Fighting Not with Man, But with God
Numbers 12:9–14
"The anger of the LORD burned against them, and he left them. When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s skin was leprous—it became as white as snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease, and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.” So Moses cried out to the LORD, “Please, God, heal her!” The LORD replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.”
This episode is very difficult for me as well. Why only Miriam? Perhaps she instigated the complaint against Moses but if what? Is this a remarriage? Or an additional wife? A gentile, further from the line of Israel even. But I see here the brothers in real fear of God scrambling after the punishment of their sister. Aaron the priest begs Moses for forgiveness of a "foolishly committed" sin against God and His prophet; and Moses in turn pleads to God. I suppose as Meggie intimates this is ultimately the sin of pride on Aaron's and particularly Miriam's part: "The proud person always wants to do the right thing, the great thing. But because he wants to do it in his own strength, he is fighting not with man, but with God (Kierkegaard)." The Lord says, blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:3)." Humility is hard to come by, especially in these times of cut-throat competition when self-promotion and entitlement consumes us, and the temptations of pride are powerful on either extremes of superiority and inferiority complexes. Temper our thoughts Dear Lord, help us to have a healthy self-view that we may rise above our egos. Father, dissolve our haughty pride with Your great love. You have imparted Your great worth unto us and Christ is more than enough, to You be all glory on earth and in heaven. Amen.
"The anger of the LORD burned against them, and he left them. When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s skin was leprous—it became as white as snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease, and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.” So Moses cried out to the LORD, “Please, God, heal her!” The LORD replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.”
This episode is very difficult for me as well. Why only Miriam? Perhaps she instigated the complaint against Moses but if what? Is this a remarriage? Or an additional wife? A gentile, further from the line of Israel even. But I see here the brothers in real fear of God scrambling after the punishment of their sister. Aaron the priest begs Moses for forgiveness of a "foolishly committed" sin against God and His prophet; and Moses in turn pleads to God. I suppose as Meggie intimates this is ultimately the sin of pride on Aaron's and particularly Miriam's part: "The proud person always wants to do the right thing, the great thing. But because he wants to do it in his own strength, he is fighting not with man, but with God (Kierkegaard)." The Lord says, blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:3)." Humility is hard to come by, especially in these times of cut-throat competition when self-promotion and entitlement consumes us, and the temptations of pride are powerful on either extremes of superiority and inferiority complexes. Temper our thoughts Dear Lord, help us to have a healthy self-view that we may rise above our egos. Father, dissolve our haughty pride with Your great love. You have imparted Your great worth unto us and Christ is more than enough, to You be all glory on earth and in heaven. Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment