Welcome back to our summer series on the exodus journey of the Children of Israel that we are calling “Who Would Do That?” Now, if you have been tracking, we made a little transition in the series last week when Ken took us into the book of Numbers. Did that seem odd that we are studying the exodus journey, but left the book of Exodus and went to Numbers?  Well, that is because the book of Numbers gives us a lot of detail about the wilderness journey.   Last week, Ken took us into Numbers 11, where the people complained about their lives and wanted something other than Manna to eat, and we learned what complaining reveals about our hearts.  Now today we move into Numbers 12; I love this story, even if it isn’t talked about a ton, because it is another one we can all relate to. This story has it all: comparison, competing, jealousy, gossip, and family drama, where Moses’ own family gets jealous of him and spreads gossip and criticism.  I mean, no one we know would ever feel those types of hurts and wounds from their own family, or people they care about, would they?  Some of us hear this and think, well, this just sounds like Thanksgiving every year! Ha, yeah, their story is our story.  This is a fun story to dive into, because Numbers 12 reads like a TV drama or Soap Opera that we would all watch. But, if we are paying attention, it leads us into a really important look at how sneaky pride is, and the importance of humility, and the trap of comparison.  This is a story we can all relate to in so many ways that maybe for this subject, we should change the series title from “Who would do that?” to "Who hasn’t done that?” because unfortunately, we have all dealt with this, felt this, and probably participated in this at some level.  Now, I’m going to make a statement as we get into this today.  Comparison is a trap, which is easy to slide into, that convinces us that someone else’s blessing has somehow become our loss; that their success somehow means I’m losing.  This story and the life of Moses will show us a completely different way to live.

Have you ever caught yourself scrolling on your phone, and moments later, you’re feeling worse about your life? Nothing happened. Except comparison. You didn't lose money. You didn't lose your family. You didn't lose your job. The only thing you lost was probably some perspective as you compared your life to everyone else's.

“The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.” ~Unknown

Have you ever had a good, happy day going on, but then you saw someone else's life? A moment ago, you were fine, but then someone got the promotion or announced a pregnancy. Someone bought a new house or posted amazing vacation pictures. Someone else's marriage looks great. Someone else's kids seem perfect. And suddenly, you aren't nearly as happy as you were five minutes ago. Nothing changed, except what you were looking at.  What is that all about?  Well, the issue is you’re getting caught in the comparison trap.  And it’s so easy to do. Our world has set this trap, and the bummer is when we fall into it, everyone loses.  The person you're comparing yourself to loses because you end up resentful and aren’t supportive and loving, but you lose too, because you stop appreciating what God has given you. And your relationship with God suffers because you are questioning His wisdom and what He has provided you in your life.  On top of that, when you are stuck in this trap, you will do a lot of chasing after things you hope will bring you fulfillment, but you will never find it.

“Comparison will cause you to feel prideful or depressed, but never fulfilled.” Lisa Bevere

As I said, everyone loses; it steals our joy without changing our circumstances. It convinces us we've lost something even though nothing has been taken away. It can make someone else's blessing from God, which we should be happy about, our disappointment; it’s sneaky, it’s ugly, it’s just a brutal trap. 

I will give you an example of how dangerous comparison can be through something I learned years ago.  My son Trey started working construction this year, and I told him about the three rules that will help him succeed on any job site.  This was something I learned from my first foreman, a long time ago, and it always held true.  Rule number one: never let anyone see you with your hands in your pockets (stay busy).  Rule number 2: always be smarter than the object you are working on (stay calm), and the last is huge: never, ever talk about your paycheck.  Why? Because it only causes problems; comparison can destroy a job site, just like it destroys hearts.  My old foreman was so adamant about this that if he heard someone talking about their paycheck on a job site, he would send them home.  He understood how important morale was to productivity and how quickly comparison can destroy it.  And frankly, it’s amazing how quickly this hits; we can be happy for someone, and that happiness for them shifts to us thinking about ourselves and what we have or don’t have in the blink of an eye.  We admire someone, then we compare ourselves to them. Then we begin questioning ourselves and even God. "Why them?" "Why not me?" "Why did they get that opportunity?" "Why do they have that gift?"  "Why does their life seem easier?" “It must be nice to be them.” Do you see it?  Have you ever felt this?  Yeah, I think we all have at some level.  Now, before I hit too close to home or step on toes here, don’t worry, today, we're going to talk about somebody else's problems with comparison, jealousy, and gossip, not our own...specifically we will see Moses’ brother Aaron and sister Miriam fall into this…so don’t worry we are all off the hook, except, we struggle with it too.

