The Book Of Numbers Series 2-Humility vs Pride

TITLE   1 Corinthians 10:6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.   1 Corinthians 10:11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.

Proverbs 8:13 “I hate pride and arrogance,..”  James 4:6 “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

Numbers 12:1-16 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 went 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 the two of them stepped forward, ⁶ he said, “Listen to my words: “When there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them 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, Miriam’s skin was leprous—it became as white as snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease, ¹¹ and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to 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, “Please, God, 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.

Who is Miriam and Aaron? They are the brother and sister of Moses, the man God chose to lead the nation of Israel. Special relationship:

Vs7-8 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.  (Humility)

Aaron is the spokesman for his stuttering prophet brother. Aaron was also the newly appointed and first high priest of Israel. Miriam according to Exodus 15:20 was a prophetess of God.

These two begin to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife. Zipporah

But, UNDERSTANDING the whole story we realize, that the complaint over Moses’ wife was not the real issue. The real issue here is pride because pride always finds a reason to rear its ugly head.

At this point in Numbers well over a year has passed since they left Egypt. Last week we saw a critical spirit of grumbling creep into the community. Here we see it also affected Israel’s most influential family.

Vs2 Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” 

They go from criticizing Moses’ wife to questioning Moses’s calling. Remember Moses didn’t sign up to be Israel’s leader. (Here Am I) In fact, Moses asked God to pick someone else. He didn’t ask for this special honor, he didn’t ask for this special relationship with God. GOD CHOSE HIM.

Here Miriam and Aaron start doubting Moses saying, “We don’t need Moses to speak to God for us!” “We can hear from God & we have heard from God on our own.” What do we need Moses for?

So not only were Miriam and Aaron being ARROGANT, BOASTFUL, AND PROUD, they were picking on a man who was more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth. And that’s what God wants us to see here HUMILITY VS PRIDE and what He thinks of it and how He deals with it.

So God calls all 3 to the Tent of Meeting, God comes down in a pillar of cloud and tells Miriam and Aaron to step forward, then reminds them of the special relationship and the calling on Moses’s life and then asks them this question: Vs8 Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

God doesn’t give them time to answer: Vs9-10 The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them. ¹⁰ When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s skin was leprous—it became as white as snow. 

As soon as they realized what had happened all their pride and contempt changed instantly. When Aaron saw what had happened to her, he cried out to Moses, Vs11 “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed.

Just moments before they were ridiculing Moses and now, they’re begging for his help. They were exalting themselves above Moses and now they’re pleading with him to forgive them. (humble)

(Miriam was clearly the aggressor here as the story bears out)

 Leprosy sounds pretty bad, but there is something worse here: Part of her punishment was to be set outside of God’s people. She was set away from the Tabernacle, from God himself. PRIDE SEPARATES US FROM GOD.

Satan’s pride got him thrown out of heaven and Miriam’s pride got her ousted from God’s people and God Himself. That is what pride does. It will do the same to you and I. God can’t use us while we’re full of pride.

But what He can do is set us outside the camp for a while to let us marinate in our own conceit for a while. Though we might never say it; our pride tells us that we don’t need anyone’s help…including God’s help.

And the only way to cure us of the godless attitude of pride is sometimes for God to let us go it on our own and see what happens. –I’m not talking about God forsaking us; I’m talking about God breaking us. –Humiliation is a great remedy for pride. Brokenness is a great cure for those who think more highly of themselves than they should.

Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

In Numbers 12, we witness a conflict between Miriam, Aaron, and Moses. Miriam and Aaron desired the same spiritual authority that Moses possessed. However, they were going about it in the wrong way.

Spiritual authority is not obtained by grasping for it or thinking we deserve it; it is only acquired through humility and surrendering ourselves to God. The more humble we are before God and surrendered to God, the more He can trust us with spiritual authority.

Jesus taught us a powerful principle in Matthew 23:12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

If we try to elevate ourselves, God will bring us down. However, if we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, God will lift us up. 1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Moses’ Humble Response

Moses doesn’t try and defend himself. Instead of trying to control or manipulate the situation, he entrusted himself to God. When Miriam and Aaron verbally attacked him, Moses remained silent.

These simple words, “AND THE LORD HEARD IT” carry significant weight. We should be cautious about what we say behind closed doors, as God hears everything.

Moses’ behavior here demonstrates not only humility but also his trust in God’s defense.

Moses prayed for those who attacked him. He did not seek revenge or vindication; instead, he interceded for Miriam when she was struck with leprosy. Moses used his spiritual authority to pray for her healing.

This selfless act absolutely—exemplifies the kind of person God can trust with spiritual authority.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

THE DAY OF THE LORD    Isaiah 2:12 For the day of the Lord of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty, Upon everything lifted up—And it shall be brought low—