Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20111009.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Numbers: Lessons From Spiritual Casualties And Conquerors
Part XVII: God's Solution For Obstacles To Healthy Leadership
(Numbers 12:1-16)
    Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

    A great need exists for good leaders at all levels of experience:

    (1) On the world stage, people are "hungry" for good leaders:

    (a) Peggy Noonan, former speech writer for the late President Ronald Reagan, in her October 1-2, 2011 The Wall Street Journal op-ed piece, "Once Upon a Time in America", p. A15, wrote: "At a symposium in Colorado at which thoughtful people from many professions spoke, and later in conversation with people who care about books in California . . . [it] became . . . vivid to me . . . that everyone hungers for leadership. Really, everyone. And really, it is a hunger. They want so much to be able to respect and feel trust in their political leaders. Everyone hungers for someone strong, honest and capable -- as big as the moment . . . Would the next president like a story? Here's one. America was . . . losing faith in its establishments and institutions. And someone came out of that need who led -- who was wise and courageous and began to turn the ship around. And we saved our country, and that way saved the world . . . Go be a hero of that story. It will get around. It will bubble up."

    (b) Not only on the national and world stage, but locally we all see the cry in marriages, homes, town and state levels for such "strong, honest, capable, wise and courageous" leaders.

    (2) Yet, pressures abound that stifle the growth of good leaders:

    (a) The October 3, 2011 USA TODAY, p. 11A ran Thomas S. Kidd's op-ed piece, "Time for government to butt out," that reported: "(I)n a jarring departure from precedent, the Department of Justice argued in an August brief that . . . a church . . . must rehire a . . . person who has violated church teachings or behavioral codes."

    This brief can pressure religious leaders to cease standing on principles, to turn dishonest, weak and fearful of government, ruinous qualities for a society that looks to such parties for character influence.

    (b) Evil pressures stifle good leaders locally. I recently watched a video of the audition of a male vocalist on a talent show whose operatic number electrified the crowd and stunned the judges. Yet, as he finished singing, his face had anxiety written all over it from what I later learned was caused by years of being beaten by childhood bullies. I wondered how many other gifted men are stifled like he was!

    So, we ask, "What is the solution to the vacuum of good leaders in view of the great obstacles to their development?!"

    Need: "What can be done about blocks to good leadership growth?!"

  1. In Numbers 12:1-3, Moses faced strong resistance to his leadership:
    1. His sister, Miriam and brother Aaron spoke against Moses because of the "Cushite" (NIV, ESV) woman he had married, Numbers 12:1.
    2. Behind the criticism was envy of Moses' headship, for they murmured that God had spoken by them as well as by Moses, Numbers 12:2.
    3. This criticism would have been very difficult for Moses to handle:
      1. Miriam and Aaron were Moses' siblings whom he had missed in not being free to grow up with them (Ex. 4:14; 15:20-21; 2:9-11), so he was emotionally highly vulnerable to hurt by their criticism.
      2. Second, Moses was humanly highly indebted to both siblings:
        1. Miriam had guarded Moses as he floated as a baby in an ark on the Nile River, and she got Pharaoh's daughter to let his mother nurse him until he could enter Egypt's court, Exodus 1:22-2:10.
        2. Aaron was Moses' ministry spokesman. (Ex. 4:14-16, 29; 5:1)
      3. Third, both Miriam and Aaron possibly felt "demoted" by past events, fueling them powerfully to oppose Moses' leadership:
        1. Miriam might have seen Moses' marriage to the Cushite as a challenge to her leadership over Israel's women (Ex. 15:20-21).
        2. God's sharing of His Spirit on the 70 elders (Num. 11:16-17, 25) could leave Aaron thinking he was less important as priest.
      4. Fourth, Moses was so humbled by his past, resistance to his role could crush it: he was earth's meekest man (Num. 12:3), having been rejected by Israel and Pharaoh (Ex. 2:11-15) to where he was so happy to live in obscurity (Ex. 2:15-21), when God called him to lead Israel, he tried hard to avoid it, Ex. 3:11; 4:1, 10, 13 NIV.
  2. Yet, since Moses had agreed to do God's will as Israel's leader, GOD POTENTLY came to his defense in that role, Num. 12:4-16:
    1. When God heard the criticism of Miriam and Aaron, He "suddenly" (pit'om, B. D. B., A Heb.-Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 837) summoned Moses, Aaron and Miriam to meet with Him, Numbers 12:2b, 4.
    2. God spoke audibly to them, telling Miriam and Aaron to step forward so He could address them in Moses' hearing so as to rebuke Miriam and Aaron while also edifying Moses in his leadership, Numbers 12:5.
    3. The Numbers 12:6a Hebrew text repeatedly indicates God expressed a VERY FORCEFUL REBUKE to Miriam and Aaron (as follows):
      1. The particle na' added to the command, "You [plural, Miriam and Aaron] hear" (shim'u; Kittel, Bib. Hebr., p. 213) strengthens the whole exhortation. (G. K. C., Gesenius' Heb. Gram., 1970, p. 324)
      2. The phrase, "When the prophet of the Lord is among you" (NIV) uses "a very old form of speech" inherited from the dead Ugaritic language. (Wycliffe Bible Com., 1971, p. 129, citing C. H. Gordon, Ugaritic Manual, p. 46). God emphasized His point, resorting to an archaic way of expressing Himself like we use the archaic 1611 KJV expression, "Thus saith the Lord!" to emphasize Bible truths.
    4. He then explained that Moses was the most faithful of the prophets, so God spoke to him audibly versus communicating less directly as He did to His other prophets like Miriam and Aaron, Numbers 12:6b-8a.
    5. Thus, the Lord asked Miriam and Aaron why they were not afraid to talk against His servant, Moses about his leadership role, Num. 12:8b.
    6. God in anger then lifted His cloud up off the tabernacle, and Miriam was left covered with leprosy as white as snow, Numbers 12:9-10.
    7. This judgment was fitting in light of the facts supplied in the context:
      1. The Hebrew verb "spake" (KJV) in Numbers 12:1 is "feminine singular," meaning Miriam had voiced the criticism with Aaron's support of it, Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to Numbers 12:1.
      2. Her critique was against Moses' Cushite, black-skinned, Ethiopian wife (Z. P. E. B., vol. One, p. 1047-1048), so God gave her leprosy "white as snow" over Miriam's whole body to critique her critique!
      3. God had made one of His initial signs that He had called Moses to lead Israel that of turning his hand leprous "white as snow" (Ex. 4:1-8), so Miriam's judgment also led her and Aaron to recall they were to heed God's past sign that He wanted Moses over them!
    8. Aaron then realized his sin, and humbly begged Moses as "my lord" (adoni, Ibid., Kittel) to pray for Miriam to be healed, Num. 12:11-12.
    9. Moses pleaded with God to heal her (Num. 12:13), and God replied that if an earthly father were to rebuke his daughter by spitting in her face, making her unclean for seven days, though the Lord would heal her, Miriam was to stay outside Israel's camp in public, humiliating quarantine, divinely rebuked for seven days, Numbers 12:14-16.
Application: To overcome obstacles to good leadership, may we (1) trust in Christ for salvation, Acts 17:30; John 3:16. (2) Then, may we heed God's leadership call, and (3) let HIM make room for us to lead! (4) May we subordinates heed those God puts over us!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message . . . )

