FBCWest 694 | A Lesson in Humility
Recorded On: 01/11/2026
Bulletin
Hymn # 40 “All Hail the Power of Jesus Name”
SCRIPTURE READING – Acts4:8 - 12
Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
OFFERTORY MUSIC – Pru Hungate
Praise and Worship
“What an Awesome God”
“This Is Amazing Grace”
“Endless Light”
Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“A Lesson in Humility”
“Who You Say I Am”
Sermon Notes
Numbers 12:1 & 2 Moses’ relationship with the Lord criticized due to his second marriage
Numbers 12:3 Moses is a humble man
Numbers 12:4 – 8 God tells Aaron and Miriam His relationship with Moses is different and they should have been afraid to speak against him
Numbers 12:9 & 10 God was angry with them and struck Miriam with leprosy
Numbers 12:11 & 12 Aaron confesses their sin to Moses
Numbers 12:13 Moses intercedes for Miriam
Numbers 12:14 & 15 The Lord’s response is that she must bear her shame for 7 days
1 Peter 4:10 – 14 If you are reviled for Christ you are blessed
1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourself before God and He will exalt you
Scritpures
Transcript of Service
Most of us have a problem of either thinking too high of ourselves or too lowly of ourselves. The scriptures tell us that we're supposed to have an accurate understanding of exactly who we are. But unfortunately sometimes we're going to make ourselves feel better or superior, recruit usize others so that we might feel that we are better than they are at least as good.
We're going to see that God Himself is going to take two of His own and teach them a lesson of humility. The context in the message today is that people of Israel were complaining of their circumstances instead of being grateful to God for what he had done and what he was going to do. They didn't like their circumstances and they were willing to change their circumstances for what they had in the past. Today we're dealing with a different kind of subject, if you will. Most of us kind of took on the responsibility of the complaints when actually the complaints were against God, but he kind of said, well, you know, how can I accomplish these things?
Well, he was never meant to it was God. So ultimately the complaints were against God and lack of faith in God. Today we're going to take a look at what sometimes is even more difficult for us to handle. It's one thing for other peoples to complain about what we're doing or not doing. It's different if you will when your own family complains who you are what you're doing or not doing.
So if you have your Bibles and you should turn to the book of Numbers and we're start with chapter 12, the first verse. In Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses. Now I said, Miriam and Aaron are Moses' siblings. Miriam was very impactful in the life of Moses because when he was born and they were the Egyptians were killing all of the male babies. She, after the parents hit him for a period time, was able to take him and put him in a basket and place him in the Nile and then she followed that basket and saw that the wife of Pharaoh took the basket out and then went to the Pharaoh's wife and said, I know who you can have as a wet nurse to be able to feed the baby, which was Moses' mother, her mother. So she took courage in being able to do it, but she made sure that God still had a hand in Moses' life. Aaron, when Moses was tasked by God to go to Pharaoh and demand that Pharaoh let his people go, one of Moses' excuses was he couldn't speak well. So God said, that's okay, we'll give you Aaron who's, apparently, has a silvery tongue and we'll let him talk for you.
And the interesting thing was when you read the book of Exodus, Aaron rarely talks and it's always Moses who's talking. So it was a nice excuse rather than a reason. And so there is family members and they've been an important part of Moses' ministry. And so they says, then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses and then this is the reason why because of the Kushek woman who he had married for he had married a Kushek woman.
Now we're going to see a little bit that this criticism has nothing to do with what they now want. If Moses shouldn't have married a Kushek woman, then God would have told him that and God would have dealt with him like that. For instance, when Moses was going to Egypt with his family because his children had not been circumcised, there was health issues and Zipura, his wife, then circumcised the kids and threw the four skins at him and was upset. And so there is the sense of that he remarried because it sounds like Zipura died. They're complaining that apparently she's not a Hebrew. Well, Zipura was not a Hebrew.
She was a Midianite. Also, it doesn't seem to by the context to say, well, how would Moses meet a Kushek woman? Because they're in Arabia, Midian, and Kushek is in Africa. So it seems to me logically that this lady was a God-fearer and was traveling with the Hebrews because she was a God-fear who at the time lived in Egypt. So I don't think he met her on the road to the Promised Land.
So she was already there. So one possibility is because she's not Hebrew, but again, he didn't marry Hebrew for the first time. The second maybe because she's a Kushek means that her skin is probably much darker black and maybe they had some prejudice against the color of her skin. Ardegyston Liker, and that was the reason they gave, but they're complaining that he had married this woman and noticed then what they say is that and they said, has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Again, if their criticism is that he married somebody, then God will deal with him because God chose him, God is using him, and if there is some disadvantage or prevention of his ministry, then God would have dealt directly with Moses. But instead, they decide that they're going to criticize him for something other so that they bring his idea and his reputation down. So as he, God, not spoken through us as well. So they're saying Moses doesn't have a lock on God's word.
