TURN A SINNER FROM THE ERROR OF HIS WAY (NUMBERS 12)
There are people who genuinely think they are God’s instrument of discipline and correction, and maybe even punishment. These critics make you question yourself and mess with your motivation, head and development.
In the classic words of an American salesman:
When the other person takes a long time, he’s slow. When I take a long time, I’m thorough.
When the other fellow doesn’t do it, he’s lazy. But when I don’t do it, I’m busy.
When the other fellow does something without being told, he’s overstepping his bounds. But when I do it that’s initiative.
When the other fellow overlooks a rule of etiquette, he’s rude. But when I skip a few rules, I’m original.
When the other fellow pleases the boss he’s an apple polisher. But when I please the boss, that’s cooperation.
When the other fellow gets ahead, he’s getting the breaks. But when I managed to get ahead, that’s just the reward for hard work.
There are times in your life when you really had it with critics, opinions and scrutiny. Someone said, “A critic is a person who would have you write it, sing it, play it, paint it or carve it as he would do it - if only he could.”
Moses had survived the military onslaught of Pharaoh and the emotional outbursts of Israelites, but nothing prepared him for the family reproach from Miriam and Aaron over his Cushite spouse. The text resonated with sibling rivalry, professional jealousy and racial slant altogether. Scholars wrestle, speculate and disagree on whether she was Zipporah, a new spouse after Zipporah’s death, or a new wife, period.
In the first four messages in this series we saw the Israelites escaping Egypt, the next six messages were on the events in the first two years of wandering (Num 10:11) in the wilderness before arriving at the border and the following five messages complete the forty years march in the desert.
What kind of attitude is best in the face of unsubstantiated, unfair and uninvited criticisms? How can our words and attitude be honorable before God and others? Why is it best to leave things to God and bring glory to Him?
Mind Your Business and Mince Your Words
12:1 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. (Num 12:1-2)
One sports figure worthy of my admiration is Steve Young. The former NFL quarterback, who had won the Most Valuable Player award, the affections of hostile fans and the respect of teammates, opponents and writers, had more than most quarterbacks’ fair share of criticism when he took over the ball from legendary quarterback Joe Montana, who led San Francisco to four Super bowl rings. The four biting words critics said about him when he was trying to fit in the uncomfortable shoes of Joe Montana were “BUT HE AIN”T JOE!” In 1993, Young even experienced the indignity of hearing fans shout, “We want Joe!”
Steve Young was asked in an interview before he led the 49ers to Super bowl glory that year: “How much did it bother you that a lot of fans were against you?” Young replied, with class: “I never had the sense that the fans were against me. They can like two people. You know, one obviously more, and for good reason.” (Sport 8/93).
Miriam and Aaron were busybodies in tasks other than their own. Compared to Moses, Miriam, as a prophetess, was less busy, experienced less complains and suffered less stress. As priest, Aaron was to concern himself with officiating ceremonies, sacrificing offerings and performing rituals. All Miriam and Aaron had to learn to do was to know and serve God, to teach and prepare the people, to discharge and fulfill their calling and let Moses do his job and answer for himself, but their eyes were red with jealousy, their minds were poisoned by comparisons and their mouths were dipped in acid.
People like Miriam and Aaron are everywhere. They say before they think, breathe down people’s neck and throw their weight around, sitting behind their cushy desks in their offices and throwing barbs at people laboring in the field. Moses and Miriam rarely deal and interact with people as often as Moses did. They were in the humdrum technical field while Moses was in the taxing relational ministry. The siblings were sincerely wrong about Moses. Their nosey, bossy and chilly attitude had transformed them into troublesome, critical and unforgiving people. They had arrived at a point when they thought they were God’s lightning rod for Moses’ spiritual, emotional and personal well-being. Replacing Moses with the gullible Aaron or the confrontational Miriam was not a good option.
Striving for excellence, improving on the mediocre and getting rid of the bad is good, but minding one’s business and mincing one’s words are just as vital. If speaking is necessary, consider if the suggestion is biblical or biased, objective or subjective, helpful or hurtful. Miriam and Aaron were confused on the real issue: Moses’ wife or his leadership. Entertaining hidden agendas, hiding carnal ambitions and justifying wild speculations are not honorable.
Mirror the Master and Model Godly Behavior
3(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) 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? (Num 12:3-8)
A businessman drew up a “Worry Chart” to track his worries and here’s what he discovered: People worry 40 percent about things that probably would never happen; 30 percent on past decisions that cannot be changed; 12 per cent over peoples’ criticism; and 10 percent regarding health. The conclusion was that only 8 per cent of worries were really legitimate (Paul Lee Tan, 7,700 Illustrations # 7570).
