Avoid Rebellion – Numbers 16

Posted on February 3, 2026 by dkoop

Rebellion involves knowing what God wants me to do and refusing to do it.

Some notorious historical figures might have remained anonymous if they hadn’t tried to grab on to more than they could hold. But by refusing to be content with what they had, and by trying to get more than they deserved, they ended up with nothing. Korah, one of the Israelite leaders, was one such person.

Korah was a Levite who assisted in the daily functions of the Tabernacle. Shortly after Israel’s great rebellion against God (Numbers 13-14) (or see the last post) Korah instigated his own mini-rebellion (Numbers 16:1-2).

Korah was the ringleader of the coup. He was a Levite and, interestingly, a cousin to Moses. Their fathers were brothers. Three other brothers of the tribe of Reuben were also ringleaders: Dathan, Abiram, and On. Korah was from the Kohathite clan. The Kohathites and the tribe of Reuben camped on the south side of the Tabernacle, camped side by side. Living close together and being friends and co-leaders gave them ample opportunity to sit around in the evenings grumbling, murmuring, and sharing their complaints and disappointments.

Korah recruited a grievance committee and confronted Moses and Aaron. Their list of complaints boils down to three statements (Numbers 16:3-4): (1) You are no better than anyone else; (2) everyone in Israel has been chosen of the Lord; (3) we don’t need to obey you. It is amazing to see how Korah twisted the first two statements—both true—to reach the wrong conclusion.

  • Rebellion reveals deeper problems.

Whenever you find complaining and rebelling among God’s people, there’s usually a “stated reason” and a “hidden reason.” Korah’s public complaint was that Moses and Aaron were “running things” and not giving the people opportunity for input. He wanted more democracy in the camp. After all, the Lord dwelt in the entire camp and all the people were “a kingdom of priests” (Ex. 19:3-6), so who were Moses and Aaron to elevate themselves above everybody else? The hidden reason was that Korah wanted the Levites to have the same privileges as Aaron and his sons (Num. 16:10). Korah wasn’t satisfied to be assisting the priests; he wanted to be a priest.

Korah and his associates had seen the advantages of the priesthood in Egypt. Egyptian priests had great wealth and political influence, something Korah wanted for himself. Korah may have assumed that Moses, Aaron, and his sons were trying to make the Israelite priesthood the same kind of political machine, and he wanted to be a part of it. He did not understand that Moses’ main ambition was to serve God rather than to control others.

Like Korah, we often desire the special qualities God has given others. Korah had significant, worthwhile abilities and responsibilities of his own. In the end, however, his ambition for more caused him to lose everything. Inappropriate ambition is greed in disguise. We should concentrate on finding the special purpose God has for us instead of wishing we were in someone else’s shoes.

Note the reaction of Moses: he fell face down, seeking God (Numbers 16:4-11). How long he stayed upon his face seeking the Lord is not stated. But falling prostrate apparently so startled the rebels that they temporarily held their peace, somewhat backing off until he arose from the ground. Note that Moses did not lash out nor retaliate against the rebels. When they first confronted him face to face, he simply fell prostrate to the ground—in great meekness and humility—and took the matter to the Lord.  This is a great lesson for us as well; when confronted with bad news, or argumentative people, we should go to the Lord in prayer first.

When Moses got up, he responded:

They were the ones who had gone too far. He used their own charge against them. They were guilty of abusing and trampling underfoot God’s call to them to serve as Levites (Numbers 16:8-9). They had personally been given the privilege of being set apart to serve God and His people. This should have been enough: they were already leaders and servants of God, appointed to lead God’s people as directed by Him. They were guilty of seeking the priesthood itself—seeking a much higher position that should come only from God, never from selfish effort.  Numbers 16:10-11

They were revolting against the Lord Himself!  (Numbers 16:11)

  • Rebellion is ultimately against God.

When Jude wrote to warn the early church about false teachers, he used Korah as an example, pointing out that he “rejected authority and spoke evil of dignitaries.”  (Jude 5-11).

