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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
NUMBERS 12
LESSON #14
DEALING WITH NEGATIVE ATTITUDES IN THE FAMILY
v MEMORY VERSE: MAT 5:11
v THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THE BIBLE IS THAT THE ATTITUDES AND CONDUCT OFLEADERS ARE NOT WHITE-WASHED TO MAKE THEM APPEAR PERFECT. THIS ASPECT OF THE BIBLE ISVASTLY DIFFERENT THAN THE WRITINGS FROM OTHER RELIGIONS WHOSE HEROES ALWAYS APPEARPERFECT. IN THE BIBLE, WE SEE THAT THE HEROES OF THE FAITH ARE, IN FACT, VERY HUMAN ANDTHEY MAKE MISTAKES. GOD INCLUDED THESE MISTAKES AND PROBLEMS IN THE BIBLE FOR TWO REASONS:
Ø GOD WANTS US TO LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES AND FAILURES.
§ THE BIBLE ALWAYS EMPHASIZES THE SINFULNESS OF MAN AND HOW HE FALLS SHORT OFGODS STANDARDS OF EXPECTATION.
Ø GOD WANTS US TO SEE MANS NEED OF GOD.
§ THE BIBLE ALWAYS EMPHASIZES THE GLORIOUS PERFECTION OF GOD EXTENDED TO MANIN MERCY AND GRACE.
v IN THIS CHAPTER WE SEE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS IN MOSES OWN FAMILY. WESEE HOW NEGATIVE COMPLAINING SPREAD FROM THE MIXED MULTITUDE (THE FRINGE-ERS) TO THE RESTOF THE CAMP (THE TAG-ERS) AND EVEN TO THE LEADERS (THE MOVE-ERS).
v READ NUM 12:1-4 A FAMILYPROBLEM
Ø WHO WAS MIRIAM?
§ SHE WAS MOSES OLDER SISTER. REMEMBER SHE WAS THE PERSON WHO WATCHEDOVER MOSES WHEN HE WAS A BABY. SHE SAW HER MOTHER PUT HIM IN THE BASKET ON THE NILE RIVER.SHE SAW THE EGYPTIAN PRINCESS FIND MOSES IN THE BASKET. MIRIAM SUGGESTED THAT THE PRINCESSFIND A NURSEMAID (MOSES MOTHER). AS AN OLDER SISTER, MIRIAM WAS CONCERNED ABOUTMOSES. SHE SAW GOD DO MARVELOUS THINGS THROUGH HIM. HOWEVER, PERHAPS THERE WAS ALSO SOMEJEALOUSY OF THE ADVANTAGES MOSES HAD RECEIVED. SHE GREW UP IN A POOR JEWISH HOME INSLAVERY. MOSES GREW UP IN THE WEALTHY PALACE OF THE PHARAOH WITH EVERY MATERIAL ANDEDUCATIONAL ADVANTAGE.
Ø WHO WAS AARON?
§ AARON WAS AN OLDER BROTHER OF MOSES. WE ALWAYS SEE HIM VERY MUCH INVOLVED INMOSES MINISTRY AFTER GOD CALLS HIM TO LEAD THE PEOPLE OUT OF EGYPT. FROM THEBEGINNING, MOSES FELT INADEQUATE AND SOUGHT TO INVOLVE AARON TO HELP HIM. AT THE BURNINGBUSH WHEN MOSES MET GOD, MOSES SAID HE WAS UNABLE TO SPEAK. GOD TOLD HIM TO TAKE AARON TOSPEAK FOR HIM. HOWEVER, WE NEVER SEE AARON SPEAK FOR MOSES. FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, INFRONT OF PHARAOH, IT WAS MOSES WHO SPOKE. AARON WAS MADE THE HIGH PRIEST. WHEN MOSES WENTTO MEET GOD AT MT. SINAI, AARON GAVE IN TO THE COMPLAINTS AND PRESSURE FROM THE PEOPLE ANDALLOWED THE PEOPLE TO MAKE THE GOLDEN CALF IDOL. THE REBELLIOUS PEOPLE WERE PUNISHED, BUTAARON ESCAPED ANY PUNISHMENT PROBABLY BECAUSE HE REPENTED.
