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Defying Moses - The Book of Numbers · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the
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  Speaker 1: Ethiopian woman whom he had married, for he had married
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  Speaker 1: an Ethiopian woman. Numbers 12.1 Dear Lord, thank you that
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  Speaker 1: you are a protective father. And because you are a
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  Speaker 1: protective father, I know that if there is any speech
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  Speaker 1: that is trying to rise up against me, you will
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  Speaker 1: silence it. Thank you that when it comes to my reputation,
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  Speaker 1: I don't have to fight the battle on my own
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  Speaker 1: or try to prove myself to another. Instead, I will
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  Speaker 1: keep my integrity intact. I will continue to move and
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  Speaker 1: operate in love because I know that at the end
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  Speaker 1: of the day, you are for me. In the same breath,
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  Speaker 1: I will ask that if the same mindset that came
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  Speaker 1: upon Aaron and Miriam tries to descend upon my mind,
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  Speaker 1: that you would silence it. I choose to live my
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  Speaker 1: life with honor, humility, and holiness. And because these are
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  Speaker 1: my pillars, I will honor anyone in a position of power,
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  Speaker 1: even when we don't see eye to eye. Through this
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  Speaker 1: simple truth, I know that when my time comes, you
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  Speaker 1: will surround me with the right people who will honor
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  Speaker 1: my position and authority. I will not forget that honor
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  Speaker 1: is the key to elevation in your kingdom. These truths
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  Speaker 1: I will hold near to my heart. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for praying with me today. Continue listening for
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  Speaker 1: an incredible Bible story brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Defying Moses In our last story, We saw the people
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  Speaker 2: of Israel grumble to God about food, and God made
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  Speaker 2: a point. Their constant complaining and ungrateful spirits drove Moses
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  Speaker 2: to the end of himself, and God appointed seventy men
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  Speaker 2: to relieve Moses of his burdens. In this story, we
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  Speaker 2: learn about jealousy rearing its ugly head in the hearts
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  Speaker 2: of Miriam, Moses' sister, and Aaron. The jealous hearts of
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  Speaker 2: Cain seek to strike once again, but God would not
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  Speaker 2: allow it, as inspired by the book of Numbers.
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  Speaker 3: I'm so glad you joined us on the Bible in
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  Speaker 3: a Year podcast today. But before we get to today's episode,
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  Speaker 3: I want you to know that I would absolutely love
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  Speaker 3: to send you my daily devotional that will give you
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  Speaker 3: fresh encouragement every single morning and day. From the moment
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  Speaker 3: we wake up to the moment our head finally hits
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  Speaker 3: the pillow, there are thousands of things demanding our attention.
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  Speaker 3: But it's in the midst of all this crush and
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  Speaker 3: hustle and bustle that you and I need peace and
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  Speaker 3: truth in God's Word. That's why I want to help
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  Speaker 3: you spend time each day growing in God's life-giving, life-changing
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  Speaker 3: Word by sending you my free daily email devotional, PowerPoint, today.
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  Speaker 3: So visit JackGraham.org to sign up for your PowerPoint Today devotional.
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  Speaker 3: That's JackGraham.org. JackGraham.org. In yesterday's episode, we saw how the
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  Speaker 3: needs of the Israelites overwhelmed Moses and he was burning
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  Speaker 3: out and yet he goes to God for help. God
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  Speaker 3: gives him a plan and appointed 70 men to help
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  Speaker 3: lighten the load and to take care of the problems
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  Speaker 3: and the perplexities of leading such a great nation. We
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  Speaker 3: also saw how God judges the people for their ungrateful
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  Speaker 3: hearts and their lack of trust by sending a plague.
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  Speaker 3: God was demonstrating that though he was the provider and
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  Speaker 3: would always protect them, that he would bring punishment to
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  Speaker 3: correct or discipline his children. Today, we'll revisit a theme
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  Speaker 3: that's come up many times in Scripture, sibling rivalry. From
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  Speaker 3: Cain and Abel to Joseph and his brothers, it's a
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  Speaker 3: problem almost as old as mankind. We'll hear how Moses' siblings,
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  Speaker 3: Miriam and Aaron, turn against Moses and how God deals
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  Speaker 3: with their attempt to usurp his leadership. Now, let's hear
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  Speaker 3: today's reading.