The test Moses proposed was a simple one. If Korah and his men were indeed priests acceptable to God, then let them bring their censers to the tabernacle and see if God would accept them. Surely the rebels remembered what happened to Nadab and Abihu when they rashly brought “strange fire” before the Lord (Lev. 10), but even this warning didn’t deter them.  The next morning, Korah and his followers showed up with their censers and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance of the tabernacle, while Dathan and Abiram stood with their families at the doors of their tents on the south side of the tabernacle. God showed his displeasure with the rebels as the earth opened up and swallowed them! (Numbers 16:32-35)

Korah’s story of rebellion gives us numerous warnings:

  1. Don’t let desire for what someone else has make us discontented with what we already have.
  2.  Don’t try to raise our own self-esteem by attacking someone else’s.
  3. Don’t use part of God’s Word to support what we want now, rather than allowing its entirety to shape our worldview.
  4. Don’t expect power and position to be an end all; God may want to work through us in the position we are now in.

The selfish desire for greatness and authority is a common theme in Scripture, whether it’s Korah opposing Moses and Aaron, Absalom defying his father (2 Sam. 15), Adonijah claiming the crown (1 Kings 1), the disciples arguing over which of them was the greatest (Luke 22:23-25), or Diotrephes loving to have preeminence in a local church (3 John 9-11). And yet the most important place in the Christian life is the place of God’s choice, the place He’s prepared for us and prepared us to fill. The important thing isn’t status but faithfulness, doing the work God wants us to do. Every member of the church, the body of Christ, has a spiritual gift to be used for serving others, and therefore every member is important to God and to the church (1 Cor. 12:14-18).

  • Rebellion must be replaced with submission.

Whether it’s the ancient camp of Israel or a modern city, no society can function without subordination. Somebody has to be in charge. Parents have authority in the home, teachers in the classroom, managers in the factory or office, and civil servants in the city or nation (Rom. 13; 1 Peter 2:13-25). When this kind of order breaks down, then society is in serious trouble. God places us in families, churches, communities, countries and all of them have people who the responsibility to lead, manage and we must submit to the authority God has placed over us.

Darrell www.Upwards.Church Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/leander-campus/watch-now-message-videos Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church Facebook: Upwards Church Read Along Daily Bible Reading: You Version

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Avoid Doubt – Numbers 13-14

Posted on January 27, 2026 by dkoop

Doubt is a lack of confidence or assurance that God will keep His promises.

Today we examine Numbers 13. This chapter tells about a crucial event in the history of Israel. And I believe it is relevant to us because the way they reacted in doubt is too often the way we react today.

This is the story of Moses & the people of Israel as God freed them from their slavery in Egypt & led them to the border of the Promised Land. When they arrive, God gives the command, & Moses tells the people, “It is time for us to go in & take the land which God has given us.”

But first, he chooses 12 men – one from each tribe – & tells them, “Go & spy out the land. Observe the people, their cities & fortifications, & their produce. Then come back & tell us what the land is like.”

So these 12 men take off & spend 40 days spying out the land. When they come back they reported, “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit.” (Numbers 13:27)

God was right! “We looked at the land & it is exactly what God said it would be. But from that point on, their report was no longer unanimous. They were divided 10 to 2, & the majority begins the rest of its report with the word, “But“.

Have you ever noticed how often the word, “But,” is used when we don’t want to do what God is asking?  “I know you said this God, but.”  “I know your word is clear on this, but.”

That is exactly what was happening here in verses 28-33 where their report continues: “But the people who live there are powerful, & the cities are fortified & very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there.

“Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses & said, ‘We should go up & take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.’

John Gardner said, “We are continually faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.” A faith that can’t be tested can’t be trusted, and God tests our faith to help us make sure it’s genuine.

  • God places regular tests of faith before His children.

“But the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.’ . . . ‘All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the descendants of Anak there. . .’  ‘We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, & we looked the same to them.'”

