Wednesday, February 22, 2012

When one can do no right

Scripture Passage that Caught my attention today: Numbers 12:1-9 While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had indeed married a Cushite woman); 2 and they said, “Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the LORD heard it. 3 Now the man Moses was very humble, more so than anyone else on the face of the earth. 4 Suddenly the LORD said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.” So the three of them came out. 5 Then 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. 6 And he said, “Hear my words:
When there are prophets among you,
I the LORD make myself known to them in visions;
I speak to them in dreams.
7 Not so with my servant Moses;
he is entrusted with all my house.
8 With him I speak face to face—
clearly, not in riddles;
and he beholds the form of the LORD.
Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” 9 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them, and he departed.

Observation: We don’t know much of anything about this woman other than that she was a ‘Cushite’ and that, generally speaking, apparently she was frowned upon because of her race (since that’s the only way in which she was identified) and her relationship (as a wife) to Moses.

Application: Sometimes people attract attention through no fault of their own simply by being who they are. Perhaps it’s unavoidable.

On this Ash Wednesday we have opportunity to consider this aspect of our mortality, the fact that in some ways we can never measure up and yet, at the same time, by the Grace of God, consider that we who do not 'measure up' are, through Christ 'lifted up.'

My suspicion is that this ‘Cushite’ woman—as she is called—could do no right in Miriam and Aaron’s eyes. The Scriptures don’t detail whether or not she was talented or pretty or a joy to be around. She could have been all of those things and more or none of those things and less. Either way, Miriam and Aaron considered her relationship with Moses as inappropriate, plain and simple. Cushites should stay with Cushites. Israelites like Moses should stay with Israelites and never the two shall meet…at least in the eyes of Moses’ siblings.

What’s interesting in this case of accusation is that the facts are never disputed. “Indeed” Moses had “married a Cushite woman.” Yet the apparently the hearts of the accusers are the crux of the issue, to the point that a few verses later Aaron and Miriam are called to account by none other than the creator of the universe and found wanting.

I’m not exactly sure where I’m going with this other than to say that apparently, even in Old Testament times when laws and procedures were to be meticulously followed, occasionally even the Lord cut people some slack.

I’m happy for that “Cushite” woman and, should heaven end up being a place where people are recognizable, I sincerely hope to meet her one day.

Prayer: Lord, thanks for the many unnamed servants mentioned in our Scriptures and the ways in which to bore witness to the heart of your kingdom. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Scripture Readings for today included: Numbers 11-12, Psalm 27, and Mark 1)

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