So, today we will see two of the most important and influential leaders in all of Israel fall into the comparison trap; they turn on their leader, who is also their brother, someone they care about, because they start looking at what Moses has been given by God instead of what they have been given.  They break rule three on a job site and start talking about their paycheck!  And what happens when they start comparing?  They become jealous and begin to gossip. Who would do that?  Well, we would.  Every one of us at some point has compared our lives and situations to others. So, let’s read Numbers 12.

Numbers 12 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. 2 “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this. 3 (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) 4 At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out. 5 Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them stepped forward, 6 he said, “Listen to my words: When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams.7 But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. 8 With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”9The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them. 10 When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s skin was leprous—it became as white as snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease, 11 and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. 12 Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.” 13 So Moses cried out to the Lord, “Please, God, heal her!”  NIV

As I said, must-see TV. And don’t worry, after seven days, God does heal her.  But, as we get into this, let’s start with who Aaron and Miriam are. We have talked about Aaron throughout this series, so let’s start with Miriam, because we do know some things about her.  First, she is Moses’ big sister, and she cares deeply for him and always has.  Most believe that she was the sister who looked after baby Moses as he floated downstream in the basket and then approached Pharaoh’s daughter with the idea of allowing his mother to nurse Him.  So, she has been watching over him since he was a baby!  We also know that she was a prophetess; she is a spiritual leader in Israel.  So not only does she care deeply for Moses, but she is also a gifted spiritual leader.  And we know Aaron has been the spokesman for Moses since they went to see Pharaoh; he is the first High Priest of Israel, also a gifted leader.  I want you to see this.  This is Moses’ family, and they clearly care deeply for him.  They have watched over him since he was a baby and still are looking out for him.  They are in it with him.  I also wanted you to see that they are gifted leaders with a lot of influence and responsibility over the people; they are the High Priest and a Prophetess, and they are leading this nation spiritually. But things took an ugly turn in this story as they fell into this comparison trap.   

So, let’s think about what is happening here.  Aaron and Miriam love Moses.  They are very influential people who God has clearly blessed with great gifts in their own lives, but they start comparing themselves to Moses.  Remember that statement I made earlier?  Comparison convinces us that someone else's blessing is somehow our loss. That is exactly what is going on with Miriam and Aaron.  They believed that God using Moses somehow meant that God wasn't using them enough. That is the trap.  Miriam wasn't upset because Moses had done something wrong or that he married the wrong girl. She was upset because God was doing something special through Moses. It’s amazing, but we can relate, and I will just say it: it’s hard to support and celebrate someone else while you are secretly comparing and competing with them, and I think deep down maybe we can all relate to that, especially right here in South Central PA…but I digress.

Comparison has become one of the biggest issues in our world today.  Listen, I know I pick on the internet and social media a lot, but I think it’s because I can still remember life without it.  Years ago, if you wanted to compare your life, you compared yourself to your neighbors. We would talk about ‘keeping up with the Joneses.’ That was who your secret competition was with, but that isn’t our world today.  Now, before breakfast, you've already compared your life against hundreds, if not thousands, of people. Somebody is on vacation. Someone else bought a new house. Someone got promoted. Someone's marriage looks perfect. Someone's children seem successful. Someone else got a great opportunity. Someone else has more followers. Someone else seems happier.  Someone else is more fit or got a new car.  We are drowning in comparison today. And when we fall into this trap of comparison, it will always whisper the same lie to us. “God has given them something He should have given me”. That was where Moses’ brother and sister are at here.  And I’m just going to tell you this: when we fall into comparison, there is a progression that takes place in our lives.  I start comparing.  I stop celebrating. I start criticizing.  Then I start gossiping. And that gossip leads to division and pain. And that's exactly what is happening here; let’s look at those first two verses.

Numbers 12:1 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. 2 “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this. NIV

Did you pick up on that question in verse 2?  "Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?"  Miriam was not really talking about Moses here; she's really asking, "Why isn't God using me like that?" Do you see it?  Don’t we think and feel this way too?  We look at life and think.  Why don't I have their marriage or family? Why don’t I have their opportunities, or gifts, or success, or popularity, or wealth?  And I want you to see something about this: if you really think about it, comparison is questioning God and what He is doing and how He is doing it. It's saying, "God, I think You gave the wrong gifts to the wrong people." Ouch.  God, my paycheck seems lighter than his.  Did you notice what happened in the first verse there?