Oh, no, the majority is recommending they disobey God!  Why?  Doubt that expresses itself in fear, worry and anxiety.

Caleb & Joshua, even though they are in the minority, urged the people to do what God wants them to do. They argued, “If God is leading the way, then why should we be afraid?”

  • Doubt sees obstacles, faith sees opportunities.

After all, look at the miracles God had already done on their behalf. He had sent the plagues upon Egypt & forced Pharaoh to let them go. He had divided the waters of the Red Sea, & then closed those waters upon the chariots of Egypt.

He had given them water in the desert when they were thirsty, manna when they were hungry, & quail when they wanted meat.

God had been with them all through the wilderness. He had led them with a pillar of cloud by day, & a pillar of fire by night. They had even heard His voice in the midst of the thunder & lightning & smoke on Mt. Sinai.

After witnessing so many miracles, why did they stop trusting God? Why did they refuse to enter the Promised Land when that had been their goal since leaving Egypt? They had fear and doubt. Often we do the same thing. We trust God to handle the smaller issues but doubt his ability to take care of the big problems, the tough decisions, the frightening situations.  He brought me this far and won’t let me down now. We can continue trusting God by remembering all he has done for us.

But sadly, ten of the spies were so afraid that they were not willing to obey God.

“We are not able” is the cry of doubt (Num. 13:31), but, “Our God is able“ is the affirmation of faith.

Vs. 31-32 says that “they spread a bad report” among the people, and each time they told it, their description was exaggerated, misrepresented or flat out lies.  When our eyes are on ourselves and our circumstances, we lose our perspective and say and do ridiculous things.

And in vs. 33 they say, “We saw the descendants of Anak there!”  The “descendants of Anak” were a race of abnormally large people. The family of Goliath may have been descended from these people.

These 10 spies are saying, “We don’t stand a chance because there are giants – fearsome warriors – in the land! Everywhere you go there are giants!” They saw themselves as grasshoppers. They saw the enemy as giants. And they didn’t see God at all!

The negative opinion of 10 men spread doubt among the people.

  • Doubt is contagious.

Because it is human nature to accept opinion as fact, we must be especially careful when voicing our negative opinions. What we say may heavily influence the actions of those who trust us to give sound advice.  The ten spies spread an evil report among the people. They exaggerated and distorted the truth. They became stumbling blocks to Israel. Scripture is clear: we are not to be stumbling blocks, not to cause people to stumble and fall.

Now let’s apply this to our lives today. To the children of Israel, the Promised Land represented their future. And God gave them the opportunity to go in and start a new life.

As you look into the future, what do you see? Do you see giants, or God?

There are crises in our world, a crisis in the family, a crisis in morality and a crisis in government. Integrity and morality has been shoved aside. We are a people living as if there is no God.

Those are some of the giants we face. But as we look into the future, I think that sometimes we become so overwhelmed by the giants that we are like these 10 men, & we think that there is no way we can take the land.

But if there has ever been a time when our world needs Christians who care about people who are hurting, who will reach out to a lost & confused world, who will live out and speak the simple Bible message without compromise, now is that time.

We must not retreat. We must not be intimidated. And don’t ever forget, our God specializes in slaying giants. David slew Goliath. So what do you see when you look into the future? Do you see giants, or do you see God? God is bigger. No obstacle is too big for God..

Finally, as you look toward the future, where are you going? Isn’t it amazing how short a memory the children of Israel had? For over 200 years they had suffered as slaves in Egypt, & complained bitterly to God about it.

So God heard their cries, set them free, & led them through the wilderness to the Promised Land. But now they’re afraid to go in. And they’re saying, “Maybe it would be better if we went back to Egypt.” What???   How sad, how defeating!

  • Doubt can lead to despair.

For some people they would rather suffer in what is familiar than trust God in what is unknown. They were ready to give up their freedom & become slaves once again, just for a measure of security.  Our security is in God.

What do we do if we are gripped with doubt?

  • Doubt must be replaced with faith.