§ BOTH MIRIAM AND AARON WERE PROPHETS OF GOD. THIS ADVANTAGE WENT TO THEIRHEADS AND PRIDE WAS THE RESULT. THIS PRIDE, THEREFORE, IS THE UNDERLYING CAUSE OF THISFAMILY PROBLEM.
Ø THE COMPLAINT:
§ MIRIAM COMPLAINS ABOUT MOSES BLACK WIFE.
· MOSES HAD FLED FROM EGYPT FOR FEAR OF DEATH HAVING KILLED AN EGYPTIANSOLDIER. HE FLED TO MIDIAN. THERE HE MARRIED ZIPPORAH, A MIDIANITE, WHEN HE WAS A SHEPHERDFOR ZIPPORAHS FATHER. THIS WAS BEFORE HE LED THE ISRAELITES OUT OF EGYPT. WE DO NOTKNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO ZIPPORAH BECAUSE THE BIBLE DOES NOT TELL US. WE KNOW SHE CAME OUT OFEGYPT WITH THE ISRAELITES BECAUSE THE LAST REFERENCE TO HER IS AT MT. SINAI (EXO 18:2). WEDO NOT KNOW IF SHE DIED THERE.
· THISNEW BLACK WIFE WAS AN ETHIOPIAN WOMAN. THE BIBLE DOESNT TELL US WHY HE TOOK THISWOMAN AS HIS WIFE.
§ BASED ON BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES, WHAT IS GODS VIEW OF INTER-RACIALMARRIAGE?
· THE BIBLE NEVER PROHIBITS CHRISTIANS FROM MARRYING PERSONS OF ANOTHER RACE.IT IS SOCIETY AS A WHOLE THAT OFTEN LOOKS DOWN ON IT. BECAUSE OF SOCIETYS ATTITUDES,INTER-RACIAL MARRIAGE CAUSES ADDED PRESSURES AND PROBLEMS IN A MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP THATWOULD NOT ORDINARILY BE THERE.
¨ THE ONLY NEW TESTAMENT PROHIBITIONS FOR CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE ARE A BELIEVERSMARRIAGE TO A NON-BELIEVER. (2COR 6:14)
· IN THE OLD TESTAMENT IT WAS THE JEWISH PRACTICE TO AVOID MARRYING CANAANITESBECAUSE THEY WERE UNCIRCUMCISED IDOLATERS. (GEN 24:3 GEN 28:1) GOD PROHIBITEDINTERMARRIAGE WITH OTHER NATIONS IN EXO 34:12. IT WAS NOT BECAUSE OF RACE BUT BECAUSE OF UNBELIEF.THEREFORE, THE NEW TESTAMENT PROHIBITION AGAINST MARRYING A NON-BELIEVER IS SIMPLY ANEXTENTION OF THIS IDEA FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT. WHEN THE ISRAELITES ENTERED THE PROMISEDLAND, GOD TOLD THEM NOT TO INTERMARRY WITH THE PEOPLE IN THE LAND BECAUSE THESE PEOPLEWERE HEATHEN IDOLATERS. INSTEAD THEY WERE TO KILL ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND. (NUM33:55) THE JEWS OFTEN VIOLATED THIS PROHIBITION, AND IT RESULTED IN RAMPANT IDOLATRY INTHE LAND. KING SOLOMON IS A GOOD EXAMPLE. (1KI 11:1-3)
¨ HOW DO WE KNOW THAT GODS PROHIBITION OF INTER-MARRIAGE WITH HEATHENPEOPLE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT WAS NOT BASED ON RACE?
Ø THE CLASSIC CASE IS THE BOOK OF RUTH. NAOMIS SON MARRIED RUTH, AMOABITE. WHEN THIS SON DIED, RUTH AND NAOMI RETURN TO THE PROMISED LAND. BOAZ MARRIES RUTHIN BETHLEHEM. SHE IS A GENTILE, FOUND IN THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST AND HONORED.