Abraham Lincoln answered criticisms lobbed his way with these words: “If I were to read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business. I do the very best I know how- the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out right, what is said against me won’t amount to anything. If the ends brings me wrong, 10 angels swearing I was right would make no difference.” (Dear Abby 3/3/93).
Moses was an inspiring, outstanding and extraordinary person. He was majestic in appearance, but meek in attitude and merciful at heart. The most powerful person in the camp was more humble than anyone else in the world (v 3). His life typified humility, service and faithfulness. As Mother Teresa said, “We are called upon not to be successful, but to be faithful”
The Hebrew word for “humble” or “meek” makes its first of 22 Old Testament occurrences in verse 3, and Moses is not merely the only known individual that is described as “meek” or “humble” in Hebrew, he is spoken of as “very humble” or “very meek” – what a testament right from God’s words. His meekness pioneered the famous “meek of the earth” sayings (Ps 37:11, 76:9, Isa 11:4, Zeph 2:3) in the Old Testament, the basis of Jesus’ Beatitudes on kingdom living (Matt 5:5).
Twice, God reminded Miriam and Aaron that Moses was His servant (vv 7, 8), not theirs. They had no right or reason to boss or kick him around. Further, he had no ethical or moral weakness that justified their displeasure. His lack of response and slowness in responding were not reasons enough to convict him. He did not take anything or wrong anyone (Num 16:15). Moses was faithful not only in some but all things (v 7). Moses’ meekness was a sign of self-confidence, self-control and selflessness; unfortunately, his lack of assertiveness was mistaken for a sign of weakness.
Mediate for Others and Minimize the Damage
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; 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!” 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. 16 After that, the people left Hazeroth and encamped in the Desert of Paran. (Num 12:9-16)
The story is told that Samuel HaNagid, the great 18th century Hebrew poet and Prime Minister to the king of Spain, was once insulted by an enemy in the presence the king. The king was so angered that he ordered his Prime Minister to punish the offender by cutting out his tongue.
Contrary to the king’s mandate, Samuel treated his enemy with kindness. When the king learned that his order had not been carried out, he was greatly astonished. Samuel was ready with a pleasant answer. He said, “I have carried out your order, Your Majesty, I have cut out his evil tongue and have given him instead a kindly tongue.” (Bits and Pieces 8/17/95)
Moses’ greatness was more apparent when he did not hesitate to forgive his critics. He did not feel smug, vindicated or relieved even when God intervened on his behalf. He came to Miriam’s defense, not her condemnation, when he cried: “O God, please heal her!” (v 13). As the one who was offended, his prayer, and not Aaron’s (v 11), carried weight with God. Even though Miriam did not treat him the way a sister, a coworker or a guardian should, but he still regarded her as a shepherd, servant, and sage would.
James 5:19-20 says, “My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
A leader has reasons for not forgiving too easily or quickly; it might backfire and bite him back. People might see him as weak, the offenders might push their luck again and forgiveness is offered on the cheap. Many historians and experts suggest that President Ford lost the presidential elections when he pardoned Richard Nixon for Watergate.
However, Moses meant his every word, Miriam was punished for her role and the offenders wisely mend their ways. Moses did not have a problem with forgiving as long as the wrongdoers were sincere. Aaron meant every word when he represented the two offenders in verse 11. He apologized to the one offended (“My lord”), claimed responsibility for the offense (“We have so foolishly committed”), and pleaded for leniency and mercy (“Do not hold us.”).
Miriam was not spared of punishment but further penalization. She became a leper and experienced for herself what it was like to be judged, ostracized and excluded. She did not cause trouble to Moses anymore from then on. She was not heard from until her death. The next time her name came up in the wilderness wanderings was the occasion of her burial (20:1). Aaron, in the future, will learn to bear the brunt of people’s rebellion with Moses (Num 14:2, 16:47, 20:2). He had a taste of his own medicine when he almost had his priesthood stripped by troublemakers (Num 16:11).
Conclusion: In the words of Elber Hubbard, “Never explain- your friends do not need it, and your enemies will not believe you anyway.” (Speaker’s Idea File p 4) Russell Lynes says, “The only gracious way to accept an insult is to ignore it. If you can’t ignore it, top it. If you can’t top it, laugh at it. If you can’t laugh at it, it’s probably deserved.”
God’s grace (Prov 3:34) and joy (Isa 29:19) is available to the meek. The meek not only inherit the earth, they also enjoy great peace (Ps 37:11). The Lord listens to their cries (Ps 9:12, 10:17), guides them to do right (Ps 25:9) and offers salvation (Ps 76:9, 149:4) and support (Ps 147:6) to them.
Are you cold, critical and calculating? Do you allow anger, bitterness and conflict to linger and fester? Have you been kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you? (Eph 4:32)
Victor Yap
Other sermons in the series and other sermon series:
www.epreaching.blogspot.com