And because he married this Kushek woman, we all should be able to talk and so we all be able to prophesy and say what God has said. Now, they're not wrong in this sense of, if you notice, in the last God chose 70 men to be the Sanhedrin to help Moses, and he placed his spirit on them, and they prophesied, as a matter of fact, there was an objection to two of them who weren't with the group at the time, were prophesying, and people saying you shouldn't do that. So God is speaking to other people.
So they're not wrong in that. But in essence, they're saying, why do we need to listen to Moses? Because we can talk, God can talk to us as well. So their criticism makes him inferior to what their position is.
But as I said, oftentimes, we need to talk as if God is hearing us. Because guess what? God is hearing us. And it says, and the Lord heard it. Now, the man Moses was very humble, more than any other man who was on the face of the year. Now, there are commentators who are apoplectic about this. And they say, either one Moses didn't write this, or they'll say, Moses didn't write the whole book of numbers, or the pitotook, because of this, because a humble person wouldn't say they're humble. I have kind of two things.
Number one, there's a story that Benjamin Franklin wanted to improve himself as he had want to do. And so he listed a number of virtues. So he put all these virtues down, and then he put a log together. And every time he accomplished the virtue, he would check it off. And each day, and then there got to be a point where he was able to check off all the virtues every single day. So then he took it to a friend and showed him his list of virtues that he'd accomplished. The friend looked at it and goes, it's interesting, but you left off one virtue.
Benjamin Franklin, what was that? humility. And Franklin said, the problem with humility is, once you're proud of being humble, you're not. Now, my answer to kind of this is, if you are the tallest person in the room, you walk into a room, and you're the tallest person there, it is not try to say, I'm the tallest person there, because you're right. Now, if you were to say, I'm better than everybody else, because I'm taller than everybody else. Now that's pride in being tall.
But Jack, for you, recognizing that your tall doesn't make you frightful. Actually, being tall has some advantages. You can reach things off of a higher shelf. And there are those of you who are short, really appreciate that. So there is a talent of being tall, but it doesn't make you superior to people who are short. My contention is, is number one, the spirit is speaking. So it's the truth.
And so if it's the truth, God is saying, I don't care your position on being false humility. If Moses is humble, then he is humble. And God is telling him to write it. Number two, if he is the most humble person on the earth, it's okay to say, I'm the most humble person on the earth, as long as he's not saying, and I'm better than you for it. And if you take a look at Moses' life, he's always saying, I'm not adequate or this or that or whatever. So we don't see somebody who is overly frightful as a matter of fact, he generally talks about his shortcomings. And so I don't think that this is a reason that we disregard that the spirit wrote it or that Moses was the author. And so it's stated, in fact, because this fact is important for the lesson.
And the lesson is going to be this. So suddenly, the Lord said to Moses and Aaron and to Miriam, you three come out to the tent of the meeting. So the three of them came out. So basically what God says, God summoned them to the tapernacle outside the tapernacle. I'm going to have a meeting with the three of you. So the four of us are going to meet Miriam, Aaron, the Moses and God. So they came out because God summoned them. Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the doorway of the tent.
He called Aaron and Miriam. And when they both came forward, he said, here now my words, if there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord shall make by not self known to him. In a vision, I shall speak with him in a dream.
I'm saying, if there's a prophet, this is how we're going to deal with things. I'm going to deal with him in dreams and in visions. Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful and all of my household. And notice, I want you to say, household. If I speak mouth to mouth, even awfully and not in dark sands, and he beholds the form of the Lord, why then you were not afraid to speak against by servant against Moses. So he's going, I've been talking to Moses face to face.
Moses has even seen a form of me, not my face because no one can see that. But there's a sense of I have dealt with Moses differently than I treat anybody else. Moses, I've called for this very purpose. I didn't call you. I didn't call others. I won't call other prophets. I called Moses specifically for this task.
And he is my servant. And if you my servant, who are you to criticize him? That would be like you going to your job. And I observe you.
And then I start criticizing you. I'm not your boss. If your employer is happy with what you're doing, wonderful, or if it isn't on what you're, that's his situation. But the deal is, you are not responsible for what I think in my criticism. And God is saying, he's my servant. If I have a criticism, I will criticize him. You're not involved. And you see, unfortunately, most of us are captured to that criticism.
