Numbers 12:6-8 English Standard Version
6 And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. 7 Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. 8 With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”
Matthew 20:22 Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.”
This is a cautionary tale about being careful about what we think and what we say.
A little context is required surrounding the issues in Numbers 12. Aaron and Miriam did not like it that Moses married a Cushite woman. When they confronted Moses it had nothing to do with his marriage, they said “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” There is an accusation there which has nothing to do with his marriage. Instead they invoke self-pride, elevating their own position.
In the present church age we have servants that are faithful to God and are used by God and to us they make it look so easy. It looks so easy at times some of us think “I can do that!”
In the passage in Matthew 20 Jesus warns John and James, those sons of thunder, that their mother asks for a blessing that involves much more than granting a favor. John and James think they are ready even though they have no idea what is about to happen to Jesus.
We honor men for their service but we do not see what they had to go through to get there. Many of them have had their lives torn apart, broken down and then reshaped into useful instruments for God’s service.
“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts.”
An earnest desire for a higher gift doesn’t come with the knowledge of what is required of us to attain that level of faithful service.
It is like being dragged through the mud just so God gets the honor of cleaning us up.
Be careful what you ask for because Miriam was given leprosy in Numbers 12:10 before she was made clean.