14 day plan

Exceptional Bible Characters

Day 4 of 14

GNT

Numbers 12:6-8

6and the Lord said, “Now hear what I have to say! When there are prophets among you, I reveal myself to them in visions and speak to them in dreams. 7 It is different when I speak with my servant Moses; I have put him in charge of all my people Israel. 8So I speak to him face-to-face, clearly and not in riddles; he has even seen my form! How dare you speak against my servant Moses?”

Reflection:  What a remarkable and awesome description of Moses, in God’s own words: he was God’s servant, he was faithful, and God chose to speak to him clearly, face to face. Moses saw the form of the Lord. Much can be learnt from a study of Moses life: he was set apart from infancy, was raised in Pharaoh’s family, and yet still chose to help his people instead of living as a prince. He underwent suffering, but eventually answered God’s call to free his people from Egypt and slavery. Despite his struggles and doubts (he was
initially reluctant to be God’s spokesperson to Pharaoh), with God’s help, he faced the king, and led his people out of Egypt. Moses was not perfect, and in fact, did not enter the Promised Land. Yet he spoke to God, face to face. What an enormous privilege! And one that, through Christ, we share. For through Jesus, we have access to the Father by one Spirit (Ephesians 2:18). We can enter into God’s presence with confidence (Hebrews 4:16, 10:19-22), cry out to him, and he hears our prayers.

Question: How does God’s description of Moses impact you? Have you had times in your life when being able to speak to God ‘face to face’ was life changing?

Prayer:  Dear God, thank you so much for redeeming me,
for saving me through Jesus, just as through Moses your people were redeemed from Egypt. Thank you for the privilege of being able to enter your presence, through Christ, and speak to you face to face. Deepen my faith in you Lord. May I draw near to you in prayer, value my nearness to you, and rely on it every day. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

We are reading the Bible with Karen Mudge until 10th February.

Numbers 12:1-16

Miriam Is Punished

1Moses had married a Cushite woman, and Miriam and Aaron criticized him for it. 2They said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn't he also spoken through us?” The Lord heard what they said. ( 3 Moses was a humble man, more humble than anyone else on earth.)

4Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “I want the three of you to come out to the Tent of my presence.” They went, 5and the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud, stood at the entrance of the Tent, and called out, “Aaron! Miriam!” The two of them stepped forward, 6and the Lord said, “Now hear what I have to say! When there are prophets among you, I reveal myself to them in visions and speak to them in dreams. 7 It is different when I speak with my servant Moses; I have put him in charge of all my people Israel. 8So I speak to him face-to-face, clearly and not in riddles; he has even seen my form! How dare you speak against my servant Moses?”

9The Lord was angry with them; and so as he departed 10and the cloud left the Tent, Miriam's skin was suddenly covered with a dreaded disease and turned as white as snow. When Aaron looked at her and saw that she was covered with the disease, 11he said to Moses, “Please, sir, do not make us suffer this punishment for our foolish sin. 12Don't let her become like something born dead with half its flesh eaten away.”

13So Moses cried out to the Lord, “O God, heal her!”

14 The Lord answered, “If her father had spit in her face, she would have to bear her disgrace for seven days. So let her be shut out of the camp for a week, and after that she can be brought back in.” 15Miriam was shut out of the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until she was brought back in. 16Then they left Hazeroth and set up camp in the wilderness of Paran.