Feb.12 - Numbers 12 - 14

Wow! There is a lot that happens today! From these chapters we learn some very important lessons:

1) Being privately critical of God's servants may bring God's wrath! In chapter 12 Aaron and Miriam (Moses' brother and sister) had started to criticize Moses' marriage to Zipporah (the Cushite woman). Moses had sent her back to her father (along with his two sons) while he was in Egypt battling with Pharaoh (Exodus 18:2). Shortly after Moses and the Israelites arrived at Mount Sinai, Moses' father-in-law brought his wife, Zipporah, and his two sons (Gershom & Eliezer) to Moses. Apparently, Miriam didn't get along with Zipporah too well. Here in chapter 12 she complains to Aaron about her. She's obviously the one who's the instigator of the complaint by the very fact that God makes her leprous and not Aaron. Nevertheless, God was angry with both of them for even discussing the subject of Moses' wife in such a critical fashion! Notice what God does:
- Like a father who's getting ready to discipline his children, God orders all three to join Him at the Entrance of the Tabernacle - front and center!
- He then tells Aaron and Miriam to step forward! I bet they were nervous now!
- He exalts Moses above the status of a prophet!
- God asks, "Why were you not afraid to criticize my servant?" (vs.8)
- God makes Miriam leprous and casts her out of the camp for seven grueling days!

I don't know about you, but I'm going to very careful about criticizing others! The Bible says in 12:9 that God was "very angry." I certainly don't want God to get angry with me. I guess that's why David would not say anything against King Saul. David saw him as "God's annointed", even though Saul was sinful and proud in his ways. David knew the story we are reading here in Numbers 12 and took it to heart about criticizing God's servant. Who are you being critical of? Beware!

2) What obstacles are you afraid of that's keeping you in a desert relationship with God? It's been a little more than one year that the Israelites have been in the desert of Mount Sinai. God tells Moses to send out a search party of 12 men to investigate the land. Obviously, this was a test! No one needed to know how good the land was, God had already told them that it was a land "flowing with milk and honey." God wanted to test the faith of these men. Only Caleb and Joshua passed the test! The other 10 men were afraid of the descendents of Anak - actual giants who lived in the land (such as Goliath). This created fear among the entire community and they "began weeping aloud, and they cried all night (14:1)." They even desired to go back into the slave pits of Egypt (14:2-4)! Wow!
In spite of the good preaching that Joshua and Caleb did (14:6-9) to motivate and encourage the community to trust the Lord, these people took their eyes off of God and put it right on their human circumstances! In fact, they "began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb."
Over the years, many preachers and prophets have been criticized for encouraging faith in the Lord. People would rather wallow in the mud pits of despair than to courageously overcome obstacles by putting their faith in God! As a result, God restricted the Israelites. Those who were 20 years old and older (who have seen His glorious power executed again and again) were sentenced to die in the desert and to NEVER enter into the Promised Land! What a tragedy!
What Promised Land awaits you? What obstacles are you facing that are keeping you from growing and going with God? What do you fear? What is it you could of had, but aren't having because of your fear? Stop fearing, and trust the God of the Universe to blast you through to your Promised Land!
3) There's power in prayer! God's fury and impatience with Israel's lack of faith moves Him to raise his glorious presence "to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle" (14:10) He wants to make sure EVERYONE sees and hears Him! In front of all of them, God expresses His desire to disown them! But, Moses pleads in prayer in behalf of them and for the sake of His Glory and image to the world. What I find that is so amazing about this very story is that God changes His mind and responds affirmitively to Moses' prayer! Instead of wiping them out and creating a new nation from Moses' descendants, He punishes them with an additional 40 years in the desert! He will not allow any of them who are 20 years and older who has visibly seen and experienced his miraculous power again and again to enter into the Promised Land! They simply should have known better than to act like that - especially after all God has done for them.
This story tells me at least two very powerful truths:
1) God is very interested in what we have to say! God literally changed His mind in response to Moses' pleadings! He loves us so much that He's willing to change His mind when we ask Him to! But why? Why would the Creator respond to such insignificant, lowly, sinful, creatures such as us if it wasn't for His unfailing love for us? Since knowing this one fact about the effects of earnest prayer, I ask you...how will you pray in the future?
2) We better be quick learners! God's patience does run out! How many times does God have to prove His power, His faithfulness, His provision, His mercy, and His love before you'll "get it"? So many of us are JUST LIKE THE ISRAELITES - thick-headed and stubborn! God has to proved Himself over and over again. That's why it's good to meditate on Scripture. It allows you to drink in the goodness, faithfulness, and power of God! It allows you to "get it!"
Have a wonderful day in the Lord!