Two Against One

Wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? Numbers 12:8.
In the affections of the people and the honor of Heaven she [Miriam] stood second only to Moses and Aaron. But the same evil that first brought discord in heaven sprang up in the heart of this woman of Israel, and she did not fail to find a sympathizer in her dissatisfaction….
Had Aaron stood up firmly for the right, he might have checked the evil; but instead of showing Miriam the sinfulness of her conduct, he sympathized with her, listened to her words of complaint, and thus came to share her jealousy..
In the appointment of the seventy elders Miriam and Aaron had not been consulted, and their jealousy was excited against Moses…. Miriam and Aaron had never known the weight of care and responsibility which had rested upon Moses; yet because they had been chosen to aid him they regarded themselves as sharing equally with him the burden of leadership, and they regarded the appointment of further assistants as uncalled for….
“And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us?” Regarding themselves as equally favored by God, they felt that they were entitled to the same position and authority….
God had chosen Moses, and had put His Spirit upon him; and Miriam and Aaron, by their murmurings, were guilty of disloyalty, not only to their appointed leader, but to God Himself….
He who has placed upon men the heavy responsibility of leaders and teachers of His people will hold the people accountable for the manner in which they treat His servants. We are to honor those whom God has honored. The judgment visited upon Miriam should be a rebuke to all who yield to jealousy, and murmur against those upon whom God lays the burden of His work.
Conflict and Courage p. 104
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Prayer Requests
—–Please pray for the Harlimana family as they are still grieving the loss of their father. Rose
—–Please pray for the victims in Istanbul and their families. Esther
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Dear Friends,
Many years ago, my mother worked piece-work in a factory that had terrible working conditions. She would come home exhausted every night. We did not have a car, so she rode the bus and wearily walked the several blocks home. By the bus stop, there was a little dress shop. One evening as she was getting off the bus, she saw the most beautiful dress displayed in the store window. It was pale blue with delicate flowers. How she wanted that dress!
Over the next few weeks, she saved a dollar here and there until, finally, she had enough to buy that long-desired dress. That day was particularly difficult as the day was very hot, so hot in the factory that the tar was melting and dripping through the ceiling like little stalactites. All day long, she was miserable, but the anticipation of buying that beautiful dress that very evening kept her going.
At long last, it was time to go home. Tired and sweaty, she climbed onto the bus and rode the long way to the bus stop. All the way, she dreamed of that dress. Finally, the bus came to her stop, she alighted and paused at the dress shop window a moment to catch her breath. Then she ventured in. She saw no clerk, so she began searching the racks of dresses until she found the dress she had saved so hard for. At last the clerk took one look at my mother and decided that she did not have the money for any of that store’s beautiful garments. Looking my mother up and down and in a haughty tone said, “We don’t allow “window shoppers” in here.” My poor mother was shocked! She was angry! She was hurt! She had saved for many weeks to buy that dress, and now the store clerk talked to her so rudely. My mother never said a word. She just turned around with tears of disappointment in her eyes and walked out of the store.
How often we are like that clerk. How many times we look at someone and misjudge them. Our Dear Saviour commands, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye, and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” Matt 7:1-5, John 7:24
May we be very careful how we treat not only our family and friends but also anyone with whom we come in contact. May we follow the example of our Loving Redeemer, Who came “to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10 May we always look beyond the outside of the person and touch their heart with Calvary’s love.
Rose