Winston Churchill is an important figure in world history. Without his leadership in World War II, all of history, let alone that of Great Britain, would be different. After the war, Churchill briefly left the role of Prime Minister only to return later. But more advanced in years and facing different challenges, his leadership was not the same.
There is a story from Churchill’s last year in office about when he attended a ceremony of some sort. Sitting behind him were two guys who saw Churchill and whispered, “That’s Winston Churchill.” Then they continued with, “They say he is getting senile,” and “They say he should step down and leave leading the nation to more capable people.” After the event ended, Churchill turned around to them and said, “Gentlemen, they also say he is deaf.”
It is easy for us to look at our leaders and peers thinking, “What an idiot.” We often share our opinions with those around us, and often a group we know will agree with us and affirm our assessment. Behind closed doors and in our coffee clutches klatches, we think our words are unnoticed and have no impact. But those words do matter.
Numbers 12:1-15(CSB)
Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because of the Cushite woman he married (for he had married a Cushite woman). They said, “Does the LORD speak only through Moses? Does he not also speak through us?” And the LORD heard it. Moses was a very humble man, more so than anyone on the face of the earth.
Suddenly the LORD said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “You three come out to the tent of meeting.” So the three of them went out. Then the LORD descended in a pillar of cloud, stood at the entrance to the tent, and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them came forward, he said,
“Listen to what I say. If there is a prophet among you from the LORD, I make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with Moses; he is faithful in all my household. I speak with him directly, openly, and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD.”
“So why are you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” The LORD’s anger burned against them, and he left.
As the cloud moved away from the tent, Miriam’s skin suddenly became diseased, resembling snow. When Aaron turned toward her, he saw that she was diseased and said to Moses, “My lord, please don’t hold against us this sin we have so foolishly committed. Please don’t let her be like a dead baby whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother’s womb.”
Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “God, please heal her!”
The LORD answered Moses, “If her father had merely spit in her face, wouldn’t she remain in disgrace for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp for seven days; after that she may be brought back in.” So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until Miriam was brought back in.
This is the Word of God.
For the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
Miriam and Aaron are the older sister and brother of Moses. It is from within his own family, and fellow leaders in the nation, that Moses is criticized. They have several issues with Moses, for starters, I can imagine they were not thrilled that their little brother was their overseer. Second, Miriam and Aaron took offense at their brother’s choice of wife. The last complaint is highlighted in verse 2 which says, “Does the Lord speak only through Moses? Does he not also speak through us?” This is a complaint that Moses was not the only one with gifts, so they felt they should be able to hold the same position as Moses.
If you read verse 3 with Moses in mind as the writer, it comes across as not so humble. Verse 3 says, “Moses was a very humble man, more so than anyone on the face of the earth.” Again, at face value, the statement seems self-serving. But the word translated “humble” in CSB can also mean “afflicted” and “terribly broken.” Moses is leading rebellious people and trying to get them to obey God so they can all get to the Promised Land. This comes with grumbling and complaining about him, now from within his circle.
Not sure how aware Moses is of Miriam and Aaron’s criticisms, but someone is very aware. “And the Lord heard,” is what ends verse 2. God is displeased with what Miriam and Aaron have had to say. Moses was the leader of God’s people because God picked Moses for the role. He was the mediator of God’s covenant with Israel, Moses receiving a word from God and then sharing it with God’s people. Miriam and Aaron both received inspiration and prophetic visions from God, but Moses had actual conversations with God. Everyone and their roles were important, but they were not the same.
God leaves, like a judge being done on the bench, and as He goes Miriam’s skin goes white with leprosy. Immediately, Aaron turns to Moses, the brother he just spoke out against, and says, “Please don’t hold against us this sin we have so foolishly committed.” Aaron is the high priest, the one offering sacrifices on behalf of the people for their sins, but here Aaron confesses his sin. And Aaron asks Moses to intercede on their behalf.
Moses shows that his heart is faithful to God and the people around him. He rises above what was said, crying out to God, “God please heal her!” He may be broken by all that has happened, but Moses is broken for his sister Miriam.
It may not seem like it, but God forgives Miriam. Miriam had spoken against Moses, a contemptible thing to God. The whole “father spitting in the face” speaks to the severity of her actions. Just as Miriam would have had to wait seven days outside the camp in that event, Miriam had to wait to return. Sin has consequences, God forgave Miriam, but she had to endure the discipline that followed.
Did you notice this sin had consequences for the entire community? Miriam and Aaron were the two individuals guilty of sin, but it hindered the progress of God’s people because they could not move until Miriam returned.
Sin will do the same with us. I do not necessarily mean physically sinful actions, though that will stop the train from moving. But the sin that is most dangerous to our mission to take Jesus to Estill County is grumbling. The words we speak in our homes against one another may never be heard beyond our dinner table, at least we think. God hears. It makes no difference who or what we grumble against, it is our hearts being defiant against God’s leading and the people He has given us in our fellowship.
We want our gatherings to be a place where we collectively experience God’s presence. His presence changes hearts, minds, and lives. Our services are lifeless, useless, and meaningless without the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit cannot work when we have huddles whispering against one another. And God’s presence among us will be blocked by our obstinate hearts too busy spilling sin from our mouths and stuffing it in our ears.
The truth of this passage is that grumbling reveals more about our hearts than about the object of our criticism. It reveals we want to conform others to our will instead of allowing them to follow Jesus. Grumbling reveals we want to have it our way instead of allowing God to have His way with us.
The way forward with Jesus and one another is without grumbling, allowing the Holy Spirit to wash over us. Allow the blood of Jesus to wash away our sins so we can witness and participate in the greater things God has for us.
Love covers a multitude of sins, including ill-spoken words. And love is here, His name is Jesus.