Cheap Shot
hmmm Blue Ch 16 Num9:26am while sitting here thinking about that comment "Talk is Cheap" another thought came up behind it... "It's even cheaper when you don't pay attention to it."
When we please God and He is for us we really don't have to worry about the people chosing to be against us. It's not that we won't have to deal with or face the issue or that we won't feel the inconvenience of it but God really will bring justice so it's ok not to cave in when this happens.
v1-3 ...a few Levites plus 250 other well known council leaders insolently accused Moses. These guys had a problem but tried to cover & hide it like it was really Moses who had the problem.
Mistake #1 Wrong Focus: v3 Putting their eyes on Moses, seeing him as holy & that God was with him which was good until self-projecting began, wanting what Moses had instead of being content & grateful for what had been given to them. (They self projected by whinning about how all of them were holy and God was with them all... but nobody was challening this so what they had done was look at Moses (got their eyes on man) then applied what they were seeing onto themselves as if Moses didn't believe they were holy and full of God, which he wasn't doing.)
Mistake #2 Accusation: v3 "You have gone too far!" Just because this large group outnumbered Moses didn't make the accusation correct. Even though we let every word be established in the mouth of 2-3 witnesses, we first must go directly to God to see what He says before we grab a scripture of written truth because Father God will always pick life for somebody because He will speak what is not and make it so just to bring life so accusation will never sound like Him. Conviction and Accusation are not the same thing. When a word of conviction comes you will still feel the hope to turn things around as where accusation just leaves you hanging in the wrong, standing there exposed but now what?
Mistake #3 Attacking Moses Character: v3 "Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD's assembly?" Accusing Moses of thinking himself better, more anointed, whatever, it stood in direct opposition from what is declared about his character in Num 12:3: Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth. They stopped agreeing with God about Moses.
Correction #1 Getting Exposed: v9 Isn't it enough for you that God has separated you, brought you near to Himself to do the work and minister to the community? ...put vision back in place. (pride is getting ready to fall- Pro 16:18, 11:2).
Correction #2 Being Humbled: v7 "You Levites have gone too far!" Matt 7:1 they judged Moses now it's coming back toward them. v7 Take censers & tomorrow put fire & incense in them before the LORD. The man the LORD chooses will be the one who is holy.
Correction #3 Righting the Wronged: v28 this is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea. v30 if the LORD brings about something totally new...you will know these men have treated the LORD with contempt. v38 they sinned at the cost of their lives. v35 the LORD consumed the 250 men.
Amazing how harsh opinion has been toward the Old Testament God for ways seen treating people but it's a cheap shot because even here He was the only One keeping justice in the story. To know how Moses was outnumbered, and who really could have rescued him? Plus knowing he didn't even do anything wrong, meaning, it's one thing when you actually are a jerk but he wasn't even being a jerk and sometimes it can feel like only God is on your side, that He is your One and only Friend... a really Good Friend though when having problems in getting along with others.
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