REDEEMED FROM A CRITICAL SPIRIT

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1 GET INTO THE STUDY 10 minutes GUIDE: Lead the group to look at the picture on PSG page 106. DISCUSS: Question #1 (PSG, p. 106): What s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word critic? GUIDE: Direct attention to The Bible Meets Life (PSG, p. 107). Note that pride is at the root of most of our criticism of others. Introduce The Point (PSG, p. 107): A critical spirit damages our lives. SAY: Moses sister would discover just how true that statement is. SESSION 9 REDEEMED FROM A CRITICAL SPIRIT The Point A critical spirit damages our lives. The Bible Meets Life When we play the comparison game, it becomes easy to fall prey to criticism. Comparing ourselves to others can lead to discontentment and dissatisfaction, and such discontentedness only leads to further problems, such as a critical spirit. Contentment comes only when we take the focus off of ourselves and place it on God. God will place in us an ambition a desire to serve His kingdom. The Passage Numbers 12:1-11,13-15 The Setting Numbers 11 details how on their journey from Mount Sinai to the promised land, a series of complaints erupted among the Israelites against God and His leader Moses. The Israelites first complained about the hardships of the journey, resulting in God sending fire among them. Not learning their lesson, they complained again about having only manna to eat and no meat. Moses also complained bitterly to God about the burdens of leading the Israelites, so God directed him to appoint 70 elders to assist him. God sent quail for the people to eat, but then sent a deadly plague upon them in judgment. The Israelites then traveled to Hazeroth, where a conflict between Moses and his siblings Miriam and Aaron ensued. 106 Session 9

2 Numbers 12:1-3 1 Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because of the Cushite woman he married (for he had married a Cushite woman). 2 They said, Does the Lord speak only through Moses? Does He not also speak through us? And the Lord heard it. 3 Moses was a very humble man, more so than any man on the face of the earth. KEY WORD: Cushite (v. 1) This term may refer to Moses wife Zipporah ( Midianite and Cushite were used as synonyms), or to a second wife he possibly married after Zipporah had died. A critical spirit can arise when we compare ourselves to others. Verse 1. As though Moses did not have enough troubles dealing with complaining people, during the company s stay at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses. They were his siblings, and he no doubt counted on their support. The Hebrew word rendered criticized conveys a sense of hostility. The reason given for the verbal attack was that Moses had married a Cushite woman a native of an area south of Egypt. There are differing views concerning the meaning of Cushite. It may refer to a second wife of Moses, possibly married after his first wife Zipporah had died; it could be referring to Zipporah herself, since Midianite and Cushite were used as synonyms. Cushite, which can be translated beautiful in appearance, may have been used descriptively of Zipporah s appearance. 1 The order of the names Miriam and Aaron and the Hebrew verb form (feminine singular; literally, she spoke against ) suggest that Miriam took the lead in confronting Moses, and Aaron then joined sides with her. Although they used Moses Cushite wife as the occasion of their criticism, the real reason seemed to be a mixture of jealousy and selfish ambition. STUDY THE BIBLE Numbers 12: minutes GUIDE: Use the information in The Setting (p. 106) to set the context for the focal passage. READ: Ask a volunteer to read Numbers 12:1-3. GUIDE: Explain that Miriam s and Aaron s dislike of Moses wife was only a façade a smokescreen that covered the real issue, which was a mix of jealousy and selfish ambition. Note that Miriam took the lead in confronting Moses. See the Bible commentary 1. Miriam was comparing herself with her brother. Moses was God s mouthpiece. He had the platform and the prominence. He was the miracle worker on a first name basis with God and met with Him face to face. All eyes were on Moses. Verse 2. Miriam and Aaron s rhetorical question betrayed their real concern: Does the Lord speak only through Moses? They apparently chafed at Moses special relationship with God and his leadership role among the Israelites. Though both Aaron and Miriam had special relationships with God (Ex. 4:15 16; 15:20; Mic. 6:4), Moses SUGGESTED USE WEEK OF MAY 1 107