If your life is in the wilderness, if you feel doubt, then Jesus Christ is the one who goes before us!  He conquers the giants of death and sin.  Jesus Christ is the one to deliver us from bondage and take us into a growing relationship with Him, a promise land that starts now: a life of faith, with growth and struggles, but leads to victory and ultimately heaven.  It all starts with faith in Jesus.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.  Ephesians 2:8   

Darrell

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/leander-campus/watch-now-message-videos

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The Turning Point – Numbers 13-14 Commentary

Posted on January 26, 2026 by dkoop

Our passage is today is the climax or turning point to the history of the first generation of Israelites after the Exodus. This rebellious  doubt was the final blow, the tenth rebellion of unbelief and grumbling within two years. In this unbelieving doubt expressed by the people, God knew their hearts would never change, never trust Him and His Word—not fully, not completely, not like they should. God had no choice. God had to judge His people and judge them permanently. Negativism, defeatism, unbelief, fear, and rebellion were all embedded too deeply within their hearts.  They simply refused to enter the promised land as God lead them: through sheer faith in His Word, believing the promises of God—in particular the promises of the promised land and the promised seed (a symbol of the coming Savior of the world, Christ Jesus Himself).

The twelve spies chosen were different men from the leaders named in Numbers 1-2; 7; and 10. These spies had to be younger men who could endure the rigors and dangers involved in reconnoitering the land. We meet Caleb for the first time in 13:6, but he’ll be mentioned thirty-one more times in the Old Testament. He and Joshua were the only members of the older generation to enter the Promised Land. The rest of them died in the wilderness.

We first meet Joshua in Scripture as Israel’s general (Ex. 17:8-16), defeating the Amalekites, and then as the servant of Moses (24:13; Num. 11:28). He eventually became Moses’ successor (27:15-20) and led Israel in their conquest of the Promised Land. His original name was Hoshea, which means “salvation,” but Moses changed it to “Joshua” which means “Jehovah is salvation.” It was the kind of name that would encourage the faith of a soldier and remind him that the Lord was fighting for him.

The twelve spies traveled about 500 miles during the forty days of their survey of Canaan, but they discovered nothing that God hadn’t already told them! They already knew the names of the pagan nations that lived in the land (Gen. 15:18-21), that it was a good land (Ex. 3:8) and a rich land flowing with milk and honey (vv. 8, 17). They saw the incredible fruit of the land and brought back a huge bunch of grapes for the people to see. They even visited Hebron, where the patriarchs of Israel were buried with their wives (Num. 13:22; Gen. 23:2, 19; 49:29-31; 50:13). Did the reminder of the faith of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph encourage their own trust in God? For ten of the spies, the answer is no.

God had already given them the land and had commanded them to go in and take it. He had promised them victory, so all they had to do was “trust and obey.” The Lord would go before them and scatter His enemies (Num. 10:33-36), but His people had to follow by faith. That was where they failed. They doubted that God was able to keep His promises and give them the land.

Discouraging God’s people (Num. 13:26-33; Deut. 1:26-28)

Someone has defined a committee as “a group of people who individually can do nothing and collectively decide nothing can be done.” Because they lacked faith, all the spies except Caleb and Joshua were discouraged at the prospect of entering the land and fighting the enemy, and their discouragement quickly spread throughout the camp. Doubt had turned into unbelief, and unbelief is rebellion against God

God told the Israelites that the Promised Land was rich and fertile. Not only that, he promised that this bountiful land would be theirs. When the scouts reported back to Moses, they gave plenty of good reasons for entering the land, but some couldn’t stop focusing on their fear. Talk of giants (descendants of Anak) and fortified cities made it easy to forget about God’s promise to help. When facing a tough decision, don’t let the negatives cause you to lose sight of the positives. Lets not let potential difficulties blind us to God’s power to help and his promise to guide.

13:28 The “descendants of Anak” were a race of abnormally large people. The family of Goliath may have been descended from these people (see 2 Samuel 21:16-22).