We want to criticize rather than to teach. So for instance, if you're a coach, or you're a parent, or you're a pastor, you can yell on screen and berate somebody and say, why didn't you do this? Now, why didn't you catch the plaster? Why didn't you do this? Or how come you're not more attended in church? Or all the criticism that one might offer, as to say, for instance, as a coach, this is how you get better at that. That's a good coach. As a parent, this child is how you get better at that situation.
That's a parent, rather than screaming at them because they failed, you teach them how to succeed. And again, hopefully, as a pastor, that's what we do. We teach you how to succeed to get closer to God, rather than yell at you for not being. Criticism all too often makes us feel better because we berate the person and say, well, I'm better than they. And God isn't having it with them. So notice what happens. So the anger of the Lord burned against them and he departed. He's not happy.
Now, being in front of a happy God is probably a pretty scary thing. To be in front of a angry God is not a good thing. And so he leaves angry. But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam was lepros as wide as no. As Aaron turned towards Miriam, behold, she was lepros.
Now, again, the commentators are all at a concern in trying to figure out what to do. Because in our society today, we're all really worried about gender and gender preferences and whatever. So it's like, well, why did he give leprosy to Miriam? And so it can't be because she's a woman. And so they come up with, well, maybe she was an instigator because in the beginning, it says Miriam and Aaron, so maybe she instigated the whole criticism.
And Aaron being Aaron went along with it because this isn't unlike Aaron, because when the Moses was gone up to receive the law and the people decide to make a molten image, a golden calf, neither did Aaron prevent it. He seemed to go along with it. So it's reasonable to think, well, maybe Mary, that Aaron just went along with Miriam's criticism. That's possible. I'll tell you what I think and what I think and in five dollars that some coffee shop will get you coffee.
The reason Aaron didn't become leprosy, it's not because he's a man, but because he was the high priest. And if he, God gave him leprosy, then no one could access the tabernacle, because a leprosy person would have to live not only not allowed into the tabernacle, but couldn't even be with the rest of the people. And because of Aaron's position, not because of his gender, the God, provide mercy to Aaron, not for Aaron's sake, but what's the point of the high priest is to go into offering, an offering for the sins of the people. So I don't think it's a gender thing. This is what I think. It could be the other that Aaron just went along, but those are your two possibilities that I think. But she's leprosy.
Now leprosy is not a good thing. First it starts off and like I said, your whiteest snow and then your skin starts falling off and you eventually die of it. And it's contagious. That's why you got to be separated. And Aaron said to Moses, oh my Lord, I beg you do not account this sin to us in which we have acted foolishly in which we have sin. So notice Aaron immediately acts as repenting one because of his official duty and two because he's involved and he goes, oh, Miriam has been given leprosy for doing exactly what I did. We both sin.
Please, I beg you not to hold this because we acted foolishly. We were we were foolish people for doing this. And therefore we sinned.
Oh, do not let her be like one dead whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes from his mother's womb. So she never understands the eventual result of what Miriam has been judged with. And he's not one in her again. He's the high priest, but he's also her brother. He doesn't want his sister to suffer and to be excluded from the camp. Moses being Moses, acted as an intermediary. Moses cried out to the Lord saying, oh God, healed her, I pray.
He got to say, well, she did criticize me. She didn't like my wife. I don't have to hear her yapping. So yeah, let her stay outside the camp, but he doesn't. He finds mercy in that. So he seeks God because God was the one who provided the judgment. But the Lord said to Moses, if her father had but spit in her face, which she not bear her shame for seven days, now I want you to notice Moses was said that he was faithful and all the household. God isn't saying that Miriam isn't his.
As a matter of fact, he's making the analysis saying, well, her father had such contempt for what she did that he spit in her face that she would be shamed by that. I'm God the father. Why should she not bear shame for doing what she did?
So Moses is been told I'm going to modify this, but there is a reason that I'm going to make sure so that she understands the shame of it and that she learns humility and that she learns not to speak against my servant again. Let her be shut up for seven days outside the camp. And afterwards she may receive again. So God's saying, I'm going to make her at least be publicly recognized that she has to be excluded from the camp for a week. And then she will be healed and she can come back to the camp. But I'm going to make her take care of her shame.
All too often we, when we sin, we want no consequences from the sin. We want God to immediately give us forgiveness and mercy and no results. God is saying, I'm going to modify my judgment so that she doesn't carry it for the rest of her life, but she is going to carry it for a period of time to teach her humility.
So Miriam was shut up outside the camp for seven days and the people did not move on till Miriam was received again. So they stayed there for a week because Miriam was outside and so she would be unprotected if they continue to move. So God again was continuing to be merciful because he could have put her outside the camp and then she would be subject to wild animals or attack or whatever, but he makes sure that the people stay where they are so she continues to be protected. This is a lesson that we need to appreciate.
