And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it. (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth(Num. 12:1-3).
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (James 4:2-3). Jealousy is an ugly emotion, but it has been around since the earliest days of creation. Jealousy of man’s relationship with God moved the serpent to tempt Eve in the garden of Eden (Gen. 3:1-5). It was jealousy over God’s approval of his brother’s sacrificial offering that motivated Cain to murder his brother Abel (Gen. 4:1-16.) And it was jealousy that caused Joseph’s brothers to turn against him and eventually sell him into slavery (Gen. 37). In today’s reading, it is jealousy that motivates Miriam and Aaron to speak out against their brother, Moses. And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us?
We have no way of knowing why the siblings were angered by Moses’ marriage to the Ethiopian woman, but it quickly becomes evident that their stated reason doesn’t matter. The root cause of their complaint goes much deeper than whatever immediate irritation they were experiencing. Aaron was God’s appointed High Priest (Ex. 28:1), and Miriam was a prophetess to the people in her own right (Ex. 15:20), but even as they served the Lord, they had both allowed seeds of jealousy over the success of their younger brother Moses to grow and fester. Their disapproval of Moses’ new wife caused it to burst to the surface and overflow into bitter, complaining words.
The type of jealousy evidenced by Aaron and Miriam is, unfortunately, widespread among Christians today. Ideally, each member of the body of Christ will eagerly embrace the role He has given them, measuring his or her personal performance only on the basis of its acceptability to God. What often happens, however, falls far short of that ideal. Instead of focusing on his own task in relation to God, the person looks instead to the works and status of his neighbor and measures his worth based off of what he sees. When he feels that his neighbor comes out ahead in that assessment, the seeds of jealousy and discontent are planted.
God’s reaction to the grumblings of Miriam and Aaron made His position clear. There is no room for selfish competition or jealousy in the body of Christ. God, and God alone, is the one who determines our rightful ‘place’ in His service, and God alone has the right to judge if our service is acceptable to Him. Our responsibility is to remain focused on Him and to give him our best effort.
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another (Rom. 12:3-5).
Thought for Today: Jealousy over God’s love for another is the same mistake that drove the devil into hell.
Christ Portrayed: By Moses, who was very meek (humble), above all the men which were upon the face of the earth (Num.12:3). Jesus said: I am meek (gentle, mild) and lowly in heart (Matt. 11:29).
Word Studies: 12:3 meek = humble, gentle; 12:8 apparently = clearly; in dark speeches = difficult to understand; similitude = likeness; 12:13 beseech = beg.
Pray For Government Officials:Rep. Steve Womack (AR), Rep. Jared Huffman (CA), Rep. Brett Guthrie (KY) • Country: Seychelles (91,650) Indian Ocean • Major Languages: Seychellois Creole, English, French • Religious Freedom • 76.2% Roman Catholic; 10.6% Protestant; 2.4% Other Christian; 2.4% Hindu; 1.6% Muslim; 1.1% Other Non-Christian; 4.8% Unspecified; 0.9% None • Prayer Suggestion: Confess your sins to the Lord; He is merciful and forgiving (Dan. 9:4-9).
Optional Reading:Luke 5