Beyond the Surface - Day 99 Month 4-9 Week 15-1

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year)


Numbers 12:1-13:24 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%2012%3A1-13%3A24&version=NASB1995

Psalm 78:54-72 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2078%3A54-72&version=NASB1995

Jeremiah 2:20-28 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%202%3A20-28&version=NASB1995

Luke 11:29-54 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2011%3A29-54&version=NASB1995


Beyond the Surface


1. Miriam and Aaron find out (the hard way) that they should not speak against God’s chosen leader, Moses.  Moses was a humble man, and he was the most humble person on earth according to the text in Numbers 12:3.  Judging is such an easy mode to slip into but in this case they were also judging Moses on account of Moses’ wife.  Moses' wife was a Cushite.  The Cushite’s originate from the land of Cush located south of Egypt  where Sudan or Ethiopia is located.  We don’t know if they are referring to his wife Zipporah who was a Midianite.  However, to be referred to as a Cushite woman, she likely had a dark complexion or was a black woman.  In this case it appears that Miriam and Aaron were judging Moses because they were racist towards his wife.  


Racism, or ethnic bigotry as my brother calls it, where North American civilization seems to move 1 step forward away from it and then 2 steps back.  If we judge people according to their colour, we are judging God’s creation.  As you read from the way God responded to Miriam and Aaron, God was not judging Moses because of his wife but Judging Miriam and Aaron for their treatment of God’s servant, Moses.  God is not racist and God did not disapprove of Moses' choice for a wife.  I think it is wise to consider that everyone is equal in God’s eyes and I’m sure His love for each and everyone of us is the same no matter the skin colour.  Notice that Moses did not treat Miriam or Aaron poorly but rather, in Moses true humility, he cries “out to the LORD, saying , “O God, heal her, I pray!””  Notice, Moses response to the criticism was love for his brother and sister.


2. When I was about 10-12 years of age, it was an era where you always dressed up to go to church.  It didn’t matter how hot it may be, men wore suits and women always wore dresses.  Part of it was church culture but part of it was the mindset that your visit to church was a “visit with the king” and you always wore your best to meet the king.  There was one young guy, about my age, who always came to church dressed like a bum (my words).  Imagine, jeans and a t-shirt, in church!  I judged him by his outward appearance.  When I was a bit older, I got to know the guy.  His name was Rob, not a wealthy guy.  I don’t know if he had a suit or not but it wasn’t important.  Rob became one of the guys I would hire when I needed technical help.  He was dependable and most of all he was a Jesus follower just like me.   Rob never lost his crusty exterior but I know his interior was Godly.  I came to realize in life that if you are a Jesus follower, the King of Kings lives within you through His Spirit.  He could care less about outward appearance, as long as your heart is right with Him.  Rob passed away last year but I have some very fond memories and experiences with him.


As we read in Luke 11:37-54 Jesus once again gets into a direct discussion with the religious leaders.  He’s invited to have lunch with a pharisee.  When Jesus does not ceremonially wash His hands before dinner the Pharisee is surprised and Jesus speaks truth that was not comfortable for the religious leaders.  Jesus, as we have come to realize, is not interested in appearances.  He’s interested in the heart.  He states:

  • They pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb but disregard justice and the love of God.”  (He also said they should still pay the tithe)

  • They take the best seats in the synagogues and take respectful greetings (they command respect, though undeserved)

  • They are like concealed tombs (dead inside)

  • They weigh men down with burdens too hard to bear (the lawyers make it hard for people and don’t even consider helping)

  • They approved of their fathers killing prophets (though prophets were killed hundreds of years earlier, they would still support the killing)

It continues on but I think we can gather that God really does not care about a person's place in society or how great they look on the outside, He cares about the heart.


Aaron and Miriam were held to account for their judging heart on Moses.  The Religious leaders felt superior in their hearts towards others.  Jesus, on the other hand, wants people to Love God and Love their neighbours.  No judging, no feelings of superiority are included in Loving God and Loving our neighbours.  Sometimes we need to clear our hearts before God so that we can truly love others.


Oh and by the way, I wear jeans and a t-shirt to church now (and a sweater if it’s winter)!


Have a great day!

Steve

steve.d.pauls@gmail.com


You can subscribe to this blog and receive an email each day or week.  Just visit the following link. https://follow.it/my-faith-view-from-here-daily-readings-and-thoughts?leanpub

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 15 - Week 3 Day1 Let Your Heart Rest

Today's reading Genesis 24:61 - End of 25 Psalms 14 Isaiah 12 - 13:5 Matthew 11 Thought for today (sorry but this is heavy) Today my heart is heavy.  I couldn't sleep well.  I figured that I may as well get up and do my morning reading and blog post.  So much is going on this world!  So much death.  So much war.  I long for what we read about yesterday of the eventual peace that will be in God's Kingdom.  In Psalm 14 from today's reading, we read "The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God."  They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good...They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one. "  This is a Psalm of David, Israel's great king who God describes as a man after His own heart.  I think it's because David always wore his heart on his sleeve.  He was real and you see it in the Psalms he wrote.   My heart is heavy because...
Read more

Day 20 - Week 3 Day 6 The Rock

Today's reading (Bible in 1 Year) - If you have not read my introduction or blog from the beginning, I felt a strong motivation to read the whole Bible in a year and discover something new each day to share. Genesis 30:25 - end of 30 Psalm 18 Isaiah 17 Matthew 13:44 - end of 13 Thought for the day We have rocks!  We live on a rocky shore and our whole property is full of rocks.  You can't dig down more than 6" anywhere on our property and not find a rock.  It's very frustrating when you're trying to dig a garden or plant a tree.  Interesting though, they shift.  Every spring, my mower finds new rock locations.  During the winter freeze and thaw and freeze and thaw and freeze and thaw (that's how it is here), the rocks in the ground shift again and again.   There is one rock on our property that does not shift!  At the shore we have a lava rock outcropping.  It's goes out about 20 ft and and at high tide, you can touch the water from it. ...
Read more

Day 25 Week 4 Day 4 Green Pastures

Today's reading (Bible in 1 year) Genesis 36 Psalm 23 Isaiah 22:1-14 Matthew 17 Last evening, my wife, Sylvia, read a statement to me from a bishop in the Episcopalian church in New Hampshire.  He advised his Episcopal clergy to get their affairs and wills in order "because it may be that now is no longer the time for statements, but for us with our bodies to stand between the powers of this world and the most vulnerable".  Sometimes, peacemaking puts one in the place where death is a possibility in the protection of the most vulnerable.  It's an ominous thing to think about. Today we read Psalm 23.  What a powerful Psalm to read in it's fullness but hopefully you just read it and I'll simply mention verse 4 where it says " Even though I walk through the valley of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me " Did you hear that?   You are with me! On November 16, 2025 my mom passed away and went to be with Jesus, 2 days before her 98th birthday.  My mo...
Read more