Number one, people will criticize you when you try to do the Lord's work. All you have to do is be a pastor. People will love to tell you what you should do. They won't volunteer to do it, but they'll tell you how you should do it. And so again, the criticism had nothing to do with Moses' communication with God. It was they didn't like what he was doing. So in 1 Peter chapter 4, it says this, it started with verse 10.
Each, as each one of us has received a special gift, employed and serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. So each of you has been given a gift by God and each of you are supposed to be a steward of that gift so that we benefit each of us in the gift that God has given you. And whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God.
You're not saying you're speaking the utterances of God, but you're supposed to be as if the utterances of God. You ought to make sure your language is sober and healing and beneficial in teaching. Whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength with God supplies so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever.
When you do your ministry, the God is called, do it not on your own strength, but the strength that God provides. Do it the way God has instructed us to do and speak as if you are Moses, if you will. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for that you're testing as though some strange thing were happening to you. It is not uncommon for Christians to suffer criticism, intribulation, and distress.
It's not odd. God's not picking on you. God's not saying, oh, you're not Moses wasn't justified in being criticized this way. And yet they did. But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing so that also at the revelation of his glory, you may rejoice with exaltation.
If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed because the spirit of glory and of God rest on you. Rather than saying, oh, pull me because I'm being criticized and because people don't like what I'm doing, even though I'm trying to do it for the friend of mine. Then it goes, you're blessed because people are objecting to your ministry, which means you must be effective, because if you're not effective, no one notices and no one cares. So consider it a blessing when you're reviled, when you criticize, when you're so we need to change our attitude when these things come. Now I know it's much easier to have self-pity and in complain that why don't they love me the way I ought to because I'm only doing it for their best interests. It's not unusual. First Peter, chapter 5, verse 6 of this, therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God.
So he tells us, we are not to be prideful because pride because before the fall and one of the great things that God hates is pride, he goes, humble yourself before God. He's God, you're not. Humble yourself, understanding you're not the tallest person in the room. That God is there to get this stuff on the top shelf. It's okay. Humble yourself under and once you've done that, that He may exalt you at the proper time.
Now there may come a time or there may have been a time where everybody and your group of people are in the church or whatever. Thanks you're a wonderful person and whatever and they want to give you great gifts and whatever to say, oh you're such an awesome person until tomorrow when they change their minds. So if we seek the glory of others, even if we get it, it won't last long. But when God glorifies us at the proper time, it's an eternal glorification. I would rather be glorified by God than approved by the whole world. It's His last forever. The scriptures also tell us why we need to be humble.
In first Corinthians it tells us that they're not many wise, they're not many mighty, not many noble who God chooses. The God chooses the weak things of this world so that He may glorify Himself. So when God calls you to do something, rather than be like Moses, I can't do it on whatever. God you call me, therefore you must be willing to give me the power to do that what you have called me to do, not because I'm significant because if I'm significant, you won't get any glory. So you have determined that I am so utterly incapable of doing this, but with you doing it, it will get accomplished. You'll get the glory. So we ought to be rejoicing that He called us to be on His team.
It's like being on an undefeated team that's not lost a game ever. And you don't, you know, let's say it's basketball and you don't even know how to dribble. And you can't shoot the ball more than three feet up in the basket, ten feet. So you're a lousy player. No one would want you except God. Because God goes, I'm going to give you strength. And you're going to dribble that ball like nobody's ever dribbling that ball.
And you're going to slam dunk not from ten feet, but from above the actual backboard. Because my power and the people are going to go, whoa, that's not humanly possible. And you go, that's right. Because God is the one who did it. So we need two things. When we are called to ministry, to make sure that we understand who we are. And when God accomplishes what God accomplishes, not to take the credit, not to be frightful, but to be humble. And then when other people are doing things that God has called them to do, rather than be critical, say, God, if they're wrong, you talk to them, you deal with them, you, they're your servant, you chastise them, you do whatever you do.
Now pray for them. And I'll try to remove these older or log out of my eye as you remove the speck out of theirs. So many people want to feel better because somebody else is worse off than they.
You'll hear, well, I didn't have any shoes until I saw the person with no feet. So that makes you feel better, wonderful. Should make you pray for the God, give the people feet. You know, it's, we want to make ourselves feel better. Don't make ourselves feel better. Be better servants.
Because you are who God called you to be. Not because of what I've called you and not because of what somebody else called you. And not because of what other people criticize you, but you are who God says you are because it's God who's called you and God, you're responsible too. Not to me, not to others.
You are called by God and his household. And he's going to correct his household when they don't act right.
And all God's people say.