3 THE POINT A critical spirit damages our lives. GUIDE: Call attention to verse 3 and note the humility of Moses. Emphasize that humility and a critical spirit mix like oil and water. (OPTION: IN ADVANCE, gather a glass of water and some cooking oil or motor oil. As you make this comment, place a few drops of oil in the glass of water. Note how the oil and water do not mix.) DISCUSS: Question #2 (PSG, p. 109): What are some of the main motivations behind our desire to criticize? (Alternate: Technology has rapidly expanded our opportunities to criticize. How has that impacted our society?) TRANSITION: Comparing ourselves to others can lead to a critical spirit, a spirit that God rejects. held a unique, superior position as mediator between God and the Israelites. Miriam and Aaron seem to have resented and coveted Moses authority. The second rhetorical question demonstrated that Miriam and Aaron were not content to play secondary or supportive roles in leading the Israelites; they wanted equal status with Moses. They had significant roles in God s redemptive work; however, they wanted more. In fact, their second question may have been a challenge: Does He not also speak through us? The pair were in effect claiming their relationships with God were equal to that which Moses enjoyed. The verse concludes with the statement, And the Lord heard it. The words not only stressed God s presence and constant awareness of everything taking place but were also a not-so-subtle reminder that God was orchestrating and accomplishing the drama of redemption. God, not the trio of leaders, assigned responsibilities and determined the degree of His intimacy with them. The words also foreshadowed God s impending intervention in the conflict. Verse 3. Moses was described as a very humble man. The Hebrew word translated humble has a variety of meanings, depending on the context: poor, afflicted, meek, humble, needy, lowly, and weak. The verb means to be bowed down, either forcibly or voluntarily, and can be used literally or metaphorically. One view is that at this point, burdened with a complaining people and contentious siblings, Moses was extremely unhappy and distressed. Another view is Moses was humble in the sense that he was deeply dependent upon God, and in that reliance upon God he had the strength not to become defensive in the face of his siblings criticism. The statement that Moses was a very humble man, more so than any man on the face of the earth did not express pride but conveyed that in his selfless humility Moses was willing to follow God s leading no matter what the cost. 108 Session 9

4 Numbers 12: Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, You three come out to the tent of meeting. So the three of them went out. 5 Then 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, 6 He 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. 7 Not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My household. 8 I 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? 9 The Lord s anger burned against them, and He left. 10 As the cloud moved away from the tent, Miriam s skin suddenly became diseased, as white as snow. When Aaron turned toward her, he saw that she was diseased 11 and said to Moses, My lord, please don t hold against us this sin we have so foolishly committed. STUDY THE BIBLE Numbers 12: minutes READ: Ask a volunteer to read Numbers 12:4-11. GUIDE: Note the seriousness of Miriam s sin in God s eyes. Referencing verses 4-5, acknowledge that most people can recall times in their childhood when they knew immediately they were in trouble with a parent. State that Scripture does not record Miriam s and Aaron s immediate reaction, but they must have realized God was very displeased with their behavior. KEY WORDS: The form of the Lord (v. 8) The term rendered form means likeness or semblance. This phrase most likely refers to some type of a visible representation of God, but not to His full glory. Diseased (v. 10) The Hebrew term was used for a wide variety of skin diseases, ranging in severity of effects from white spots on the skin to the loss of fingers and toes. God rejects a critical spirit. Verse 4. The Hebrew term rendered suddenly has the sense of immediately or at once. God s quick response to the complaint against Moses underlines the gravity of the 109