13:28, 29 The fortified cities the scouts talked about were surrounded by high walls as much as 20 feet thick and 25 feet tall. Guards were often stationed on top, where there was a commanding view of the countryside. Some of the inhabitants, said the scouts, were formidable men—from seven to nine feet tall—so that the Israelites felt like grasshoppers next to them (13:33). The fortified cities and the giants struck fear into the hearts of most of the scouts.

13:30-32 Imagine standing before a crowd and loudly voicing an unpopular opinion! Caleb was willing to take the unpopular stand to do as God had commanded. To be effective when you go against the crowd, you must (1) have the facts (Caleb had seen the land himself); (2) have the right attitude (Caleb trusted God’s promise to give Israel the land); (3) state clearly what you believe (Caleb said, “We can certainly conquer it!”).

13:33-14:4 The negative opinion of 10 men caused a great rebellion among the people. Because it is human nature to accept opinion as fact, we must be especially careful when voicing our negative opinions. What we say may heavily influence the actions of those who trust us to give sound advice.

What John Gardner said about the political arena can be applied to the spiritual arena and the Christian’s walk of faith: “We are continually faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.” A faith that can’t be tested can’t be trusted, and God tests our faith to help us make sure it’s genuine (1 Peter 1:1-9) and to help make it grow. “Faith comes first to the hearing ear,” said A.W. Tozer, “not to the cogitating mind.” “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17, nkjv).

To the unbelieving world, it’s unreasonable for anybody to trust a God they’ve never seen or heard, but we have all the evidence we need to convince us that God is dependable and has the power to accomplish what He says He will do. What He promises, He is able to perform (Rom. 4:21). Israel had seen what the Lord did to the Egyptians and the Amalekites (Ex. 17:8-16), and they had every assurance that He would never fail His people.

Unbelief is serious because it challenges the character of God and rebels against the will of God. “But without faith it is impossible to please [God]” (Heb. 11:6). “For whatever is not of faith is sin” (Rom. 14:23). Moses reminded the people of what God had already done for them but they wouldn’t stop complaining. They were sure that the best thing to do was return to Egypt and go back into bondage.

Defying God’s will (Num. 14:1-10)

In the camp of Israel, unbelief and discouragement spread rapidly from heart to heart, and before long “all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night” (v. 1, and note vv. 2 and 10). The next day, the whole congregation criticized Moses and Aaron and lamented the fact that the nation hadn’t perished in Egypt or in the wilderness. When our eyes are on ourselves and our circumstances, we lose our perspective and say and do ridiculous things.

14:1-4 When the chorus of despair went up, everyone joined in.

Their greatest fears were being realized. Losing their perspective, the people were caught up in the emotion of the moment, forgetting what they knew about God’s character. What if the people had spent as much energy moving forward as they did moving back? They could have enjoyed their land—instead they never even entered it. When a cry of despair goes up around you, consider the larger perspective before you join in. You have better ways to use your energy than to complain.

14:5-9 With great miracles, God had led the Israelites out of slavery, through the desolate wilderness, and up to the very edge of the Promised Land. He had protected them, fed them, and fulfilled every promise. Yet when encouraged to take that last step of faith and enter the land, the people refused. After witnessing so many miracles, why did they stop trusting God? Why did they refuse to enter the Promised Land when that had been their goal since leaving Egypt? They were afraid. Often we do the same thing. We trust God to handle the smaller issues but doubt his ability to take care of the big problems, the tough decisions, the frightening situations. Don’t stop trusting God just as you are ready to reach your goal. He brought you this far and won’t let you down now. We can continue trusting God by remembering all he has done for us.

14:6 Tearing clothing was a customary way of showing deep sorrow, mourning, or despair. Joshua and Caleb were greatly distressed by the people’s refusal to enter the land.

14:6-10 Two wise men, Joshua and Caleb, encouraged the people to act on God’s promise and move ahead into the land. The people rejected their advice and even talked of stoning them. Don’t be too quick to reject advice you don’t like. Evaluate it carefully, comparing it to the teaching in God’s Word. The advice may be God’s message.

