shamed – Praying Pint

46.y. “Wilderness” – 11.d. “Do all things without grumbling or disputing”

Num 12:10 When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. And Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have done foolishly and have sinned. Let her not be as one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother’s womb.” And Moses cried to the LORD, “O God, please heal her—please.” But the LORD said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.” So Miriam was shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again.

Philippians 2:14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing,

James 5:9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.

Leprosy was a disease where the body rotted and decayed. It was considered a “walking death” – and Miriam had an advanced case of leprosy (white as snow) instantly. At this moment, God caused her body to reflect her heart. (Guzik)

The cloud departed, and Miriam became leprous. When God goes, evil comes: expect no good when God departs. Her foul tongue, as Bishop Hall says, was justly punished with a foul face. Aaron, as priest, was judge of the leprosy. He could not pronounce her leprous without trembling, knowing himself to be equally guilty. But if she was thus punished for speaking against Moses, what will become of those who sin against Christ? Aaron, who joined his sister in speaking against Moses, is forced for himself and his sister, to beseech him, and to speak highly of him whom he had so lately blamed. Those who trample upon the saints and servants of God, will one day be glad to make court to them. It is well when rebukes produce confession of sin and repentance. Such offenders, though corrected and disgraced, shall be pardoned. Moses made it appear, that he forgave the injury done him. To this pattern of Moses, and that of our Saviour, who said, Father, forgive them, we must conform. A reason is given for Miriam’s being put out of the camp for seven days; because thus she ought to accept the punishment of her sin. When under the tokens of God’s displeasure for sin, it becomes us to take shame to ourselves. This hindered the people’s progress in their march forward towards Canaan. Many things oppose us, but nothing so hinders us in the way to heaven, as sin. (Henry)

What is it that causes us to grumble, whine, complain, and find fault?

When our eyes are focused on ourselves and lose sight of God.
When God’s Word is neglected.
When we become complacent about the things of God.
When pride and jealousy find root in our hearts.
When we forget our own sinfulness.
When feel we have been wronged and want justice.
And a host of other non-God-honoring thoughts, actions, and words.

I have seen churches split and pastors removed because of the grumbling of those whose pride and self-worth speak out as if they are beyond reproach and as if God does not see or hear them. Don’t get e wrong. We all have had moments of “grumbling” and would be leprous as Miriam if God commuted judgment on us. The point is the want, need, and desire to be close to God and live with His Word always in our hearts and mind, with a single purpose in all of the days of our lives to honor and glorify Him in all of our thoughts, words, and actions. If this was our heart’s desire, then there would be no room for seeds of grumbling to root and take hold and grow into words and actions contrary to this purpose.

22. Do not punish us because we have done foolishly and have sinned.

Numbers 12:1 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. And they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth. And suddenly the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.” And the three of them came out. And the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward. And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed.

When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. And Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have done foolishly and have sinned. Let her not be as one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother’s womb.” And Moses cried to the Lord, “O God, please heal her—please.” But the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.” So Miriam was shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again.

We all can have temptation to see things and question the hand of God in them. We all can have the temptation of seeing ourselves much higher and better than we are. Here we see Aaron and his wife wanting to be recognized for being ones whom God used for speaking His message to the people. They spoke badly of Moses to lift themselves up. Do you ever wonder why God would include these aspects of history in His word? Could it be to give us insight into human nature and how easy it is for us to get sideways in our thinking?

We get thoughts that come into our head and if they are not recognized for what they are there is a good chance for them to take root. Once they have taken root they seem to grow and produce fruit that is not God-honoring. In fact, they produce works of sinful desire, greed, pride, lust, hate, prejudice, and love of self.

We can recognize these thoughts for what they are when we spend time in His word each day seeking God to speak to your heart and mind on how we might honor, serve, glorify and obey Him. It is not rocket science to know that what we spend feeding our mind will eventually come out “whatever a man sows so shall he reap” Good or bad.

Remember it only takes one conscious decision to commit to reading His word, and likewise, it only takes one to neglect it.

Turned their back to Me, not their face

Zechariah 11:15 Then the LORD said to me, “Take once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd. For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd who does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young or heal the maimed or nourish the healthy, but devours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hoofs. “Woe to my worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! Let his arm be wholly withered, his right eye utterly blinded!”

Lamentations 2:14 Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; they have not exposed your iniquity to restore your fortunes, but have seen for you oracles that are false and misleading.

Ezekiel 13:3 Thus says the Lord GOD, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!

Isaiah 6:10 Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Jeremiah 2:26 “As a thief is shamed when caught, so the house of Israel shall be shamed: they, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets, who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ For they have turned their back to me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble they say, ‘Arise and save us!’

Matthew 15:14 Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

We are given so many examples of the sinful nature we are born with and the consequences of it. I can’t recall the last time I have heard preaching/teaching warning us of the consequences of a life that is not fully committed to God. It seems as though all we hear is about God’s grace, mercy, love, and our place in heaven. These are all true and foundational in our reason for repenting and turning away from sin to God’s redemption. It seems as though through His great and steadfast love we come to Him for a moment in time and then live as though we are one and done on the decision to follow Him with our whole heart. We give no thought to what it means to commit with our whole mind, soul and heart and live each day to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey. Note the scriptures this morning -“As a thief is shamed when caught”….They know they have done wrong in their commitment to God. Note the choice made – “they have turned their backs to me not their faces but in time of trouble they say save us”. We are not to take our walk with God lightly. This walk requires constant time in His word, courage, patience, faith, hope, commitment, heart deep desire to hear and be led by God. Make God the first thing you commit to each day.

Why does He seem far away

“And you, O generation, behold the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of thick darkness? Why then do my people say, ‘We are free, we will come no more to you’? Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number.“

Psalms 27:5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.

Psalms 10:1 Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

Proverbs 1:24-28 Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

Jeremiah 2:26 “As a thief is shamed when caught, so the house of Israel shall be shamed: they, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets, who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ For they have turned their back to me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble they say, ‘Arise and save us!’

Hosea 13:5 It was I who knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought; but when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me.

Deuteronomy 8:12-14 lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery,

Psalms 10:4 In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”

Revelation 3:15-17 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

David proclaims; “he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock”. Why are there times in our lives that we don’t seem to find God’s shelter or feel we are under His cover, or being lifted up out of our troubles? Scripture is full of warnings and outcomes. These outcomes are due to direct choices we have made. Read them, they are clear. When God called we did not listen. We ignored His counsel. We have sought comfort in things created and not the creator. In our comfort we have forgotten Him. In plenty our hearts are lifted up and see no need of God. In our pride we do not look to Him. Our faith and works are lukewarm. We live in comfort and do not see need for God in our lives. When we do such things God says: “I will spit you out of my mouth”, “I will not answer”, “They will not find me” and “I will hide from you”. So to answer why does God seem far away to our cry for help – is because we have chosen a path that does not have God leading. Have we chosen to follow our own path? Have we chosen “NOT” listen to Him? There must be a heart and mind change. Confess, repent, and seek Him, listen, follow, and obey Him, write His words on your heart and mind and meditate on them. Praise Him in the morning, Praise Him in the evening, Praise Him all day long. Our purpose this side of eternity is to be a humble servant, honoring and glorifying Him alone. This life is not without consequence. To those who choose to live it apart from God there is a false peace they take comfort in and they do not believe a promise/warning from God that they will spend eternity in Hell, total separation from God. To those who choose to be a humble servant honoring and glorifying God there is true purpose with peace now and promise of even greater things in His presence in eternity in heaven.