5 THE POINT A critical spirit damages our lives. GUIDE: Note God s defense of Moses in verses 6-8, indicating the close relationship God had with His servant. Using the Bible commentary 2 (p. 111) highlight the unique relationship God had with Moses. In light of this unique relationship, stress the gravity of the situation by calling attention to the phrases why were you not afraid (v. 9) and The Lord s anger burned (v. 10). situation. His reaction also indicates the close relationship God had with His servant: God quickly defended Moses. God directed Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to go out to the tent of meeting. The tent of meeting was the place where God met with His people outside the camp (Ex. 33:7-11). Moses, Aaron, and Miriam immediately complied with God s directive. Verse 5. When Moses, Aaron, and Miriam reached the tent of meeting, the Lord descended in a pillar of cloud. The word descended describes a theophany, a visible appearance of God to people. The pillar of cloud was a visible expression of God s presence. God went before the Israelites in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to guide them during their escape from Egypt (Ex. 13:21). Exodus 33:9 reveals that the pillar of cloud would come down at the entrance to the tent of meeting, where God would speak with Moses. The Scriptures often depict God and His actions in human terms. That He stood at the entrance to the tent indicated His immediate presence. God summoned Aaron and Miriam to approach Him. They stepped forward, and God began to speak to them. We can only imagine the fear and foreboding they felt. Verse 6. The words God spoke to Aaron and Miriam form a poem. Poetry expresses intense feeling and concentrates deep meaning in relatively few words. God began by commanding their focused attention. To listen to His words was to hear them with the expectation of obedience, of Aaron and Miriam acting on them. God contrasted a prophet and Moses. This contrast presupposes that Aaron and Miriam were prophets. Prophets were spokespersons for God, declaring the messages God revealed to them. If someone among the Israelites was a prophet from the Lord a genuine prophet God chose the Lord communicated with that individual in a vision or in a dream. The sovereign Lord alone chose whom He desired to be a prophet and communicate with in dreams and visions. Verse 7. God s revelations to Moses contrasted sharply to His dealings with prophets. The words not so come first in God s statement for emphasis: He did not communicate with Moses indirectly. God then paid Moses the highest possible compliment by calling him My servant. The 110 Session 9

6 designation was first used in Genesis for the patriarch Abraham (Gen. 26:24) and indicated a privileged relationship. God described Caleb as My servant as well for being along with Joshua the only ones among the spies sent into the promised land who had a spirit of wholehearted devotion and faith in God and His promises (Num. 14:24). To be called God s servant indicated that the person was trustworthy and devoted to God. Moses had joined that special group. He was faithful in all God s household His family, the people of Israel. Among all the people of Israel, Moses stood alone in the nature of his relationship with and responsibilities to God. 2 Verse 8. Moses enjoyed a unique relationship with God. God spoke to him directly. Literally, He spoke to Moses mouth to mouth in today s phrasing, face to face. That is, God communicated with Moses openly, unreservedly, and with friendly intimacy. God did not couch His revelations to Moses in riddles but communicated them to Moses openly. The Hebrew term rendered riddles conveyed the idea of an enigmatic saying that required interpretation. Not only did Moses receive direct communication from God, but he also saw the form of the Lord. He saw a visible manifestation of God. In light of Moses unique relationship with God, the Lord asked Aaron and Miriam: So why were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses? God had called Moses to a special, difficult task, and he was obediently and faithfully discharging his responsibilities. Moses two siblings should have known better than to criticize God s servant, with whom God communicated face to face. They should have maintained a healthy respect for the person God had chosen for leadership. God s question must have increased Aaron and Miriam s sense of foreboding. Judgment was approaching. GUIDE: Note God s judgment on Miriam in verse 10. Emphasize that there is always a price to pay for having a critical spirit. Acknowledge it s not likely that we ll be stricken with an infectious disease as punishment, but we may suffer in other ways. DISCUSS: Question #3 (PSG, p. 111): What price do we pay for having a critical spirit? (Alternate: What does this passage teach us about God s character?) GUIDE: Emphasize that when we re critical of others, it grieves the Holy Spirit who calls us to be kind and compassionate (Eph. 4:30-32). Criticism breaks our fellowship with God and with others. Verse 9. Aaron and Miriam must have felt both devastated and fearful as the Lord s anger burned against them, and He left. The Hebrew word translated anger means nostril, nose, or face, as well as anger. The term may have come to be associated with wrath due to the snorting through the nose that is associated with extreme anger. The word burned has the sense of the intensity of God s anger. In the Old Testament, human terms were commonly used to describe God and His responses to people. I have long been convinced that God does not fly off the handle the way we often do; He does not fly into temper tantrums. He steadily opposes sin and responds to it with appropriate 111