§ THE BIBLE DOES NOT TELL US SPECIFICALLY ABOUT MIRIAMS AND AARONSOBJECTION TO THE ETHIOPIAN WOMAN. USUALLY PEOPLE ASSUME IT WAS HER RACE. IT MAY HAVE BEEN.IN ANY EVENT, WE CAN CONCLUDE THAT RACE WAS NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE HERE. ITWAS ONLY A MEANS TO BRING A COMPLAINT AGAINST MOSES. OPPOSITION TO MOSES MARRIAGEWAS AN EXCUSE TO JUSTIFY THEIR OWN PRIDE.
§ MOSES RESPONSE AND GODS SOLUTION:
· THE BIBLE TELLS US MOSES WAS MEEK. USUALLY WE EQUATE MEEKWITH WEAK. HOWEVER, THE BIBLE DEFINITION OF MEEK IS = TO BE UNDERTHE CONTROL OF GOD.
¨ MOSES DECIDED TO LET GOD HANDLE THE SITUATION.
Ø GODS SOLUTION WAS TO SETTLE IT WITHIN THE FAMILY. (4)
v READ NUM 12:6-9
Ø IN OUR LESSON IN NUM 11, REMEMBER THAT MOSES DID NOT FORBID TWO MEN FROMPROPHESYING IN THE CAMP.
Ø MIRIAM AND AARON THOUGHT THAT BECAUSE THEY HAD RECEIVED WORDS OF PROPHECYFROM GOD, THEY KNEW BETTER THAN MOSES. GOD INDICATES THAT HEARING FROM HIM FACE TO FACE ISBETTER THAN PROPHECY.
§ HEARING FROM GOD DIRECTLY AND PERSONALLY IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN A DREAM, AVISION, OR A PROPHECY. WHY?
· SATAN CAN AND DOES SOMETIMES USEDREAMS AND VISIONS TO DECEIVE PEOPLE. SATAN COUNTERFEITS THE THINGS OF GOD TO APPEAR AS AMESSENGER OF LIGHT. (2COR 11:14)
§ THEREFORE, MOSES HAD MOREDIRECT CONTACT WITH GOD THAN MIRIAM OR AARON. HOWEVER, MOSES, TOO, WAS A PROPHET. HOWEVER,EVIDENTLY HE WAS A VERY SPECIAL KIND OF PROPHET IN THAT GOD DEALT DIFFERENTLY WITH HIMTHAN WITH ANY OTHER OLD TESTAMENT PROPHET. IN THIS SENSE, MOSES IS A PREFIGURE, OR TYPE OFJESUS CHRIST.
· READ DEU 18:15-19
¨ BEFORE MOSES DIES HE PROPHECIES THAT JESUSCHRIST WILL BE THE GREATEST PROPHET. THE PURPOSE WAS TO ENABLE MAN TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFYCHRIST WHEN HE CAME. GODS PROPHECY THROUGH MOSES SAID THAT THIS COMING PROPHET WOULDBE LIKE MOSES BUT EVEN GREATER.
v READ NUM 12:10-16 GODS JUDGMENT
Ø THE FIRST PART OF GODS JUDGMENT: THE CLOUD OF GODS PRESENCE DEPARTED. WHY?
§ REMEMBER THAT SIN SEPARATESMAN FROM GOD. GODS PRESENCE WILL NOT REMAIN WHEN A PERSON IS IN UNREPENTANT SIN.
· NOTICE THAT THE WHOLE GROUPSUFFERS BECAUSE OF ONE PERSONS SIN ESPECIALLY IF THAT PERSON IS A LEADER.
¨ GODS PRESENCE DEPARTED FROM THE WHOLECAMP, NOT JUST FROM MIRIAM AND AARON.
· NOTICE THAT THE JOURNEY OF THEWHOLE CAMP WAS DELAYED FOR ONE WEEK BECAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT.
¨ THEREFORE, WE CAN DETERMINE THAT THESPIRITUAL PROGRESS OF A WHOLE GROUP CAN BE DELAYED BECAUSE OF ONE LEADERS SIN.