Defeated by Doubt – Numbers 14:17-23

14:17-20 Moses pleaded with God, asking him to forgive his people. His plea reveals several characteristics of God: (1) God is immensely patient; (2) God’s love is one promise we can always count on; (3) God forgives again and again; (4) God is merciful, listening to and answering our requests. God has not changed since Moses’ day. Like Moses, we can rely on God’s love, patience, forgiveness, and mercy.

14:20-23 The people of Israel had a clearer view of God than any people before them, for they had both his laws and his physical presence. Their refusal to follow God after witnessing his miraculous deeds and listening to his words made the judgment against them more severe. Increased opportunity brings increased responsibility. As Jesus said: “When someone has been given much, much will be required in return” (Luke 12:48). How much greater is our responsibility to obey and serve God—we have the whole Bible, and we know God’s Son, Jesus Christ.

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/leander-campus/watch-now-message-videos

Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church

Facebook: Upwards Church

Read Along Daily Bible Reading: You Version

Sources:

Bible Exposition Commentary (BE Series) – Old Testament – The Bible Exposition Commentary – Pentateuch.

Life Application Study Bible.

Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible – Commentary – The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible – Numbers.

 

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Avoid Criticism – Numbers 12: 1-16

Posted on January 20, 2026 by dkoop

Have you noticed that critics are all around us?
The restaurant critic
The movie critic
Monday morning quarterbacks
Political critics
It seems everyone has an opinion on everything.

I struggle with being critical and I’m sure you do as well.

Did you grow up in a home that was constantly picking on the imperfections of others and finding fault with everyone and everything? You may see criticism as a normal part of life.
Were you were criticized by friends or teachers and now that critical spirit is part of your life?
Do you find yourself caught up in criticism; not because you want to be critical, but because those you work with or socialize with those who are critical and you find yourself dragged into this attitude?
If you can relate to the above as I can, I hope you will join me and with God’s help seek to replace a critical attitude.

Let’s Define Criticism

Not all criticism is bad.
There is destructive and constructive criticism.
Constructive criticism is designed to help another person.
Hebrews 10:24 “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”
The word spur carries with it the idea of stimulating a person on to greater growth, like good coaching.  Constructive Criticism is designed to make us better.

New members of our Teaching Team will practice their message before a group of people who give constructive feedback.  Each member must always be ready to receive evaluation or constructive criticism to improve.  On Wednesday’s and Sunday’s our Worship Team rehearses and there is always constructive criticism or evaluation to help each person improve.  Every ministry event or outreach event gets evaluated; not to tear it down, but to improve it.

If you are on the receiving end of some constructive criticism, from a team member or leader, be gracious with the person’s advice and be honored that they care enough to seek out your best interest.
The criticism we must avoid is the destructive type that is not intended to help but to harm.

Let’s look at a definition of negative criticism
Destructive Criticism: “dwelling upon the perceived faults of others with no view to their good.” 

  • Dwelling upon – Becoming preoccupied with the fault to the point that we internalize it. “I would not do this or that or if I were in charge things would be different!” This can be fueled by our pride.  Or by pointing out the failures of others we hope to take the pain out of our own sense of failure or self condemnation.   
  • Perceived faults – We can become very critical of others and be totally wrong in our opinion, simply because we do not have all the facts.
  • No view to their good– Not wanting to help the person but desiring to tear them down in front of someone else.

Let’s look at an example of How God deals with Negative Criticism

Numbers 12:1-2, While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cushite woman. They said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?” 

Note the Critics
Verse 1 says the Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses. Miriam and Aaron are the brother and sister of Moses.  Receiving criticism from others is hard, but it is more difficult when it comes from someone who is close to you.  There is a second item to note, the text lists Miriam’s name first implying she was the primary critic in this affair and Aaron was dragged in. That happens sometimes, one person starts to criticize and soon others are dragged into the feeding frenzy. One person’s mistake can affect others.

