Grace Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
"humble" = the Hebrew adjective anav which means humble but it connotes the principle of being humbled because of the pressure the Jews had put upon him.
It means that at times he was even depressed because of the circumstances he was forced to face.
The primary meaning of anav is "to force, " or "to try to force submission," and "to or inflict pain upon an individual.
Sometimes the Lord will bring people and situations into our lives that cause us to have to be humble to handle them.
What Egypt did to the Jews in slavery, the Jews did to Moses in the desert.
The prin: God uses affliction to produce humility in His people, especially those in positions of authority and leadership.
Exo 15:20 "And Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took the timbrel or tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing.
When Miriam played the tambourines, all of the woman played the tambourines. When Miriam gossiped, all of the women gossiped too.
Miriam was the one who started the whole thing and then Aaron jumped in later. Aaron was also the one who gave the OK to build the golden calf idol.
Prin-Weak men always join the sins of the tongue and one of the mains reasons is because of jealousy. This is why the apostle Paul calls emotional men "silly women."
Jealousy has been one of the main reasons for the persecution of God's people throughout the ages.
Act 13:45 But when the Jews saw the crowds [listening to Paul and Barnabas], they were filled with jealousy, and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul.
Act 17:5 But the Jews becoming jealous [of Paul again] they took along some wicked men from the market place and formed a mob and set the city in an uproar.
Jam 3:16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist there is disorder and every evil thing.
Prin- Jealousy will always create instability and disorder in the life of the believer.
We have a jealous woman and a weak man.
Aaron was the high priest and Miriam was a prophetess, so they both had a measure of authority.
They were both individuals of a prominent position.
They were also both family members, his own brother and sister.
MAT 13:57 And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his home town, and in his own household."
JOH 7:5 For not even His brothers were believing in Him.
The point is that even our Lord's mother had problems believing at times, that's why she wouldn't go in to see Him teach in Mar 3 and Mat 12.
Back in Num 12, this is also a confirmation of Moses because it reveals that his promotion was not from the influence of men but from God.
Just like Satan used Eve to get to the man, Miriam is now being used to get to Aaron.
Aaron should have remembered how Moses stood as his friend when God was angry with him for murmuring and complaining.
a. Loyalty as a virtue is loyalty to Bible Doctrine, including perception, spiritual growth, and the fulfillment of the royal family honor code.
b. Loyalty as an evil is involvement in the cosmic system and apostasy.
Integrity from Bible doctrine plus loyalty in the perception of doctrine equals honor.
Integrity plus evil loyalty equals dishonor.
Every Christian at some time will be attracted to a pleasing personality, whose satanic influence is manipulation and undermining of authority and exploitation for evil.
The believer with maximum Bible doctrine in the soul has developed the norms and standards which provide discernment to become loyal against an evil cause, and to reject the manipulation of pleasing personality.
Let's note some principles on the test of loyalty or undermining legitimate authority.
1. Joab flunked this test when he obeyed David's order to assassinate Uriah the Hittite, 2Sa 11:5-27.
2. The people on Mt. Carmel flunked this test when they obeyed the order of Elijah to kill the prophets of Baal, 1Ki 18:40.
3. Aaron flunked this test when he obeyed the orders of the people to manufacture the golden calf.
4. Thousands of Jewish citizens flunked the test when they succumbed to the pleasing personality of Absalom who turned on his father David, 2Sa 13-15.
Bathsheba becomes pregnant, and so David calls Uriah home to have sex with his wife, hoping it will be thought that he has gotten his wife pregnant.
When this does not work, David gives orders to Joab, the commander of the army, which arranges for Uriah's death in battle.
Here's where Joab's first form of loyalty to David becomes an evil form of loyalty.
Should Uriah obey the king, or operate in his own integrity and follow the officer's code which says that while his troops are in the field, he must never go near his family?
Be loyal and follow his integrity and obey the officers code, or be loyal to the king?
prin-The present was designed to encourage their intimacy and their inevitable copulation, and to cover David's sin of adultery.
prin-Uriah was not only a great soldier but he maintained his integrity and remained professional even when the king tried to make him reject the officer's code.
David reasons that a person who is incorruptible while sober can be corrupted once he's had a lot to drink, perhaps this also happened experientially to David.
Moses also committed murder, Exo 2:12, Act 7:28.
Joab was also a part of this conspiracy and the Bible also teaches that Joab will also pay for what he is doing as well.
General Joab and the Israeli army made a terrible decision and lost many casualties.
All the events of the war include the fact that three of the best companies in the Jewish army all retreated and left one company to die.
All the events of the war include the fact that heavy casualties resulted because of the Jewish army "retreating" and "deserting" one of their own companies.
This is another reason why we know that Joab is willfully involved in this, and willfully did his part in the murder of Uriah.
Joab was loyal to David in obeying his orders, but Joab, at the same time, violated every principle of integrity and honesty.
Joab should have disobeyed David by emphasizing integrity, honesty and honor.
Because Joab chose to obey and be a loyal to a superior officer, he became guilty by complicity and he will die as a mature believer under the sin unto death for his attitude that day.
Joab will share David's guilt and David's discipline because and the supreme court of heaven did not overlook
Joab in punishment for this violation of the officer's code of ethics as well as the principles of the Word of God.
Joab's personal standards as a believer in Christ and his military ethics as a professional soldier should have caused him to refuse to obey an order that was sinful, conspiratorial and obviously involved the arrogance of his commander and chief.
The people on Mt. Carmel flunked this test when they obeyed the order of Elijah to kill the prophets of Baal, 1Ki 18:40.
Aaron flunked this test when he obeyed the orders of the people to manufacture the golden calf, Exo 32:1-4.
Thousands of Jewish citizens flunked the test when they succumbed to the pleasing personality of Absalom who turned on his father David, 2Sa 13-15.