Why Were You Not Afraid?

“Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. And they said, ‘Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?’ And the Lord heard it. Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth. And suddenly the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, ‘Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.’ And the three of them came out. And the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward. And he said, ‘Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream.  Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house.  With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?’ And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed.” Numbers 12:1-9

Their sibling spite seems like jealousy compounded with a smack of pride and irritation at having to give way to baby brother, but the Lord God set Aaron and Miriam straight. His questions always get to the heart of matters because He cares about and deals with root causes. They were concerned with horizontal recognition and power while God tested their vertical reverence for Him. The two could not coexist. He sought and honored the meek and faithful.

It is right thinking before the Lord that drives right thinking about others. Fearing God fixes a filter that sees everyone, self included, as His creations with specific assignments. It steadies impulses and squashes hubris. What determines our mindset when dealing with others? Do we humbly seek the Holy One’s viewpoint, or boisterously charge ahead with emotionally-driven assessments? (Romans 12:2; 13:14; 1 Corinthians 2:16)

What has made us so callous that we are not afraid to make fun of others, to put down, to complain? Why are we not afraid to saunter in pride or push ahead without Christ as our Guide? Do we have such a low regard for His holiness, righteousness, and purity? Does our self-serving disregard His omniscience and justice? Do we think too highly of ourselves and too little of Him? Do we fear man more than Him? (Romans 12:3)

Have we no sense of whose we are, whose image we bear, and who we represent? Do we think lightly of God’s reputation? How carefully do we check our words, expressions, actions? What are we doing to build up others in the roles God has appointed for them, and to encourage them in their work by doing our part faithfully?

“May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
live in me from day to day,
by His love and pow’r controlling
all I do and say.” ~Kate Barclay Wilkinson (1925)

Lord, help me maintain a proper and loving fear of You in my motivation, words, and deeds, so You are exalted.