08/01/2008 Numbers 12:5

08/01/2008

Numbers 12:5 - 9 (HCSB) ⁵Then the LORD descended in a pillar of cloud, stood at the entrance to the tent, and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them came forward, ⁶He said:
    “Listen to what I say:
    If there is a prophet among you from the LORD,
    I make Myself known to him in a vision;
    I speak with him in a dream.
⁷Not so with My servant Moses;
    he is faithful in all My household.
⁸I speak with him directly,
    openly, and not in riddles;
    he sees the form of the LORD.
So why were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?” ⁹The LORD’s anger burned against them, and He left.

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While in the wilderness, Aaron and Miriam (Moses’ sister) became discontented and presumed themselves to be prophets in addition to Moses. We have no account of what they may have said or done under these circumstances, but the greater issue was their presumption of authority.

God summoned Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to the Tent of Meeting and stated how he speaks to prophets – clearly implying that neither Aaron or Miriam had received any such revelation. But it was apparent to all that God had spoken directly to Moses. Since everyone knew that God had spoken directly to Moses (remember the time Moses spent on Mount Sinai) why should anyone be so bold as to question Moses authority?

Today, we have so many people that claim to be prophets or messengers from God. And even throughout history, so many have claimed such authority. Their messages are usually distortions of God’s direction. This is so often the case. But these people are not acting alone. Satan wants us to be confused. If Satan can cause us to believe we are giving direction from God and we give bad information, then he has achieved his goal. Satan will even use scripture and ideas that sound very good to deceive.

The idea of love and tolerance is a prime example of this. Love sounds like such a good thing that we rarely ask what could be wrong with it. So many talk about the love of Jesus and how He taught of love—that we should love as He loved and accept all people (and ideas) as He would. The problem is that while Jesus did speak of Love for others, that was the second greatest commandment. The greatest commandment was to love God the Father with all your heart, soul and mind (Matthew 22:37 – 39). If any concept of love for others eclipses the greatest commandment, then it is just as destructive as murder.

Jesus did not teach a live-and-let-live theology. In fact, he was constantly at odds with the orthodox Jewish leaders. The reason he was at odds with them was that they had forgotten the greatest commandment; and no matter how passionately they practiced all the other commandments, if they had failed in the first, they had failed at all of them.

It is true that we must love all people, but that does not mean that we let them go on in their sin. If we truly love God with all our heart, soul and mind, we will share the love and truth of God to those around us.

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