Bible Talks

Listen from:
Numbers 12:1-16
Something very sad takes place in our chapter—rebellion breaks out, and that among the leaders. First Moses’ father-in-law had said that it was too much for Moses to bear the burden of the people alone. Moses had then taken this up himself, and God had put His Spirit upon the seventy elders. Now Miriam and Aaron took it up, too, and rebelled against Moses, saying, “Hath the Lord spoken only by Moses?” How watchful we should be about little things, for one thing soon leads to another, and an open outbreak generally has a small beginning.
And yet how often these outbreaks of sin bring out the wondrous ways of God in grace! Miriam and Aaron had used the marriage of Moses to an Ethiopian woman, as the occasion of their rebellion, but we can see in this a beautiful type of the grace that has brought us poor Gentiles, who were once afar off, into a place of nearness as the bride of Christ, just as this poor black Ethiopian woman became the bride of Moses. This grace to the Gentiles incited the hatred of the Jews, and they have rebelled against the sovereignty of God (Acts 22:21,22), as Miriam and Aaron rebelled against Moses.
Moses, the meekest man in all the earth, left everything with. God. How good to do this when misunderstood! God will make known His mind and will vindicate His servants, as He viicated Moses here, but we must wait His time. If we have been misjudged, let us take all from the Lord, who aows such things for our good, because He sees we need it to keep us humble. Then, too, if He does clear us, let us not he puffed up by such tokens of His goodness. It is sad to see that even grace, which ought ever to humble us, will cause pride if we are not watchful.
There is nothing which our poor hearts will not glory, if the eye is off Christ! May He keep us!
The Lord then called Moses, Aaron and Miriam to come out to the tabernacle of the congregation, and said, “If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make Myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all Mine house ... Wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?” The Lord then departed, and Miriam, who was apparently the leader in the rebellion, became leprott, as white as snow. Aaron then said, “We have done foolishly ... we have sinned.” After all this, Moses showed a beautiful spirit of grace, and prayer. for Miriam, saying, “Heal her now, O God, I beseech Thee.” The Lord heard Moses’ cry, but Miriam had to be shut out of the camp for seven days. Even though Moses had shown the spirit of grace, God allowed Miriam to suffer for her sin, as well as rebuking Aaron, Let us remember that there is a government of God, and we have to reap what we sow in His ways, even though we have owned our sin. We notice also that God made a difference between Miriam and Aaron. He knows who is really at fault, and who stirs up the trouble, and He judges accordingly. How foolish to dunk that we can eape the government of God! He knows all—the very secrets of our hearts—and we can never escape His watchful eye. How many have to reap in later life the careless sowing of their youth. Let us be careful what we sow! (Gal. 6:7,8.)
ML 09/30/1951