Good morning Everyone! Numbers Chapter 12.
As I read this chapter I have concluded that three ingredients make up a great leader or even a great Christian. They aren't the only three ingredients but if you were to only pick 3 to have, then these would be three great ones.
1. Humility
2. A Servant
3. Love
People tend to respect another person who is humble and even more so when you are a humble servant who serves others in love.
And if someone does rise up against you, whether it be a non-Christian or Christian, then your reputation will precede you. Their opposition will not be as convincing to the majority because the majority of others will side with you because you are a person with these three ingredients. In other words, you will be a person of integrity.
Also, God responds to his humble servants in their time of need. God will defend the humble servant.
Moses, even after being bad mouthed before the people, could have laughed at Aaron and Miriam when God rebuked them. He could have said you got what you deserved, but instead he responded with love.
1. In love, he forgave Miriam and Aaron for their sin against him.
2. In love, he listened to Aaron's cry for help.
3. In love, he prayed for his enemy Miriam and for her body to be healed.
Dear Lord help me to be a true humble servant, who loves others even if they oppose me. In Jesus name.
This verse made me think
2 “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this.
selfish selfish selfish, me me me
Too often we see this attitude in people….which leads to jealousy and sin
I appreciate your comments Brian! Thank you!
Chapter 11 is a practical lesson in envy – wanting what someone else has – whether a personality trait or skill, a gift or position. Envy can be very damaging. It wasn’t really about Moses’ new wife … it was about his position with God and his influence on the people. Envy must grieve God. If I say “why him and not me?” am I not saying “you goofed, Lord”? No wonder its offensive to Him.
This book was clearly inspired by God. Can you imagine how difficult it would have been for a humble man like Moses to write about his own humility? I can picture him red-faced as he wrote this.
oops – I meant chapter 12 – such a senior!!
We can see that Moses was a humble and loving servant who had integrity. I agree that those are excellent qualities to have as a leader and I think they are great ingredients for followers to have as well. We see the danger of envy in this chapter. I also thought about how gossip is like a disease too. When someone speaks poorly of another person, it can be ugly and spread like leprosy.
Chapter 11 contained complaining while chapter 12 jumped into envious words spoken from the brother and sister of Moses. Both involved the trouble that our tongues can get us into.
Here’s what we find in Ephesians 4:29. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
While there is a lot to learn from what Miriam and Aaron did regarding jealousy, envy, speaking out against those God has put in authority over us, what really stood out to me today was what God had to say about Moses. Could you imagine getting such a report from God himself?? He’s the most humble person on the entire earth, faithful in everything, and if that weren’t enough, he’s not like the other prophets that God speaks to through visions and dreams, God speaks to Moses face to face! And while he could have been angry or bitter or upset by his brother and sister speaking out against him, he showed compassion and pleaded for Miriam when she was struck with leprosy.