May 19 – Leprous as Snow – Numbers 12
Our story begins today is about Miriam and Aaron, Moses’ siblings. Miriam and Aaron begin criticizing Moses for marrying an Ethiopian woman. Whether Moses was wrong or not is not the issue God addresses, but the attitude of Miriam and Aaron are the focal point. It began by pointing out a possible fault of Moses, then quickly progresses to criticizing the authority of Moses. The questioning of God’s power in Moses’ life is what God punishes. A critical spirit is a slippery slide to climb on. As Miriam and Aaron may have been correct in their judgment of Moses marrying an Ethiopian woman, when their criticism slid into Moses’ authority, God acted. God strikes Miriam with leprosy. It is not until Moses asks for Miriam’s healing that God heals her.
A critical spirit is extremely contagious. It is important not to allow a critical spirit to creep in through our jobs, friends, relatives, media, or any of the many other avenues. Many Christians catch a critical spirit from work and bring it to their home or church. Many folks have brought strife into their family and church through this avenue of criticism. Let’s make sure we keep a clean heart in this area.
