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God's Critters

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God's Critters Highland Presbyterian Church Epiphany Sunday - January 6, 2019 “All God’s Critters” A Sermon by Doodle Harris Matthew 2:1-12 Numbers 12:1-16 I think instead of reading the scripture passage from the 12th chapter of Numbers and then preaching on it, I’d like to do a bit of both at the same time. But first, a little background on the passage. We are in the wilderness with the Israelites. We’ve already built the ark and the tabernacle. We’ve already built and torn down the golden calf. We’ve already received the 10 commandments. We’ve already identified 70 elders that are going to help Moses lead the Israelites. We’re trucking along on our way to the Promised Land and here we have the 12th chapter of Numbers which is another hiccup along the way. Chapter 12, verse 1 says “While they (the Israelites) were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had indeed married a Cushite woman).” So I know you all remember your earlier Israelite history when Moses had married Zipporah, a Midianite, before returning to Egypt to free the Israelites. Well, now he’s married another… Another woman without a name, but a woman with a nationality. A Cushite. Being a Cushite would indicate that the woman was from Ethiopia. A woman who would’ve had dark skin… even darker than the skin of the Israelites who were presumably tan after so many days out in the wilderness. A woman who would look decidedly different from the rest of the Israelites. And they’re married. And I feel like I’m watching the old movie “Look Who’s Coming To Dinner.” Do you remember this old movie with white parents – played by Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy? Their daughter has been vacationing in Hawaii and she surprises them by coming home with a black fiancé. As she introduces her black fiancé, Dr. John Prentice played by Sidney Poitier, to family members and the house staff, each one in turn has these moments of confusion, and hesitation… and doubt. But no one wants to appear racist. After all this is the 1960s and this family is a “liberal family.” So after getting over the shock, dad calls the public library and asks for background information on Dr. John Prentice. Because I guess that’s how you got information about a person before the internet? Dad is looking for reasons that his daughter shouldn’t marry Dr. John Prentice that aren’t related to his skin color so dad doesn’t appear racist. We can’t appear to be angry about the color of someone’s skin, so we must find some other excuse not to like them. Same thing in today’s scripture. Moses has married this dark-skinned Cushite woman. Brother and sister are angry that he’s married this Cushite - whatever her name is. But like any good brother and sister, they don’t actually address the issue of the fact that they are displeased that Moses has married a Cushite. They find other reasons to be displeased. They say instead “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. So, Moses’ two biggest allies – his brother and sister - are the leaders of the passive aggressive Israelite movement against Moses. They frame their disappointment about this interracial marriage in a complaint against Moses’ leadership. But there’s more, the scripture continues, “Now, the man Moses was very humble, more so than anyone else on the face of the earth.” So Moses not only is Moses the favorite, but he is the most humble as well… surely a trait that God appreciates – humility. And why wouldn’t he be? He’s the one who hung out on the top of Sinai with God for a couple of days getting the 10 commandments. Wouldn’t that humble you? Moses is the one who took his shoes off for the burning bush. Wouldn’t that be humbling as well? Maybe being God’s favored one is quite a humbling experience. Maybe repeatedly coming before the face of God will do that to you. After all, when God wants to chat with human beings, it’s Moses that God chooses. The scripture continues: Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.” So the three went to the tent of meeting. God sees what’s going on. I can imagine God rolls God’s eyes… and God says, “Alright you three, we’re going to talk about this. We’re going to get to the bottom of why Aaron and Miriam are so irritated with Moses. Circle up you three. It’s a come to Jesus meeting.” May I just mention that I’ve circled up with a few of our youth more than once on a summer trip as we try to figure out drama in the youth group. So, they’ve circled up and God says “Hear my words. When there are prophets among you, I the Lord make myself known to them in visions; I speak to them in dreams. Not so with my servant Moses; he is entrusted with all my house. With him, I speak face to face – clearly, not in riddles”. And incidentally wouldn’t it be wonderful if God spoke with all of us face-to- face, clearly, and not in riddles? God continues “Moses beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses.” So God makes the whole situation even worse! He says – “Of courses Moses is my favorite. I speak with him directly. Of course I like him the best. Not you all…you should be afraid. It’s Moses that’s the cool kid on the block. Scripture continues, “And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them and he departed. When the cloud went away from over the tent, Miriam had become leprous, as white as snow. And Aaron turned towards Miriam and saw that she was leprous.” So, recap Miriam and Aaron are being passive aggressive. They are pretending the real problem is that God doesn’t like them as much as God likes Moses. The real problem is that Moses has married a Cushite woman. God sees through the charade and gives Miriam leprosy. God says, “Fine – if we are going to argue about skin color, then I’m going to give you something to argue about. Miriam – your skin is now white. Now you don’t even look like a member of your own race.” And can I say that what I hate about this passage is that Miriam gets all the punishment. Clearly both she and her brother Aaron are in the wrong – the pronouns are plural when it comes to describing the actions of Miriam and Aaron - but Miriam is the only one with leprosy. She’s the one who gets punished. The woman gets punished. Not the man. Not the “high priest Aaron” but the female sidekick. The females in the Bible are always on the wrong side of the male negotiations. The scripture continues, then Aaron said to Moses, “Oh my Lord, do not punish us for a sin that we have so foolishly committed.” So, now Aaron recognizes the authority of Moses. Aaron calls Moses “my Lord” and Aaron begs for mercy. I think Aaron is worried Moses is about to give him leprosy as well! Aaron continues to beg saying, “Do not let her be like one stillborn, whose flesh is half consumed when it comes out of the mother’s womb.” What a delightful way to describe one’s sister. But in Aaron’s pleading to Moses for their sister, Moses has a change of heart and in turn pleads to God – the one who actually has the power to do something about Miriam’s leprosy. The scriptures says, “And Moses cried out to the Lord “O God, please heal her.” But the Lord said to Moses “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp for seven says and after that she may be brought in again.” So, God reaches a compromise with Moses. Look, I’m not taking away the leprosy today, but I’ll take it away in seven days. Until then, she’s grounded. She lives outside of the camp, I’m taking the keys to her car and her cell phone away and if her attitude has improved in those 7 days, we’ll talk about letting her back in. Scripture continues, “So Miriam was shut out of the camp for seven days. And the people did not set out on the march until Miriam had been brought in again. After that the people set out from Hazeroth and camped in the wilderness of Paran.” This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. All week, I have been asking myself – as I prepared for this sermon – if it really is “thanks be to God” for this bizarre little story in the book of Numbers. I am the pastor at Highland who is either brave enough or stupid enough (and I’ll let you decide which one) to allow the text of one of her sermons per year to be auctioned off at the youth silent auction. Kevin Burns won the auction for a mere $20.
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