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  Speaker 2: Banterous whispers could be heard in the dead of night. Miriam, Moses' sister,
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  Speaker 2: and Aaron spoke silently but with intensity. They gossiped, grumbled,
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  Speaker 2: and complained about their brother Moses marrying an Ethiopian. For
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  Speaker 2: whatever reason, Miriam boiled with anger towards Moses' wife, yet
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  Speaker 2: the true heart behind her distress was revealed in her words.'
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  Speaker 2: Does God only speak through Moses?' she whispered, doing her
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  Speaker 2: best not to be heard by anyone else.' He has
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  Speaker 2: spoken to you, me, and plenty others here.' Aaron agreed
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  Speaker 2: with Miriam, having been both jealous and embarrassed by Moses'
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  Speaker 2: faithfulness and favor. They validated one another's words. Their hearts
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  Speaker 2: had been gripped by an evil that once took over
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  Speaker 2: the heart of Jacob's sons towards Joseph years ago. As
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  Speaker 2: they spoke to others, their dishonor for Moses increased, and
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  Speaker 2: they began to sow subtle doubt among the people. Though
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  Speaker 2: Miriam and Aaron were keeping a low profile, God could
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  Speaker 2: hear every word of it. Petty, childish. God looked upon
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  Speaker 2: Miriam and Aaron with disgust. He would not tolerate leaders
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  Speaker 2: driven by jealousy and contempt. Moses was a meek man.
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  Speaker 2: His humility often overshadowed his strength as a leader. Therefore,
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  Speaker 2: it was up to God to reprimand his siblings. As
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  Speaker 2: Miriam and Aaron were scheming amongst each other, a cloud
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  Speaker 2: of smoke descended upon the tent of meetings. The air
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  Speaker 2: shifted and the warm breeze turned into a sharp and
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  Speaker 2: frigid wind. Come out, the Lord shouted. He beckoned Moses
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  Speaker 2: forward and forced Aaron and Miriam out from the shadows.
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  Speaker 2: God spoke to Miriam and Aaron as a shepherd would
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  Speaker 2: to wolves. His anger emanated from the cloud as he said,
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  Speaker 2: Hear my words and listen carefully. When I speak to
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  Speaker 2: my prophets, I come to them in dreams and visions.
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  Speaker 2: This is not so with Moses. He is faithful, and
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  Speaker 2: I speak to him clearly, plainly, and with no riddles.
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  Speaker 2: You should fear speaking about him the way you have.
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  Speaker 2: You should tremble at the very thought of mistreating him.
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  Speaker 2: God truly spoke as a protective father, and his anger
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  Speaker 2: was kindled against the two of them. And the cloud
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  Speaker 2: of smoke as quickly as it came. Silence fell upon
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  Speaker 2: them as they sat in the tent. Moses could not
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  Speaker 2: look them in the eyes. He tilted his head to
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  Speaker 2: the floor, heart aching from the betrayal of his closest friends.
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  Speaker 2: Moses closed his eyes, thinking about what he would say next.
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  Speaker 2: He had never had a way with words. What would
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  Speaker 2: he say now? As he was thinking, he heard his
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  Speaker 2: brother gasp. Moses lifted his eyes, and saw Aaron's face
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  Speaker 2: in shock as he looked at his sister. Miriam's face
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  Speaker 2: had become white as snow, and her skin began to
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  Speaker 2: peel off her face. Miriam shrieked and cried out in
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  Speaker 2: pain as her entire body began to rot. Pieces of
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  Speaker 2: flesh peeled from Miriam's face like paper, and her fingers
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  Speaker 2: began to fall off one by one. Aaron watched as
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  Speaker 2: his sister became riddled with leprosy. Unable to look any longer,
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  Speaker 2: he turned to Moses and shouted, My Lord, do not
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  Speaker 2: punish us. Her flesh is half eaten away. Aaron cried
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  Speaker 2: with his face to the floor in front of Moses.
