Thoughts on Numbers 12
So they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.) Numbers 12:2-3
James 4:6 says: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble
It was against Moses that Aaron and Mariam raised their voices. But it was the Lord who gave an answer to them.
Prayer: Today I pray for you and myself that for every voice of accusation that is raised against our destinies, our accusers will receive a “God- answer” in Jesus name. Amen.
Today’s chapter reveals to us the futility of choosing to become a busy body among the brethren. Yes, that man of God may have, by his indiscretion, opened the door to ridicule, just like Moses marrying an Ethiopian.
We must however exercise restraint in judging another man’s servant, lest we arouse the anger of that man’s master and are judged.
We are permitted as believers to earnestly contend for the faith, but not to contend with one another, especially with those that have the rule over us. Some like Mariam and Aaron may feel entitled by reason of relationship or closeness to the corridors of power, or even feel justified by reason of seniority in age. But God’s response to Mariam speaks volume that such an excuse is unacceptable!
The panacea to stumbling in this way is therefore, to tame our tongues (a little member that boasts of great things according to James 3:5)
As shown with Mariam’s punishment, the consequences of unguarded utterances due to biases can be grave.
Perhaps the reason why some are afflicted without knowing it, is connected to these. Pentecostalism is clearly not a justification for rascality in our utterances (even regarding our secular leaders) as elucidated in Jude 8-9,
“Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.
Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Jude 1:8-9 NKJV
Sadly, in this generation, more often than not, brethren throw caution to the wind and get caught up in momentous euphoria by lending their voices to the railings and rantings of the populace on leaders of the church via the different social media channels, thinking believers must not be left out, but should ventilate!
As we deeply commit to maturing in Christ, let’s be watchful and careful not to set ourselves on a collision course with God through our utterances. May the Holy Spirit grant us more insight where this applies to our lives in Jesus name.
