The Sabbath-School by M. C. Wilcox

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · May 6, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 17.

The Sabbath-School.

By M. C. Wilcox

Old Testament History.

MIRIAM'S SIN.

(Lesson 20, May 18, 1889.)

1. WHAT name was given to the place where the people lusted for flesh? "And he called the name of that place Kibroth-hattaavah; because there they buried the people that lusted." Num. 11:34.

2. Where did they go from that place? "And the people journeyed from Kibroth-hattaavah unto Hazeroth; and abode at Hazeroth." Verse 35.

3. What fault did Miriam and Aaron find with Moses? "And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman." Num. 12:1.

4. What showed that this complaint was due solely to envy? "And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it." Verse 2.

5. What testimony is here thrown in as to the character of Moses? "Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth." Verse 3.

6. What promise has the Lord made concerning such people? "The meek will he guide in judgment; and the meek will he teach his way." Ps. 25:9.

7. Why will the Lord guide the meek rather than any others? See note.

8. Although the meek may be despised, of what are they sure at last? "But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." Ps. 37:11. "Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth." Matt. 5:5.

9. Did the Lord overlook the envy of Miriam and Aaron? "And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forth." Num. 12:4, 5.

10. How did the Lord say he would reveal himself to a prophet? "And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream." Verse 6.

11. What showed that Moses was greater than an ordinary prophet? "My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold; wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" Verses 7, 8.

12. What direct statement have we concerning the high standing of Moses? "And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, in all the signs and the wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land, and in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses showed in the sight of all Israel." Deut. 34:10-12.

13. How did the Lord talk to Moses? "With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold; wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" Num. 12:8. "And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face." Deut. 34:10.

14. What punishment was inflicted upon Miriam? "And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed. And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow; and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous." Num. 12:9, 10.

15. What prayer and confession did Aaron make? "And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned. Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb." Verses 11, 12.

16. Did Moses cherish any resentment in the case? "And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee." Verse 13.

17. How did the Lord show that Miriam's sin was not a light one? "And the Lord said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again. And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days; and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again." Verses 14, 15.

18. If this envying of Moses had not been checked, what would have been the result? "For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." James 3:16.

19. What lesson is this designed to teach us? Ans.—That those whom God places in high position, and honors with his special presence, are not to be lightly spoken against. Not to be afraid to speak evil of dignities is a characteristic of the grossly wicked.

20. What instruction did Paul give to Timothy, who was himself placed over many churches? "Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses." 1 Tim. 5:19.

NOTE.

THE reason why the Lord will guide the meek rather than any others, is because they are the only ones that he can guide. The proud trust to their own judgment, and will not follow the leadings of God's Spirit. And since "it is not in man that

walketh to direct his steps," it follows that "pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." But those who "have no confidence in the flesh" (Phil. 3:3), are in a condition to accept the wisdom that comes from above. God desires to guide all men in judgment, and lead them in the right way; but since he will not force any to go contrary to their wishes, the meek, who distrust themselves, are the only ones whom he can guide. How much better for a man not to lean to his own understanding, when he can have the benefit of God's wisdom. Happy is the man who can say from the heart, > "I'd rather walk in the dark with God, > Than walk alone in the light."

ADDITIONAL NOTES.

KIBROTH-HATTAAVAH (pronounced, Kib-roth-hat-tá-a-vah) is the name given to the place where they buried the people who lusted for flesh. It means, as may be seen from Num. 11:34, margin, "the graves of lust." The name was not a pleasant reminder to Israel; but it would ever serve to remind them of their sin, and thus lead them to humility. "Graves of lust" is a very suggestive term. It may have a double meaning. It may mean to us, as to the children of Israel, that those who are therein buried were so wedded to their unholy lusts that they yielded all to them, and were destroyed, because every faculty and power of being was by these unlawful lusts debased and corrupted. A man himself becomes evil in such a case, and fitted only for destruction. The lesson to learn from such an example is to take warning betimes. "Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted." 1 Cor. 10:6.

"GRAVES of lust" may become to us a better term. It is true that the carnal heart, the unregenerate old man, "is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts" (Eph. 4:22), that "the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh" (Gal. 5:17); but it is also true that we may "through the Spirit" "mortify the deeds of the body" (Rom. 8:13); for "they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." Gal. 5:24. Lusts have been crucified, or put to death; it is only the proper thing to do, to bury them forever. "Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4), as obedient children, not fashioning ourselves according to the former lusts in our ignorance, but following the Holy One, of whose Spirit we are partakers. 1 Peter 1:14-16. Thus baptism becomes to every truly converted man the grave of his unlawful lusts. They are buried there forever. And when the strong desire (for lust is overstrong, or unlawful, desire) for anything contrary to God's holy will or the great Exemplar, asserts itself, by the power of God's Spirit, through the grace of his gospel, we can there conquer, and bury the lust ere it bears fruitage in deeds. Such graves would then be tokens of God's wondrous love and power. Let us be sure that our Kibroth-hattaavah cover not ourselves as children of lust, but our lusts alone.

THE wife of Moses is here called the Ethiopian woman, or, literally, the Cushite. Some have supposed that this woman was a second wife of Moses, because it is said that the father of Zipporah was a priest of Midian, and therefore doubtless a Midianite, while in Num. 12:1 the wife of Moses is called a Cushite. But the probabilities are that Moses had no other wife than Zipporah, and that it was pure jealousy which led Aaron and Miriam to do as they did, and to call her a Cushite in contempt. She might have also had Cushite blood in her veins.