Scripture commands us pastors to preach the Word, to do so by correcting, rebuking and encouraging with great patience and careful instruction, 2 Timothy 4:1-2 NIV. To heed this sermon, then, opposite concern of all pressures to the contrary, be it from the Department of Justice as noted in our introduction or from any religious entity involved, and due to events here listed, I make the following statement:

(1) Last Sunday, one of our members told me of a reputable Christian group's current newsletter that reported there is an increased effort by Evangelical leaders to unite with Roman Catholic entities.

(2) Then, another member last week gave me a form sent out by the Roman Catholic Church titled, "Consecration to Saint Michael."

The form claims: "Saint Michael the Archangel . . . I consecrate to thee my soul and body . . . and entrust the salvation of my soul to thy care . . ." At the bottom of the form is a detachable pledge card that says: "I (blank space), send this pledge as proof of my Consecration, asking my Guardian Angel to present it to Saint Michael in Heaven, as America Needs Fatima presents it at his shrine in Gargano, Italy."

(3) Well, my calling before God directs me to critique all this for such members and this body as follows: (a) First, no angel can save our souls -- there is one mediator between God and man, Christ Jesus, 1 Timothy 2:5. (b) Second, giving money can not save: our salvation rests on the payment of the blood of Christ for sin, which salvation is given unto us as a gift from God by faith alone in Christ alone, Romans 3:24-25; Ephesians 2:8-9 and Acts 4:12. (c) Third, "Fatima" was the daughter of Muhammad, and the apparition claiming to be Mary that appeared near Fatima has led 500,000 Muslims who hold to salvation by works to honor a statue of the Fatima Mary in Bombay, India. (T. A. McMahon, "Mary Who?", October 2000 The Berean Call, p. 1; SIM NOW, July-August, 1989, p. 5) (d) Thus, to obey Galatians 1:8-9 and not fellowship with those who teach false gospels, I hereby take a stand against the false gospels of Islam and Roman Catholicism. (e) Then, to apply Galatians 2:11-14, I hereby critique Evangelicals who foster these false gospels by fellowshiping with the Roman Catholic Church!

I make this assertion, trusting God to uphold me as He did Moses in His assignment while I serve Him as your pastor!

May we align our lives God's will, and focus on His calling for us and look to HIM to protect and support our leadership in it!