MIRIAM!
Numbers 12:1”And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. “
As I watch sisters and brothers (from same family) at our ABIDE ANGEL HOME - a free boarding and Home for the poor and under privileged children - cuddle each other in sleep, so much so, I would not be able to find their heads or legs at times, they would be so entangled and I would wonder, ‘I wish this cuddling lasts forever!’ How could siblings born under the same roof get so far apart in heart (not all though) as they grow older? I remember one lady tell me, ‘my brother lives in the same building of our apartment but I have not talked to him for several years, neither has my mother talked to him as well.’ These two ladies have allowed bitter roots to grow deep! Did not the Bible warn us, Hebrews 12:5”See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”
I’m going to talk about Miriam today, she is from no ordinary family but the daughter of Amram and Jochebed who are of the tribe of Levi, the bold, shrewd sister of Moses and Aaron, the prophetess and also the loving ‘big sis’ who stood at the Nile river, by the basket that carried Moses. She lived in turbulent times when king Pharaoh commanded to cast away every Hebrew boy baby born into the Nile. (Exodus 1:22) How could such a nice woman become bitter, angry, jealous at her own little brother Moses?? This is what JEALOSY AND BITTERNESS WOULD DO TO A PERSON, caveat! Immediately after you read this message, reconcile with people you envy, fast and pray to God to deliver you from bitterness. None of us can puff out our chest and say ‘I never envy anybody’, this feeling creeps subtly when your neighbor buys a swanky car, when your friend gets married to a handsome man, when your colleague gets an award, when your friend’s kid gets top ranking etc. The moment you notice the ‘ugly head’ of the devil in the form of envy destroy it , be quick to smash it to nothing. Don’t allow bitter roots to grow, forgive and move. Hallelujah!
God brings back the sister and brothers together after several decades when they join Moses in the mission against king Pharaoh, after all who could be of more strength for Moses in this great mission than his own brother Aaron and sister Miriam. They together witnessed the Hands of God on Moses, the intimacy of God with Moses, the mighty calling of Moses and the miracles that God did through Moses; yet, Miriam dared to rebel against his authority when she said, "Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?"(Numbers 12:1) The Bible then says in the next verse, ‘and the Lord heard it.’
SEVERE PUNISHMENT FOR REBELLIOUSNESS: Miriam was punished severely with the dreadful disease leprosy for speaking against Moses and He also did not release her immediately despite Moses and Aaron crying for her, God said, “Let her be shut up for seven days outside the camp, and afterward she may be received again." Seven days of isolation outside the camp must have been horrible for Miriam; however, she did not live long and died without seeing the promised land Canaan. How could a girl like Miriam die like this? ENVY is deadly.
The ‘plum project of leading 6 lakh people’ offered by God to Moses might look simply delicious, sumptuous and delightful from outside, but get into his shoes dude, life wasn't a smooth sail for Moses! Imagine how he would have felt when his own sister and brother talked wicked about him, the sister who rocked him in her arms and sang lullaby for him was the one who talked viciously against him, this must have shattered Moses. Now wait, the enemy uses the people closest and nearest to you to kick you, so that the pain is really deep! During some of my prime big meetings that we had conducted, I have experienced the fiercest battles, he would unleash such an unexpected furore that would take you by force and surprise to topple you! Prepare! Beware!
You know what, when you’re pursuing something really gigantic in your life, I mean mammoth, you’re branded as being PROUD! Ah! I got it! Mountain climbers! Goliath chasers! Hearken! You would be branded as being ‘proud’ for chasing your titanic goal! Faint not! Chase and possess! Look what David’s oldest brother Eliab tells him when he comes into the battle field to confront Goliath whom the others feared, read: "Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle."(1 Samuel 17:28) Look at this logic! Fear not, opposition comes from within than outside; however, the pain is deeper when your own blood comes against you, isn’t it?
Later on, we see David’s maturity as he patiently waits for God to crown him as king and does not insolently dash to the throne as he says:
Psalms 131: “Childlike Trust in the LORD. A Song of Ascents, of David.
1 O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me.
2 Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child rests against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me.
3 O Israel, hope in the LORD From this time forth and forever.”
Along with success comes envy as well, be prepared; I remember hearing a powerful sermon of Bishop T.D.Jakes titled ‘Weight of God’s Glory’, I was able to understand the commitment, grit and guts you need, to press on under pressure. Moses had to endure lot of pain, mockery, rejection, humiliation and lot more to fulfill God’s purpose in his life.
Wipe your face and keep doing great exploits for God! Go ahead!
