The premise I have been pursuing these precious Sundays in the preaching moment is simply this: At times, All of Us Project A Stubborn Opposition, even a Religious Resistance, to Authentic Authority and Legitimate Leadership.
That stubbornness is manifested in our Opting For Kadesh (Sacrilegious Sanctuary of Satan) rather than Canaan (Sacred Sanctuary of the Sovereign Savior), and, our Personal Preference of Prominent People From Our Perspective Over the Personal Presence of the Holy God. We are learning how pervasive and universal is the ‘Miriam Factor’ in all of us.
On last Sunday we explored our perennial problem of Not Being Able to Master Our Moods, our failure to Remain Constant. We explored the Frequency of our Migrating Moods. We migrate from Blessing to Blaming; we gravitate from Praising to Finger-Pointing; we course from Complimenting to Criticism; from Inspiration to Imprecation. We navigate from the holy to the Horrible, from the Heights of the Honorable to the Depths of Degradation much-too-much and way-too-often!!
We learned that our Blessing Mood is often a One-Time Compartmentalized Act Reserved for Sunday Morning, whereas our Speaking Against is a Repetitive Imperfect Tense which spans from Sunday to Sunday.
And so, we were interested in Why we Keep On Speaking Against one another on a consistent and sustained basis? Why is it that we saint live more in the Kadesh of Criticism than we do in the Canaan of Praise?
And we discovered on last Sunday morning that the Problem of the OTHER WOMAN was one of the Causes. Simply because the Problem of the Other Woman seems to bring to the forefront Our Personal Preference of People Who Are Like Us and Who, thus, Remind Us Of Us. And we discovered How Large a part Race Plays in our mixture of madness and mess. Verse 1 states quite plainly that one reason why Miriam played the Blame-Game with Moses was because of the “Ethiopian woman whom he had married.”
Sometimes, people we Prefer make Decisions that Anger Us in the Choice of a Marriage-Partner or Boyfriend/Girlfriend.
That’s why we ought to heed the hints and suggestions of the series of messages because Perturbing Perils Are Paired With Persons Who Are Positioned In Prominent Places Of Power.
Miriam and Aaron were Two Prominent People who were Poised and Positioned By God For Greatness. But because they were Paired with the Perturbing Peril of ARROGANT HIGH-MINDEDNESS, They Blew It!!!
II. AND SO, THE SECOND SUGGESTION OFFERED BY OUR TEXT AS TO WHY WE CRITICISE THE CONTENT OF ONE’S CHARACTER AS WELL AS THE CRITICAL CONSEQUENCE OF ONE’S CALLING IS ARROGANT HIGH-MINDEDNESS.
Now those of you are who conversant with the Paradoxes that are Paired with our Privileged Position of being Providentially Preferred in Christ Jesus will recognize that this very point is dealing with one of those paradoxes. Because there is a sense in which we are exhorted and authorized by God Himself to be High-Minded.
Now just before you judge me to be a heretic and propagating things contrary to the revealed mind of God as recorded in the Holy Writ, let me remind you of a few instances of this High-Mindedness Principle pushed by God all thru the Scriptures. Isaiah the prophet reminds us in Isaiah 6 that the Lord our God is “high and lifted up.” He is the God who is above all other gods. He is incomprehensible, beyond the full grasp of our understanding. And thus, for us creatures of low places to gain some insight into this High and Lifted Up God, demands a measure of High-Mindedness. We have to “Lift up our eyes” beyond the hills from whence comes our help.
For instance, if I want to be kept in perfect peace, it means that I must be High-Minded in that I keep my mind stayed on the Lord. This is the principle that Paul picks up on in Colossians 3. In verse 1 of Colossians 3 Paul says: “If ye then be risen with Christ (Raised, Elevated, Lifted Up), seek those things which are ABOVE, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Set your affections on THINGS ABOVE, not on things on the earth.” now, that’s high-mindedness!!!