Ø THIS IS THE IMPORTANT EMPHASIS WE SEE IN THEBOOK OF NUMBERS:
§ THE INDIVIDUALSRESPONSIBILITY TO THE WHOLE GROUP.
§ THE PROGRESS OF THE GROUPIS AFFECTED BY THE ATTITUDES AND ACTIONS OF THE INDIVIDUALS.
Ø THE SECOND PART OF GODS JUDGMENT: MIRIAM BECAME LEPROUS
§ IF MIRIAMS OBJECTIONTO MOSES WIFE WAS BECAUSE OF RACE, THEN WE SEE GODS SENSE OF HUMOR HERE. IFMIRIAM THOUGHT THAT WHITE SKIN WAS BETTER THAN BLACK SKIN, GOD GAVE HER EVEN MOREWHITENESS ON HER SKIN. HE GAVE HER LEPROSY.
· REMEMBER WE TALKED ABOUT LEPROSYBEING A SYMBOL OF SIN THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE. THEREFORE, THIS LEPROSY IS A PHYSICAL, OUTWARDMANIFESTATION OF MIRIAMS SIN OF PRIDE.
· WHY DID AARON NOT GET LEPROSY,TOO?
¨ MIRIAM WAS EVIDENTLY THE LEADER IN THEREBELLION AGAINST MOSES. AARON WAS A FOLLOWER. HOW DO WE KNOW THIS?
Ø IT WAS UNUSUAL TO PUT A WOMANS NAMEBEFORE A MANS NAME IN A LIST. ONLY IF THE WOMAN IS THE LEADER, WOULD HER NAME APPEARFIRST. NUM 12:1 PUTS MIRIAMS NAME FIRST. THIS INDICATES HER LEADERSHIP IN THEREBELLION. ALSO THE HEBREW VERB SPOKE IN VERSE 1 IS IN THE FEMININE FORM. ITWAS MIRIAM WHO DID THE SPEAKING.
Ø AARON CONFESSED HIS SIN IMMEDIATELY BUTMIRIAM DID NOT. (NUM 12:11)
§ THROUGH THE BIBLE AARON ISNOT A VERY STRONG CHARACTER IN STANDING UP FOR GOD. HE OFTEN SHOWS HIS WEAKNESSES AND HISCOMPROMISING NATURE WHEN HE IS EASILY PERSUADED BY OTHERS. HOWEVER, WE SEE HIM QUICKLYREPENT WHEN HE REALIZES HIS SIN.
Ø AARON WAS THE HIGH PRIEST. IF HE HAD LEPROSY,HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ENTER THE TABERNACLE AND SERVE AS A PRIEST.
v APPLICATION:
Ø DISCUSSION:
§ WHAT WAS MOSESATTITUDE THROUGHOUT THIS EVENT?
§ WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THISCHAPTER TO HELP US DEAL WITH FAMILY PROBLEMS THAT INVOLVE DISAGREEMENTS OF OPINION?
v HOMEWORK
v NUMBERS13
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY.PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER.
v APPLICATION OF NUM 12
§ CAN YOU THINK OF A TIMEWHEN YOU ACTED LIKE MOSES DURING CRITICISM FROM OTHERS?
§ CAN YOU THINK OF A TIMEWHEN YOU ACTED LIKE MIRIAM IN CRITICISING OTHERS?
§ WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE YOURACTIONS MORE LIKE MOSES OR MORE LIKE MIRIAM. EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER.
v PREPARATION FOR NUM 13
§ READ NUM 13
¨ EVALUATE THE REPORT OF THE 12 SPIES: MAKE ALIST OF THE POSITIVE PARTS AND THE NEGATIVE PARTS OF THEIR REPORT.
¨ WHICH OF THE TWO PARTS WAS GREATER?
¨ FIND THE POSITIVE CONFESSION OF FAITH.
¨ WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN APOSITIVE CONFESSION OF FAITH AND A VERY REALISTIC VIEW OF THINGS?
v MEMORY VERSE: 2CORINTHIANS 5:7 OR PSALMS 37:5