GOD had honored Moses because Moses had honored God. It was honor unsought and deserved, but Aaron and Miriam, in order to exalt themselves, must bring Moses down; and, finding naught against his character, they endeavor to lessen the respect of the people for him by casting reflections upon his marriage. They felt something as did Haman when he said, "Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate." Esther 5:13.

ENVY is one of the most devilish characteristics of the carnal heart. It is defined as, "Pain, uneasiness, mortification, or discontent excited by the sight of another's superiority or success, accompanied by some degree of hatred or malignity, and often or usually with a desire or an effort to depreciate the person, or with pleasure in seeing him depressed." This was the feeling held by Aaron and Miriam. They could not bear to have anyone above them, however worthy or well fitted he might be for the place. It pained their selfish hearts and made them discontented. Their only hope of being exalted, they thought, was to have Moses brought down, and so they took the course they did. Envy is a manifestation of selfishness. It is often the result of pride. If cherished, it stops at nothing to gain its object. As the Scripture expresses it, "Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?" Prov. 27:4. The Jewish rabbins have a story of two men—one covetous, the other envious—to whom a certain one promised to give whatever they desired, but a double portion to him who asked last. The covetous man would not ask first, because he wanted most; and the envious man would not ask first, because he could not bear that his neighbor should receive a greater blessing than himself. But as the covetous man in his desire for self alone would not choose, the envious man finally wished that one of his eyes should be put out, in order that his neighbor might lose both of his.

"Base envy withers at another's joy, And hates that excellence it cannot reach." How much better the gospel rule, "In lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves." Phil. 2:3.

WE are not to understand from Num. 12:6-8 that what God revealed through Moses was any more a revelation from God, or was any more inspired, than what the Lord revealed through Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, or any other prophet. The difference in the manner of God's revealing himself to Moses and other prophets was not a discrimination between the scriptures given through these prophets, but the discrimination was between the men, as one will see if he reads the text carefully. God was exalting his "servant Moses," who was faithful in all his house. Moses was not simply an organ through which the Holy Spirit transmitted truth to others, but his own mind was divinely illuminated. He understood the prophecies and revelations which God gave through him. But the other prophets did not fully comprehend their own writings. 1 Pet. 1:10, 11. Daniel did not understand. Dan. 12:8-10. They ministered not to themselves, but to generations to come. 1 Pet. 1:12. But their writings were not less inspired than were those of Moses. The same God spoke through them all, the same Spirit inspired their words. The illumination of the minds of the prophets was one thing, the inspiration of their writings was quite another.

FROM the very nature of Moses' work and position, we can see a reason why God should so greatly enlighten him. 1. Moses was of that character that the Lord could reveal to him his way in an especial manner. He was not only meek, but meek above all men; and the meek, God will guide in judgment and teach his way. Ps. 25:9. 2. The people needed especial instruction. They had just come out of the ignorance of Egyptian bondage, and God especially fitted Moses for the work of instruction. Ex. 24:12. 3. He was the type of the greater Teacher, the meek and lowly One who was to come, who is to bring the true Israel from the greater bondage of sin to the better country, even the heavenly. Deut. 18:15, 18. For these reasons God honored him above all other prophets; he understood more of that which the Lord revealed through him.

SOMETIMES God reveals things in the plainest language without symbol and figure, as he did through Moses (Lev. 26; Deut. 28), and as Christ taught (Matt. 24); sometimes through symbols and figures, as by Daniel, John, and other prophets, or by parables, as Jesus often spoke. But all are the word of God, all equally inspired by the same Spirit; but the persons through which this Spirit reveals God's will may be more or less illuminated. Thus Moses understood more than Ezekiel; Paul than John, perhaps; but the messages that they bore to the world were equally inspired.

THE true beauty of meekness is shown in the character of Moses. He was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, the then greatest and most enlightened nation (from a worldly view) upon the face of the earth. God honored him as he had honored no other prophet, talking face to face with him as a man to his friend. Mighty miracles were wrought through him. But this mighty man of God, belonging to the chosen people of God, is not above taking advice from Jethro, the priest of Midian. Teachableness is a characteristic of meekness. Moses envied not Eldad and Medad because they prophesied, but wished that all were where God could bestow his Spirit upon them. He is willing to divide his burdens and honors with the council of seventy. Meekness is unselfish. And when Aaron and Miriam plot against him in what was necessarily a very tender and embarrassing point to Moses, he prays that God may forgive the sin. Meekness is tender and forgiving.

WHEN God places responsibility upon individuals, if they are humble and teachable, he will fit them and strengthen them to fulfill their duty and bear the responsibility. It is the duty of those under them to pray for them, and to support them in every good word and work. If we have excellent council and advice to give, let us offer it in the fear of God, and it will be received by the meek in the same spirit. But if our advice is not followed, we should not be disappointed nor offended. It may not be the best advice. It may not be God's time to apply it, and his providence may not be able to use the present instruments to apply it effectually. But whether our way or our advice is followed or not, let us pray and labor to support those in authority just the same. But let us never murmur nor find fault. Let us learn from Moses, or, better, from the meek and lowly Jesus, our mighty Redeemer. M. C. W.