Focal Passages: Exodus 15:19-21; Numbers 12:1-3, 8-13, 15
When I was young we had a pastor who shared his testimony in so many sermons that many of our church members could recite it with him.
While we are quick to skip reruns in life, certain things need to be repeated frequently.
Just as the Lord told the people of Israel to constantly put the law of God before their children (Deuteronomy 6), He also repeatedly reminded them that He was (and is) “the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt” (ex. Exodus 20:2).
In Exodus 15 we find Moses and Miriam leading the original occasion of praising God for delivering His people by parting the Red Sea.
When we praise God we strengthen the faith of His people by retelling of His sovereign leadership in our lives.
Sadly, we are prone to forget the goodness of God.
When this happens people who were overwhelmed by the awesome power of God begin to divide over their differences instead of unite through the common ground of God’s grace.
Miriam, who had danced with a tambourine and sung in response to Moses’ song of praise to God after the parting of the Red Sea, later joined Aaron to become a chief critic of Moses for marrying an Ethiopian woman.
Not only were they not praising God for His deliverance, but they were also questioning whether there was anything unique about Moses as the prophet of his people.
Although they saw themselves as equal recipients of the voice of God, He corrected their jealous conclusion and struck Miriam with seven days of leprosy.
A critical spirit will rob God of praise, and cause believers to glorify themselves and turn on each other. We can’t keep our eyes on Him and us.
When we accept God’s correction we agree with Him that we have sinned and respond with repentance.
We abandon the search for a spiritual defense attorney, because we know we were wrong.
If we humbly accept God’s discipline we will grow spiritually, despite the pain, and set an example for other believers.