7 THE POINT A critical spirit damages our lives. GUIDE: Address again the temptation to compare ourselves with one another. Explain that God equips His followers with gifts and abilities for use in His kingdom. When we start to compare ourselves to others in a negative way like Miriam did by comparing herself and Aaron with Moses we risk losing our effectiveness in using the gifts God has given us for His glory. Comparison is a trap because it distracts us from the mission of proclaiming the gospel and making disciples. DO: Invite volunteers to share their responses to Stop Comparing (PSG, p. 112). TRANSITION: Note that God s discipline is intended for restoration. 112 Session 9 judgment. Most often in the Old Testament, God s anger was His response to people s actions, especially His people s failures within the covenant God had made with them. That His anger burned against Aaron and Miriam demonstrated the seriousness of their offense and pointed toward God s judgment to come. Verse 10a. As the cloud signifying God s presence moved away from the tent, judgment came immediately. Miriam s skin suddenly became diseased, as white as snow. The term translated diseased encompasses a number of ailments which cause the skin to turn white and flake off from the body. We can only guess the reason Miriam alone incurred such judgment. It may indicate that she was the primary instigator in the confrontation with Moses. Whether Miriam s skin disease was mild (a rash) or severe (full-blown leprosy), her condition meant she could no longer stay in the encampment and take part in its activities. Ceremonially unclean, she would be excluded from the people of Israel and quarantined outside the camp until she could be pronounced clean. Ironically, Miriam had coveted the prestige and power of Moses place of leadership of the people of Israel, but now she suddenly found herself disgraced and without a place among the people, excluded from the entire community of Israel. Chronic leprosy would have meant that Miriam would have suffered permanent exclusion from the Israelite community. Verses 10b-11. When Aaron saw that Miriam had been stricken with leprosy, he quickly appealed to Moses, interceding for his sister. With the phrase my lord, Aaron acknowledged Moses superior status as leader of the Israelites. Aaron confessed that his and Miriam s complaint was a sin they foolishly had committed and asked that Moses forgive them. With his words, please don t hold against us this sin, he asked that Moses intercede to take their punishment away. Aaron pleaded that Moses prevent Miriam s skin from becoming like that of a stillborn baby, Please don t let her be like a dead baby whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother s womb (Num. 12:12). Evidently, Aaron feared that Miriam s form of leprosy was severe. Clearly, God rejected Aaron and Miriam s critical spirit. The truth for us is that He still does. We do well to guard against such a spirit.

8 Numbers 12: Then Moses cried out to the Lord, God, please heal her! 14 The Lord answered Moses, If her father had merely spit in her face, wouldn t she remain in disgrace for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp for seven days; after that she may be brought back in. 15 So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until Miriam was brought back in. God s discipline is intended for restoration. Verse 13. Moses demonstrated his godly character by quickly interceding for Miriam. He took no satisfaction from the judgment she had received. Cried out translates a Hebrew word used for a call for help in a situation of distress. Moses addressed the Lord by the name God, a term emphasizing His power and majesty. Verse 14. In God s answer to Moses, He described a situation which may have either been hypothetical or an ancient practice within the community. A father s spitting in his daughter s face expressed contempt and public humiliation. A daughter so treated spent seven days in the disgrace of isolation as punishment. God said Miriam s leprosy as judgment was to be taken no less seriously. Seven day periods were also prescribed for the detection and cleansing of skin diseases by the priests (Lev ). Miriam was to be confined outside the camp for seven days, after which she would be allowed to rejoin the community. Verse 15. That Miriam was brought back into the camp after seven days in isolation indicates that she was healed. Also, it well may have implied she was restored to useful service. The Scriptures consistently reveal that God s judgment is designed to be redemptive, not merely punitive. In spite of Miriam s foolish challenge of Moses authority, the Israelites evidently continued to hold her in high esteem, for they did not move on from Hazeroth until she rejoined them. It is also noteworthy that she was remembered chiefly for her role as a leader, not for her rebellion (Mic. 6:4). STUDY THE BIBLE Numbers 12: minutes READ: Ask a volunteer to read Numbers 12: GUIDE: The purpose in God s discipline is to bring us closer to Him and make us more fruitful in the future. Note that Miriam s condition was not fatal. We too can be restored from a critical spirit. DISCUSS: Question #4 (PSG, p. 114): How can we help one other avoid a critical spirit? DISCUSS: Question #5 (PSG, p. 114): People often isolate themselves through a critical spirit. What steps can we take to restore them to the community? > > (Alternate: What can be the ripple effect in the church when God disciplines one of His people?) 113

