Jealousy and Rebellion can lead to leprosy

Scripture:

Numbers 12:1-16 Miriam and Aaron talked against Moses behind his back because of his Cushite wife (he had married a Cushite woman). (2) They said, "Is it only through Moses that GOD speaks? Doesn't he also speak through us?" GOD overheard their talk. (3) Now the man Moses was a quietly humble man, more so than anyone living on Earth. (4) GOD broke in suddenly on Moses and Aaron and Miriam saying, "Come out, you three, to the Tent of Meeting." The three went out. (5) GOD descended in a Pillar of Cloud and stood at the entrance to the Tent. He called Aaron and Miriam to him. When they stepped out, (6) he said, Listen carefully to what I'm telling you. If there is a prophet of GOD among you, I make myself known to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. (7) But I don't do it that way with my servant Moses; he has the run of my entire house; (8) I speak to him intimately, in person, in plain talk without riddles: He ponders the very form of GOD. So why did you show no reverence or respect in speaking against my servant, against Moses? (9) The anger of GOD blazed out against them. And then he left. (10) When the Cloud moved off from the Tent, oh! Miriam had turned leprous, her skin like snow. Aaron took one look at Miriam--a leper! (11) He said to Moses, "Please, my master, please don't come down so hard on us for this foolish and thoughtless sin. (12) Please don't make her like a stillborn baby coming out of its mother's womb with half its body decomposed." (13) And Moses prayed to GOD: Please, God, heal her, please heal her. (14) GOD answered Moses, "If her father had spat in her face, wouldn't she be ostracized for seven days? Quarantine her outside the camp for seven days. Then she can be readmitted to the camp." (15) So Miriam was in quarantine outside the camp for seven days. The people didn't march on until she was readmitted. (16) Only then did the people march from Hazeroth and set up camp in the Wilderness of Paran.

Observation:

Moses didn't have a Jewish wife because he lived with the Egyptians the first 40 years of his life, and he was in the wilderness the next 40 years. The woman is probably not Zipporah, his first wife, who was a Midianite (see Exodus 2:21). A Cushite was an Ethiopian. There is no explanation given for why Miriam objected to this woman.

People often argue over minor disagreements, leaving the real issue untouched. Such was the case when Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses. They represented the priests and the prophets, the two most powerful groups next to Moses. The real issue was their growing jealousy of Moses' position and influence. Since they could not find fault with the way Moses was leading the people, they chose to criticize his wife. Rather than face the problem squarely by dealing with their envy and pride, they chose to create a diversion from the real issue. When you are in a disagreement, stop and ask yourself if you are arguing over the real issue or if you have introduced a smoke screen by attacking someone's character. If you are unjustly criticized, remember that your critics may be afraid to face the real problem. Don't take this type of criticism personally. Ask God to help you identify the real issue and deal with it.

After Miriam was stricken with leprosy, Aaron then asked that he and Miriam not be punished for their sin. It is easy to look back at our mistakes and recognize their foolishness. It is much harder to recognize foolish plans while we are carrying them out because somehow then they seem appropriate. To get rid of foolish ideas before they turn into foolish actions requires eliminating our wrong thoughts and motives. Failing to do this caused Miriam and Aaron much grief.

Spitting in someone's face was considered the ultimate insult and a sign of shame imposed on wrongdoers. The religious leaders spat in Jesus' face to insult him (Matthew 26:67). God punished Miriam for her smug attitude not only toward Moses' authority but also God's. He struck her with leprosy, then ordered her out of the camp for a week. This punishment was actually quite lenient. A week was the length of time she would have been excluded if her father had spit in her face. How much more she deserved for wronging God! Once again, God was merciful while retaining effective discipline.

Application:

How does this apply to me?

How easy it is to "talk behind someone's back." It really is very cowardly, and we all fall into this sin probably more often than we admit. God shows His thoughts and attitude towards it by what happened to Miriam in our text. She poke against her brother (Moses), behind his back, and all of a sudden God appears in the midst of them. His anger was very real and as He leaves Miriam is stricken with leprosy. Leprosy will eat away at your flesh until you finally die. Aaron, her brother, cries out to God and Moses and begs for forgiveness. God grants forgiveness, but Miriam has to stat outside the camp for seven days. There are always consequences to our sin. Sins ALWAYS causes something to die. It may be respect, reputation, trust, peace...but something dies when we sin.

We live in a day where very little is respected anymore. You hear children saying "yeah" or "yes" to their adult parents and other adults as well. Many people leave their hats on during the National Anthem. Many more run off with their mouth putting down church leadership, and God is not amused by it at all. It is sin, and it will leave something in your life dead. As previously mentioned, to talk about anyone behind their back is a horrible example to our children, our co-workers, our friends, and our spouses. It is also the epitome of cowardice.

Are you inflicted with spiritual leprosy because of your rebellious or jealous spirit towards someone? Leprosy, as a type of sin, will eat away at your spirit man little by little, until it leaves you a shell of the person you used to be with very little positive influence. God forgive me for the times I have become careless with my mouth. Forgive me for the times I have spoken "behind someone's back" behaving as a coward and anything but Christlike. I do not want spiritual leprosy to attack my testimony and my reputation.

I choose today to be much more careful in the words that come out of my mouth. As Proverbs 18:21 says, Proverbs 18:21 "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits." I will eat for years to come the fruit of my words. So I truly need to be careful what I say. When I get hurt, I am much more likely to say something that as a Christian I really shouldn't. When I do speak from frustration, most of the time, I am the one that comes out looking foolish, and unChristlike, regardless how justified I think I might be.

Therefore, I need to guard my heart and shut the door to any rebellion or jealousy that the enemy will try to sneak into my life. Then "shut my mouth" to anything that could cause harm to the body of Christ...or my testimony. Read the example that Jesus left us while He was in the middle of pain and abuse in His life:

Matthew 27:13-14 Pilate asked him, "Do you hear that long list of accusations? Aren't you going to say something?" (14) Jesus kept silence--not a word from his mouth. The governor was impressed, really impressed.

Jesus was falsely accused, treated badly in front of people that He loved and respected...but He kept His mouth shut! He kept silent, so much so that Pilate was impressed, really impressed. The question I have for myself today is, "When was the last time anyone was impressed because I kept my mouth shut even while being falsely accused?" Wow, I don't like the answer!

How about you?

Prayer:

"Lord, please forgive me for the times that I have allowed a rebellious, jealous spirit sneak into my life. Nothing good ever comes out of that. Nothing. I have seen it too often in churches and staffs where one person thinks she/he isn't being treated as good as another one, and they slowly, subtly (just like the devil) begin to leak poison into the body of Christ through their attitudes and words. This ought not to be Lord. I have been guilty of it myself in the past, and I am so sorry. I ask you to forgive me for the cowardice action of talking behind someone's back. It is not Christlike in any form or fashion, and I ask you to forgive me. I realize that I will eat the fruit of my lips for many years to come, so I want them to be sweet to the taste and not bitter or hurtful. I am so thankful for this powerful SOAP that you have used to clean another area of my life today. I know you have forgiven me and removed any spiritual leprosy from my life. Thank you for your faithfulness in my life, daily! In Jesus' name, amen!"