Numbers 12.14-15 14 The Lord answered Moses, “If her
father had spit in her face, she would have been shamed for seven days, so put
her outside the camp for seven days. After that, she may come back.” 15 So
Miriam was put outside of the camp for seven days, and the people did not move
on until she came back. (NCV)
To me, there is a legal aspect to all that is in the
Scripture. God operates according to His sovereignty but He allows Himself to
be governed by His Divine Code. God plays by the rules – always. That is not to
say that God is a legalist. The problem with legalism is that certain rules are
developed over time which prevent one
from doing this or that, or cause one to do
this or that; often with unpleasant consequences if this or that is done, or not
done. God operates by the established rules; Satan however is a legalist. Big
difference.
God established rules by which His people in the ancient
days of Israel were to operate. He selected a leader, Moses, whom He
expected His people to follow. Moses was the Gatekeeper so to
speak. Like most leaders, Moses was unpopular at times. That didn’t mean he was
wrong, it just meant he was unpopular. Leading people is a lot like herding
cats – and the hungrier the cats, the harder they are to herd.
At one point Miriam, Moses’ sister, and Aaron, Moses’
brother began speaking against Moses, God’s appointed leader. And of all
things, they began by picking on Moses about his wife, a Cushite woman. (I’m
not sure if we’re talking about Zipporah here, or another woman.) From picking
on Moses’ wife they moved on to questioning his authority. And God called them
on it.
And, God was very angry: don’t mess with My appointed leader! So, Miriam and Aaron are
chastened by the Lord, and as a result, Miriam appeared to have contracted
leprosy (or something that made her visibly unclean. Moses begged God to heal
her and God replied: “If her father had
spit in her face, she would have been shamed for seven days, so put her outside
the camp for seven days. After that, she may come back.” God takes
leadership seriously. God takes leadership so seriously that to buck His
appointed leaders is tantamount to spitting in God’s face. It is foolish and it
is very shameful. And it is serious business.
Today, there is no Levitical Law. The Church today is not
governed by the Ten Commandments (as hard as that might be to believe.) We are
governed by grace and we are lavished in love. God says the sign that we are
truly His is that we love one another. And we love one another so fiercely that
others notice and want to be loved like that too! Love is a sign to unbelievers
that the Gospel is true, for no one can love like those who love the Gospel do.
There is no room for criticism, competition, judgment, or petty crap; love sets
the people of God apart.
Miriam spat in God’s face – no, not literally – she spoke
out viciously against one of her own.
Father
God, how ashamed I am for having done the same thing! How arrogant I have been
for speaking out against my brothers and sisters. O God! Forgive me! I am
covered in spit for having spat on those I am to love fiercely. Help me. Mature
me. And may I learn to walk submissively to Your Spirit under the leadership of
those You’ve appointed as my leaders… Amen.
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