And then in Philippians 4:8, Paul enumerates some of those High-Minded Things. He writes: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are TRUE, whatsoever things are HONEST, whatsoever things are JUST, whatsoever things are PURE, whatsoever things are LOVELY, whatsoever things are OF GOOD REPORT; if there be any VIRTUE, and if there be ANY PRAISE, THINK ON THESE THINGS.”
Which all underscores the fact that you can’t make it to a High Place with a Low Mind. You can’t dwell in the Mountains with a Valley Mentality, a Valley mind. In order to Go Up, you have to THINK Up, LOOK UP and then CLIMB UP. No one will go to Heaven Minding Earthly Things!!!
But then it is at this point where we encounter the Tension and Peril that is Paired with this Privilege. For, occasionally, the High-Mindedness of our Calling is not balanced with the Humbleness of our Daily Walk. And so, we begin to Think More Highly of Ourselves than we ought to. It is at this point where we tend to lose that “likemindedness, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” We then start operating from the flesh, doing things thru strife or vainglory, rather than lowliness of mind esteeming others better than ourselves.
That why Paul exhorts us in Philippians 2:5, “Let This Mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” Thus in our Text at verse 2 of Numbers 2, Miriam and Aaron have allowed the high privilege of their calling to inflate the ego of the ‘Self.’
Notice that the questions asked were not asked Moses, but were asked of others.
Notice also that the first question posed seems not to stir the response they expected, and so they quickly had to add the second question.
The answer to their first question was ‘No.’ God had not spoken only thru or by Moses. But Miriam and Aaron weren’t the only two other people God had spoken thru either. Because back in chapter 11:16-29, the Lord had begun to speak to 70 Men of the elders of Israel also.
Which underscores the fact that there was Some Heavy Stuff on Moses - 11:17, 24-29.
The implication of their question was that Moses was not the only leader of the nation. That they needed to listen to someone other than Moses, them!!! That’s arrogant High-Mindedness!!!
And its Arrogant High-mindedness that gets the Lord’s attention. Verse 2 says, “And the Lord Heard It.” I think we need to pay attention to that phrase. The Lord hears our Criticism, Back-biting and Bad-Mouthing of His Anointed. He marks the speech of those who criticize His servants.
And verse 3 is in parenthesis as an editorial. It speaks of the character and demeanor of Moses. And that is significant because as a meek or humble person, Moses did not respond to the criticism. He did not try to defend himself against the attacks on his character and calling. He simply heard it and acted as if he didn’t hear. He did not respond to the accusations hurled against him.
And because of his humbleness and submissiveness to God’s will, God defended Moses. The Lord heard it!!! And its significant that verse 5 states that “the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud.” What the Lord heard caused Him To Come Down!!! I tell you, the Lord is actively concerned and engaged in the affairs of His people. This descension of God.
The mistake most people make is to equate a man of God with themselves. They say “He’s Just a man like Me.” Now that’s true to a point. The man of God is a man like any other man, in that, he is flesh and blood subject to the same passions, trials, temptations and fears as any other human. But he’s Man Plus in conjunction with God - verse 8.
I am convinced that speaking against a Man of God brings on the anger of the Lord - verse 9.
The proof is in verse 10. For those who have a Problem with the Color Black, God has an Answer - He curses them with the Color White. Sometimes being White is a Curse!!!
And since some have concluded that the man of God is just a man, God discounts that preconceived misconception. For it was only the Prayer of Moses that the Lord Heard - verse 13.
In closing let’s consider the Consequence of Rebelling Against Authentic Authority and Legitimate Leadership - verse 14-15.
Public Humiliation - With God, it’s A Shame to Speak Against Leadership because of Arrogant High-Mindedness. Thus, He Shuts Out the Offender from the Camp of the Committed. Shut Off from Fellowship. Shut Out from Contact. Shunned. Avoided.
We need to start treating the Critics as Lepers. Shut Them Out!!! Avoid their company.
Let God Be God in your Moods and Moments.
Let God Be God in your Speech.
Let God Be God in your Sickness.
Let God be God in your Chastisement.
