation and sin. Friends we are all sinners who have fallen short of God's glory.
God has known us since before we even came to be. He says in Jeremiah that even in the womb, he knew us and his plans for us. Salvation through Christ is a free gift. It is nothing we can earn, or even actively seek. If you feel the call of Christ in your life, rest assured, He longs for you to accept His gift.
You may have strayed and are unsure if God can take you back. He longs to take you back. You were set apart for Him and to do good works through Him. Some people may resist long enough that they become resistent to the Gospel. For them I say that if God has already decided in the time before time began that you would be set apart for him, then you will eventually realize and come to Christ.
For those of us who have felt the call of the good shepard and turned to Him already, we can rest assured in our salvation. He chose us for Himself before time began, in eternity past, and we have assurance that our shepard will never leave His sheep.
Salvation is available to all, but not all will accept it. If you are unsure, or on the edge, I invite you to speak with someone about your doubts. Be honest with God. He knows you may have questions. Just know that if you pray to God in the name of His son, your prayers will be answered. Keep in mind though this may not be on a time frame you are expecting. Jesus spent 30 years preparing for a 3 year ministry. We are on God's time, not our own, and sometimes it may take years for prayers to be answered.
Christ took on all the sin of the world so that we may have eternal life. This was done out of pure LOVE for a fallen world. He is a Father longing to bring his Sons and daughters home. He is a shepard searching for his lost sheep.
Listen for the call...return to your Father in Heaven. His love knows know bounds. His mercy is never failing. His grace covers all.
Blessings my Friends :)
No comments:
Post a Comment