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  Speaker 2: Moses was just as sickened as Aaron. He shivered at
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  Speaker 2: the sight of Miriam, whose teeth had been dangling from
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  Speaker 2: her open mouth. Oh, God, Moses shouted. Please heal her, please,
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  Speaker 2: Moses begged. So God did as Moses requested. and Miriam
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  Speaker 2: lived outside the camp for seven days. God allowed her
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  Speaker 2: to live with the outward display of her inward character.
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  Speaker 2: After she had healed, she rejoined them, and the three
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  Speaker 2: continued to lead the people together.
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  Speaker 3: Today's episode begins, as acts of treachery often do, with whispers.
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  Speaker 3: Miriam and Aaron's the very sister and brother of Moses,
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  Speaker 3: are jealous of his position, envious. Why should he get
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  Speaker 3: all the credit for hearing from God, they said to
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  Speaker 3: themselves and then to others. They were undermining the man
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  Speaker 3: that God Almighty had chosen to lead his dear people.
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  Speaker 3: Surely their whispers were heard throughout the camp. Moses himself
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  Speaker 3: may not have heard them, but God did. And the
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  Speaker 3: reality is that when someone tries to undermine one that
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  Speaker 3: God has called to lead his people, it's like an
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  Speaker 3: attack on God himself. And that will not be tolerated.
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  Speaker 3: So God summons Moses and his siblings to the tent
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  Speaker 3: of meeting and made it very clear. Moses was set
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  Speaker 3: apart different from all the others. Their attempt at comparing
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  Speaker 3: themselves to Moses would not be taken lightly. God asked
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  Speaker 3: why they, knowing that Moses was chosen by God himself,
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  Speaker 3: had spoken against him. This is a reminder for us
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  Speaker 3: today to be very careful how we speak of those
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  Speaker 3: who God has called to lead. in the book of
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  Speaker 3: acts we find a story of a pharisee named gamaliel
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  Speaker 3: who understood this when some of the apostles were arrested
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  Speaker 3: for preaching the gospel of christ gamaliel advised those in
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  Speaker 3: charge to let them be if they were not from
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  Speaker 3: god they would soon be gone But if they were
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  Speaker 3: from God, defying them was a dangerous, treacherous move. It
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  Speaker 3: could mean they were fighting against God himself. That's what
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  Speaker 3: Miriam and Aaron were doing by undermining and criticizing Moses.
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  Speaker 3: They picked a fight with God. God turned to them
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  Speaker 3: in anger and struck Miriam with a horrible leprosy. Her
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  Speaker 3: skin began to peel away. Yet Moses, once again demonstrating
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  Speaker 3: compassion and grace even to those opposing him, intervenes and
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  Speaker 3: asks God to spare her. Because of Moses, God determines
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  Speaker 3: to let Miriam live, and she survives. She is required
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  Speaker 3: to live outside the camp for a week, but then
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  Speaker 3: is restored to the community and they move on, continuing
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  Speaker 3: their journey to the promised land. And when we see
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  Speaker 3: them next, they will arrive at Canaan. Dear God, thank
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  Speaker 3: you for this story, which reminds us that you call
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  Speaker 3: people to leadership roles for a reason. And we are
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  Speaker 3: to respect and follow those that you've put over us.
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  Speaker 3: Help us to support rather than undermine those you have
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  Speaker 3: called to serve you in leadership positions. In Christ's name, amen.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 3: I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. And before we go,
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  Speaker 3: I want you to know that I would love to
• 11:39
  Speaker 3: send you my daily devotional to give you fresh encouragement
• 11:43
  Speaker 3: every single day. So visit JackGraham.org to sign up for
• 11:47
  Speaker 3: your PowerPoint Today devotional. That's JackGraham.org.