Significant issues hide under the cover of criticism: envy, jealousy, resentment or un-forgiveness.   Which of these cause you to be critical?

Note the response to the Critics
“But the Lord heard them. (Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth) So immediately the Lord called to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam and said, “Go out to the Tabernacle, all three of you!” So the three of them went to the Tabernacle. Then the Lord descended in the pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle. “Aaron and Miriam!” he called, and they stepped forward. And the Lord said to them, “Now listen to what I say: “If there were prophets among you, I, the Lord, would reveal myself in visions. I would speak to them in dreams. But not with my servant Moses. Of all my house, he is the one I trust. I speak to him face to face, clearly, and not in riddles! He sees the Lord as he is. So why were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses?” The Lord was very angry with them, and he departed. Numbers 12:3-9

Main ideas:

  • God hears our criticism.
  • It’s wrong to tear down someone else made in God’s image.
  • It’s wrong to attack the person God has called to do something for Him.
  • Criticism ruins our fellowship with God and with others.

I find it interesting that Moses did not answer his critics – verse 3 describes his humility, and part of his humility was placing his trust in the One who knew he was faithful. Moses typifies the life of Christ when he was facing the cross. Peter describe our Lord’s behavior at the cross this way – When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 1 Peter 2:23
The lesson for us when we are unjustly criticized is not to seek retribution but to trust in God who is faithful.  We are accountable to Him.
While Moses was silent, God was not. He challenged Miriam and Aaron stating that Moses was His chosen instrument at this time.

As we serve God our call is to be faithful to God and what he has called us to do and allow God to deal with the critics who do not understand what is going on in our life.

Criticism is handled
Note the remaining verses of our chapter
“As the cloud moved from above the Tabernacle, there stood Miriam, her skin as white as snow from leprosy. When Aaron saw what had happened to her, he cried out to Moses, “Oh, Please don’t punish us for this sin we have so foolishly committed. So Moses cried out to the Lord, “O God, I beg you, please heal her!” Numbers 12:10-13

Miriam is struck with leprosy. In that culture, that was a death sentence. She would be forced to leave the camp; she would be considered a outcast with no hope of a cure. In short her life was over.  It is obvious that God takes destructive criticism very seriously.
Seeing her condition Aaron repents, and pleads for mercy. Moses does not hesitate to be merciful.  “So Moses cried out to the Lord, “O God, I beg you, please heal her!” Moses was following the advice that Paul would later tell the Romans Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:19-21
God was faithful he heard the Prayer of Moses and healed Miriam, yet there were consequences to her actions, she was ostracized from the camp for a period of 7 days.

How do we avoid a critical attitude? There is only one attitude big enough to replace a critical attitude and that is the attitude of love.
Notice what Moses did that showed love:

  • He did not attack back.
  • He prayed for his attacker
  • He waited for her. “I know you are not where you need to be, but I’ll be patient and wait while God works in you.”

Love overcomes our critical attitude. Paul write’s “The Love Chapter” to a church that was facing all kinds of problems such as incestuous relationships, lawsuits among the members and drunkenness during communion to name a few.

Paul had started this church on one of his missionary journeys, so he felt responsible for these wayward converts. So the question is how would he handle this group?
Deliver a fire and brimstone sermon, “turn or burn you rotten scoundrels!”
He could have left them to their sinful ways and started a new church.
He could have simply told others about them and say this is an example of a bad church don’t be like them.
He could have sent his assistant Timothy or Titus to straighten them out, but he did none of these things. Instead he focused on a new attitude: Love.
He explains this new attitude in 1 Corinthians 13, (the love chapter.)  Most the time we read it at weddings and that is fitting because the context of the chapter is about how love changes us and our relationships.
Paul shows us that this attitude of love will transform us if we take it to heart and if we genuinely put it into practice.  With Christ’s help, we replace criticism with love.

Darrell

www.Upwards.Church

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Darrell

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