Destructive Behavior
Numbers 12
“Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife…” vs. 1
Sharing Our Issues
Four pastors are meeting weekly to pray and just share what is going on in their churches and to support each other. One day they begin their meeting and one pastor says, “We just started some new groups and the coolest thing happened, they shared some of the things in their lives that they were afraid to tell people about and the group came around them, encouraged them, prayed for them and it was really very therapeutic. I was thinking maybe we could try that and it might help us get to know each other better. In fact, I’ll begin. I’ve never told anyone but I have a bit of a drinking problem. Every once in a while when the pressures of the job get to me I go to the local bar, sit way in the back where no one can see me and really get drunk.” The others are taken back by this and there is a silence. Finally, a second pastor speaks up and says, “Well, if you can share that I’ll share too. I have a bit of a gambling problem. I get a real rush out of laying some money down and trying to hit that big jackpot.” Wow, says the third pastor. I would have never imagined you having those issues. I guess I’ll go. I have a problem with lust. It’s pretty bad. In fact there is one lady in our congregation and every time I get up to speak all I can see is her and it’s really becoming more than I can handle but it feels so good to talk about it and get it out.” There is a long silence and finally the thirds pastor asks the fourth pastor if he wants to share. So finally he says, “Sure I guess so. My struggle is gossip and I can’t wait to get out of here and tell people what I just heard.”
Gossip is one thing that just destroys relationships. It’s been around a long time. Today we are going to look at a passage where gossip
Read Passage – Numbers 12
1 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. 2 “Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the LORD heard this. 3 (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) 4 At once the LORD said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the Tent of Meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them came out. 5 Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the Tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them stepped forward, 6 he said, “Listen to my words: “When a prophet of the LORD is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. 7 But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. 8 With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” 9 The anger of the LORD burned against them, and he left them. 10 When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam—leprous, like snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had leprosy; 11 and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. 12 Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.” 13 So Moses cried out to the LORD, “O God, please heal her!” 14 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.” 15 So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back. 16 After that, the people left Hazeroth and encamped in the Desert of Paran.
Family
Family plays important roles in our lives. Moses family played a huge role in just about everything he did. His family was from thelandofURand then settled inEgypt. We know
-Miriam
First there is Miriam. We first hear of Miriam in Exodus 2. She is Moses’ older sister and the one that watched over him when his mom put him in a basket and then in the Nile River to escape being killed by Pharaoh when he decreed that all the new born boys be slaughtered. She watched over Moses from her early years and she watched him grow and become this prince ofEgypt. But she was called by God too and was a big leader among the Israelites and a prophetess.
-Aaron
Aaron was Moses older brother and as Moses moved into the position of leading the people out ofEgypt, Moses wants his brother right by his side. He is Moses right hand man and when Moses feels inadequate to speak, it’s Aaron that speaks for him. Every time Moses goes to Pharaoh Aaron is right there with him.
Many of us are reminded of the importance of our family by our parents and they instill in us the idea that family is special.
Ex. My mom used to remind me often that friends would come and go but your family will be there your whole life. It seemed like every so often she had to remind me of that just to make sure I didn’t forget it.
We have certain expectations of people. When we think of family I think that we generally expect our family to treat us well. It might not always happen but it is kind of an unwritten rule that we are suppose to treat family well. When that doesn’t happen, I think the hurt is deeper because of the expectation.
A Critical Spirit
What happens to Aaron and Miriam is something that happens to many of us, after a while they develop a critical spirit. Things are going along and we sometimes get complacent, bored, to comfortable, and sometimes we just let the little things get to us. It’s important to note that they start becoming critical of Moses and that criticalness doesn’t just happen, it festers and developes in our spirit, out heart, and then it starts to come out in our words; and we need to remember that we will give account for our careless, critical words. In Matt 12:36 Jesus said:
“But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.” Matt. 12:36
When we let those things build in us, they begin to come out and they can be hurtful, painful, and tear apart our relationships.
For a moment, think about how hurt Moses must have felt, how deeply this hurt, how totally frustrating this was for him. I often say “You can pick on me but don’t you dare pick on my wife, kids, family!” It’s bad enough that others would do this let alone your own borther and sister who you serve with and count on. They are not only grumbling about him but are trying to oust him as leader too! Wow!
The Not So Silent Killers
They are trying to oust him and get to him through what I call “Not so silent killers.” There are two things that Miriam and Aaron do that have lived on through the ages and continue to plague our society, our churches, our families and our lives.