9 THE POINT A critical spirit damages our lives. LIVE IT OUT 5 minutes GUIDE: Emphasize The Point: A critical spirit damages our lives. GUIDE: Review Live It Out (PSG, p. 115; see text to the right). Encourage group members to choose an application that fits best with what God is calling them to do. Wrap It Up GUIDE: Emphasize that the temptation to criticize comes to all of us at one time or another. Remind the group to keep Philippians 2:3 in mind when they are tempted to criticize. Challenge group members to refuse to allow a critical spirit into their lives. LIVE IT OUT A critical spirit can creep up on us without our realizing it. The longer we tolerate it in our lives, the more it gradually eats away at us, like termites slowly damage the structure of a house unseen until the dwelling begins to fall apart. Do what it takes to exterminate any hint of a critical spirit in your life. Consider what God has said to you in this session, and adopt one of the applications this week. > > Watch your words. Write this verse on an index card and display it where you will see it regularly: Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves (Phil. 2:3). Read the verse each morning, and let it guide your words as you interact with others this week. > > Reject a critical spirit. Ask God this week to reveal to you any evidence of jealousy or pride that is feeding a critical spirit in your life. Write down the names of person you have criticized recently. Ask for God s forgiveness. Memorize Philippians 2:3. > > Affirm other people. Memorize Philippians 2:3, and make it your verse for the week. Use it as a reminder to intentionally affirm others when you interact with them as you go about your regular routine this week. PRAY: Father, give us the grace to set aside a critical spirit in our lives and to focus on seeing others as you see them. Amen. 114 Session 9

10 ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/BOB SCHATZ Nile River at Beni Hasan in Egypt. Miriam watched her baby brother as he floated in the Nile in the waterproof papyrus basket their mother had made. The following excerpt is from the article Miriam: All We Know (Fall 2012), which relates to this session and can be purchased at www. lifeway.com/biblicalillustrator. The first glimpse we have of Miriam is in Exodus 2. The text describes her familial background in light of her relationship to Moses and in the context of the Egyptians oppressing her of the census in Numbers 26:59 leaves no doubt that their parents were Amram and Jochebed. Although Pharaoh had ordered all the Hebrew male children killed at birth, miraculously Moses was allowed to live. His mother managed to hide him for three months; afterward she sent him floating in a papyrus basket along the Nile River under the watchful eye of his older sister Miriam, in perhaps a last, desperate attempt to save his life. Read the article Aaron, Moses Older Brother in the Spring 2016 issue. Previous articles Aaron s Role in the Exodus (Spr. 2010), The Tabernacle: Its History and Use (Sum. 2009), and Moses Family (Win ) relate to this session and can be purchased, along with other articles for this quarter, at biblicalillustrator. Look for Biblical Illustrator for Bible Studies for Life. SHARING THE GOOD NEWS Our nature is to criticize others. But when we realize God s forgiveness and turn to Him in faith, we can celebrate what God is doing in our lives as well as in others. Each week, make yourself available either before or after the session to speak privately with anyone in your group who wants to know more about becoming a Christian. See the article, Leading Someone to the Greatest Decision of All, on page 2 for guidance in leading a person to Christ. Remind group members that page 2 in the PSG offers guidance in how to become a Christian. Encourage believers to consider using this article as they have opportunities to lead others to Christ. people. Though unnamed here, the genealogical listing as part Subscribe to Biblical Illustrator at or call > > Get expert insights on weekly studies through the Ministry Grid (MinistryGrid.com/web/BibleStudiesFor Life). >Grow > with other group leaders at the Groups Ministry blog (lifeway.com/groupministry). > > Additional ideas for your group are available at BibleStudiesFor Life.com/blog. 115