Numbers 12:1 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. NIV

This is important to see: they don't begin by criticizing Moses; nope, they criticize his wife! Why? Because jealousy isn't honest; it likes to wear disguises. We say things like, "I'm just concerned." "Hey, I'm just telling the truth." "I'm just sharing something I observed or calling it like I see it." Meanwhile, our heart is saying, "Why them and why not me?" Jealousy hides. What do Miriam and Aaron start doing? They start gossiping about their brother (who they love).  Gossip is part of that progression in the comparison trap, and here’s the thing about gossip: it gives us others to talk to who agree with us; it gives us an audience. We find others who agree, and we feel comfort in this team we are building.  This is why gossip is so toxic; we rally with others, and it spreads like wildfire as we feed off each other. Basically, it gives comparison a voice, and it grows fast, and when it grows, whew, it isn’t pretty. Solomon warns about how destructive this is; it can literally destroy an entire city.  

Proverbs 11:11 Good people bless and build up their city, but the wicked can destroy it with their words. NCV

So, did you notice who was listening as Miriam and Aaron spoke out against Moses?  It said, "and the Lord heard this"…which is ominous at best.  It makes me think of this terrifying thing Jesus taught us.

Matthew 12:36 And I tell you that on the Judgment Day people will be responsible for every careless thing they have said. NCV

I’m not sure any of us are too excited for God to hit play on the tape recorder of all those careless words we have ever spoken, but let’s keep moving here because I think we need to see how Moses handles what had to be a painful situation here.  He doesn’t seem to defend himself, and he doesn’t seem to get triggered or offended. How is that possible?  Well, verse three tells us why. 

Vs 3 Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth. NIV

This verse is so important; the story just seems to stop to make sure we know that Moses is the most humble person on earth, and this leads us into the subject of pride and humility.  A humble person doesn’t spend their time protecting their reputation because they are secure and defined by God’s love for them.  That means they don’t need to prove or defend themselves because they get all they need from God.  Imagine how peaceful it could be to live that way.  When we hear negative comments about ourselves, or hear that gossip is spreading about us, what is our instinct?  We want to defend ourselves, or we go around and spread some of our own, which only makes things worse. Someone who lives centered on God’s love for them is free from this comparison trap and free from these ugly cycles of jealousy, gossip, and division.  They have nothing to prove or defend. I think so many of us are exhausted because we're constantly trying to convince people we're right.  We are constantly trying to explain ourselves, fix every misunderstanding, answer every criticism, prove our value to others, or that we are good people, and, to say it nicely, that is like pushing the ocean back with a broom; you aren’t going to get that done. Quite frankly, all that proving and protecting and defending does is wear you out, cause more issues, and lead you deeper into the comparison trap. I love how the story just stops to point out that Moses is the humblest human alive.  The Scriptures are saying, you need to see this!  Moses is different.  The difference wasn't gifting or talent. Aaron and Miriam were gifted and talented.  At the core of The Comparison Trap is pride, and what keeps Moses out of it is humility.

So many of us think pride is just thinking you're amazing. But it’s more than just being cocky or overconfident; Pride is thinking about yourself all the time.  And CS Lewis points out that pride, by its nature, is competitive. 

“Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next person. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not.  They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better-looking than others.  If everyone else became equally rich, or clever, or good-looking, there would be nothing to be proud about.”  CS Lewis, Mere Christianity

That’s where Miriam and Aaron are, comparing and competing, but not Moses; his humility shows how he responds to a painful issue that is now spreading through camp, which started with the two people he is closest to, his brother and sister.  So, what is humility? 

“Humility isn't thinking less of yourself. It's thinking about yourself less.” CS Lewis

Pride, by its nature, is competitive and keeps us focused on ourselves.  Humility is the opposite, and we will really get into it this fall, but it is so freeing to stop focusing on yourself.  Here’s what it can look like. Imagine two people walking into a room; one is proud, the other humble.  The proud person thinks, “Do they like me? How do I look? Did I say the right thing? Did they notice me? Did I sound smart? Oh my word, look at how they're dressed; wait, look how I’m dressed. Am I overdressed?  Am I underdressed? Everyone is looking at me, or no one is looking at me.”  The humble person walks into the exact same room asking, “Who needs encouragement? Who is sitting alone? Who needs a hand or to be cared for? How can I love someone today?”  Do you see it?  At its core, the issue is pride, and the cure is humility. 

Ok, so let’s get back to our story.  So, the Lord listens to Aaron and Miriam’s words, and then calls Moses, Aaron, and Miriam out to a little family meeting with Him…and God isn’t happy.  And Miriam is struck down with leprosy, and how does Moses respond when he sees his sister hurting?  He doesn’t laugh and say, "Look at you now, talking all that trash on me; serves you right!" No, he doesn’t feel justified because she is in pain; Moses hurts for her and prays for her.  We can’t miss this!  He prays for the people attacking and hurting him.  That is beautiful. That's love. That’s humility.