- Name Calling
The first not so silent killer is name-calling. Listen to verse I again:
“Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite.” vs. 1
“Oh that Cushite!” This is their sister-in-law. She is family. Her kids are their nephews and nieces. They celebrate birthdays and holidays with them. They travel with them, minister with them and probably lived near each other and they resort to name-calling. Name calling or labeling is a way that people seek to be superior to or control others. If you can label them, you can control them. We use name calling to put others down so we can build ourselves us. Think about it, what Miraim and Aaron are saying is that they are better than Moses and his wife Zipporah therefore they have the right to control what is happening with the Israelites.
In the New Testament Paul warns us about this in Eph. 4:31:
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” Ephesians 4:31 (bold and underline added)
Malice: desire to cause pain, injury, or distress to another.
Words can be so hurtful. We think words are…well…just words. But Paul categorizes them with bitterness, rage, anger, brawling and slander. That is a pretty big list of offenses.
- Focused On Their Plan Not God’s
The second thing Miraim and Aaron do is they shift their focus onto their plans and they forget God’s plan. Verse 2:
“Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” vs. 2
For some reason they are not feeling validated or respected. They see Moses getting the attention, the honor, respect, and they start thinking “I want some of that.” We are not really told why at this point they begin to challenge Moses authority but they have forgotten God’s plan and their idea is to insert their own plan. They’ve lost focus. When Israel loses focus later in history, during the time of the prophet Isaiah, he warns them in Isaiah 30:1:
“Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out plans that are not mine…” Isaiah 30:1
It is so easy to become inward focused, to think about what we want, what we “deserve” and what we feel is the right course of action.
How To Start The BEST Rumors
I began the year by telling you that one of my intentions for the year is to love people more. To truly appreciate people for who God created them to be, to affirm them, and to show more love. So today I want to put out a challenge to you today. My challenge is that I want you to start more rumors? Yes, you heard me correctly. I want you to start today make it a goal to start more rumors, in fact the BEST rumors, and I’m going to let you know what that looks like and how to do it.
Flip over your outline and follow along with me. Here is how to start the BEST rumors.
First, Build each other up.
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Paul says in 1 Thess. 5:11:
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…” 1 Thess. 5:11
And here is how to build each other up, to choose to say positive things instead of negative.
How:
For you and I to build each other up we need to look for the good in each person and then affirm that. Granted, in some people this may be hard, but I think the more we put this in our lives, the easier it will become to see the good in everyone and affirm that. Complaining, being negative, grumbling, are the easy way out. You might have to look hard to find the good but it is there.
Ex. The guy at the gym in the wheelchair always interrupting and running over peoples work area. I told him (after not seeing him for a few weeks) that the place wasn’t the same without him. What a great smile I got. And her start talking to me in a positive manner.
Second, encourage one another.
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In Hebrews 3:13 it says:
“But encourage one another daily…” Hebrews 3:13
Are you encouraging or discouraging? You might even be thinking, I am encouraging our even I don’t know how to be encouraging with all the stuff I’m dealing with. Here’s how to be encouraging: Look outside yourself.
How:
Looking outside yourself is giving someone attention and making them feel important, wanted, loved, heard. Sometimes we spend more time and energy trying to get away from people when giving them just a moment is a better solution. Also, don’t you know when someone is blowing you off or not paying attention or just can[‘t wait to tell you their story and not really listiening to yours? Of course you do, I do.
Ex. Praying for the kid that was hit my electricity
Third, and this is so important, speak the truth, always.
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Paul tells us in Eph. 4:15:
“Speak the truth in love…” Ephesians 4:15
So this is how you speak the truth; you only say what is true and when you do, speak it in love.
How:
On of the quickest ways for us to lose our witness with others is to say false things, to “stretch the truth” and that makes us untrustworthy. The way you say things and the tenderness you say them with has a lot to do with how they are received.
Ex. Valentine’s Day hearts we made with the Youth Group
Finally, fourth, Take Pleasure In Connecting; especially connecting with family and church family.
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Taking pleasure is connecting is finding the enjoyment of others. This is how you do that; by going deeper with people, letting them in your life and getting deeper into theirs.
How:
Going deeper is the idea of dropping your waterline, letting people see more of who you are, and seeing more of who they are.
Ex. Pick people out of the congregation and compliment them. Go beyond the superficial, do deeper.
