Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 The Mystery of Forgiveness
Numbers 12: 1-16
“So Moses cried out to the Lord, “O God, please heal her!” 
Moses was a person who derived the utmost love and confidence from God.  It is an irony that such a godly person is detested by his own brother and sister, namely Aaron and Miriam.  The world hates those who are loved by God.  Aaron and Miriam failed to grasp God’s plan for Moses in the deliverance of Israel.   Their dislike for Moses’ wife made them blind.  Their wrath had reached the peak when they questioned Moses’ authority and leadership.  They angrily ask, hasn’t the Lord spoken through them too!
Aaron and Miriam did not want God to get involved in this dispute.  Their intention was to defeat Moses to gain leadership of the Israelites.  We too, as human beings, never want God to interfere in certain matters that have sinful means and ends.  God did  not like their angry talk against Moses.  God’s reaction is immediate.  He summons both of them to come forward.  The Lord’s words reveal how highly God placed Moses. God gives a discourse on the personality and character of Moses.  God said that He speaks to Moses face to face and he is God’s most faithful servant.   Here we observe how confident God is about Moses.  God’s anger burned against Aaron and Miriam.  She turns a leper.  Aaron shivers like an autumn leaf.  Fear envelopes him.  He knows his fate.  And he begs Moses’ forgiveness.  Aaron’s predicament shows the general human nature.  Man in his helplessness would fall on his knees before anyone whom he believes to be capable of helping him.
The plea for forgiveness fills the heart of Moses with compassion.  ‘Moses was more humble than anyone else on the face of earth (verse 3)’.    He does not carry personal grudges.  This noble trait in his character is the one that makes him the most loved by God.  We must understand that this same humble Moses became furious when he saw the Israelites disgracing God by worshipping the golden calf.   Moses would give up his life for upholding God’s honor.  But when he was the target of insult and rebuke, he remained silent without reacting.  In our modern world, we seldom see people having the patience and forbearance such as shown by Moses when confronted with rebuke and criticism. Moses pleads with the Lord to forgive his sinful leprous sister and heal her. The Lord heard Moses’ prayer and healed Miriam
PRAYER
Lord, forgive our sins of jealousy, prejudice and critical spirit. Purify us Lord and make us like Moses who always remained as your faithful servant.  Amen.
 
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
  Can God confide in us?

Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church

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