You know, one of the challenges we face in sharing God’s love with people in our world today is that we Christians and even our churches seem to have to fight through some predetermined stigmas, assumptions, and labels, which stinks, but Christianity can be known for all the wrong things in our world today.  And honestly, it hurts me to say this, but we have earned some of that bad reputation.  Now, we didn’t earn all of it; I mean, let’s be real here: there really is only one way a Pastor or church is making the paper, and it won’t be for positive things, (that’s why Ken and I leave wedding receptions before the fun begins), but we have earned some of it by how we act and treat each other.  I wish this wasn’t true, but there is a lot of competing and comparing amongst Christians and churches today.  And I wonder what would happen if Christians and Churches became known for celebrating one another rather than competing, comparing, and criticizing each other? Imagine the impact of that.  Another church grows and surrounding churches celebrate it.  Most of us are known at work or out in the community for being Christians, or having some level of faith, so imagine the impact if someone else's children get the part in the play or the starting spot on the team, and we celebrate them. Someone gets the promotion at work, or goes on a great vacation, or finds joy in their lives in some way, and we celebrate it.  Someone starts a business or gets an amazing opportunity, and instead of asking, "Why them? Or rolling our eyes and saying, “It must be nice,” Or worse, gathering others and talking about them behind their backs, what would the impact be if we did the opposite of what the world knows and would do…and we support and celebrate others?  Something good happens to them, and we say, “Wow, God, you are awesome!”  That would get people’s attention, wouldn’t it?  That would show God’s love in a way they can see and touch.  That would change the narrative and, over time, would help us show this world how awesome being a Christian is rather than people watching all the competing and comparing and asking themselves, why they would ever want to be one of those Christians.  This is big!

1 Corinthians 4:7-8 …Isn’t everything you have and everything you are sheer gifts from God? So what’s the point of all this comparing and competing? You already have all you need… MSG

Can we celebrate someone else?  We should be able to because someone else's blessing does not diminish our own. God's Kingdom isn't like a pie. If someone gets a bigger piece, there isn't less for you to eat. God's grace doesn't run out. His love and gifts don't run out. You don't have to compete because it was never a competition. God has never asked you to become someone else; He wants you to be you.  God never asked Miriam or Aaron to be Moses. He asked Miriam to be Miriam and Aaron to be Aaron, and He asks you to become the person He created you to be, embracing and being happy with the life and gifts He has provided you.  And if you do, it shouldn’t matter what He gives someone else, right?

So, let’s close with a couple of questions here today; be honest here, and challenge yourself.  First, what blessing in someone else’s life is hard for you to celebrate?  Did someone get a promotion?  Or the relationship of your dreams?  Maybe someone else’s children are getting ahead of yours?  Their child has the starting spot on the team, or the star role in the play. Maybe it’s someone's financial success, or just their gifts or personality? I know this is a hard question, but it is important because comparison usually shows us where our heart is unhappy with God’s provision in our own life.  Second, when you feel overlooked, or like someone is getting something that you aren’t from God or life…how do you respond? Do you become negative and critical?  Do you gossip with others about them?  Do you quietly resent the person God seems to be blessing? Remember, Miriam didn’t start by attacking Moses. She started by feeling overlooked or like God wasn’t blessing her enough. Third, would the people closest to you say you are becoming more humble or more competitive?  Remember, the nature of pride is competitive; it has something to prove, defend, and win, while the nature of humility is loving, outward-focused, and secure in their value and identity, so there is nothing to prove, defend, or win.  A humble person can celebrate others because they simply don’t think about themselves all the time.  They aren’t thinking what’s in it for me, or what I am missing out on, but how can I love, share, and help.  Could people celebrate their successes around you? Could they fail around you? Do I encourage them or compete with them?  Ok, one final question: Who in your life do you need to start celebrating instead of comparing yourself to?  Maybe it’s a coworker. Maybe a sibling. Maybe another church. Maybe a friend. Maybe someone on social media. This week, instead of comparing and competing with them, let’s make the choice to pray for them. Encourage them. Celebrate them and thank God for them.

Let’s end with this thought: A humble person isn’t thinking about themselves all the time.  They aren’t comparing or competing.  They don’t get offended or triggered or hurt.  They don’t need to win and are happy when others succeed because their identity and value are secure in God, and they know that everything in their life is given to them by God.  This is so important; that’s what Jesus has given us!  So maybe the best way to show that we have been transformed by God and the best way to show others God’s love is to genuinely celebrate others rather than compete with them.  I don’t know about you, but to me, that sounds like a lot of fun; it sounds relaxing, peaceful, and a lot like that best life we talk of often that Jesus came to give us.