Comparisons and Competitiveness: The Road To Jealousy
“Moses should never have married an Ethiopian!”
“No. And more to the point, God doesn’t just speak to Moses.”
“That is true, Aaron. God speaks to us, too. We should equally lead Israel.”
Division
Zipporah was not an Israelite. Miriam and Aaron took that piece of truth, and the truth God spoke to them, and made a comparison. Their conclusion favored them and brought division into the ministry.
Competition on the sports field is challenging and appropriate. Carried over into life, it creates a sightedness birthed out of a black and white thinking where a division is made as others are viewed in an adversarial role. As rivals, only one can succeed. If the other does better, their individuality and giftings become a threat. Jealousy grows, with the false perception the other has something that rightfully belongs to us.
Miriam and Aaron made comparisons based on an an element of truth, which taken out of context of the whole truth led to a subtle accusation with a hidden motive to undermine Moses’ authority. But Moses rested under the authority of God. In actuality, the accusation was against the Lord. Comparisons that rise from the flesh cannot stand before God’s righteousness; devoid of true truth, their source is the father of lies.
Comparison
When one is hurting, it is easy to pick up an offense against another and make a comparison. In the process, a lie is embraced as if it is truth. Placing one’s trust in false sightedness authenticates and proves the judgment is correct. Miriam and Aaron were offended with Moses. They looked at the evidence, compared their relation with God with Moses’. Refusing to forgive, blinded by bitterness, they nurtured an offense against him, as they found fault with his marriage.
God had indeed spoken to them. But their evidence was incomplete, for they did not ask God’s opinion, or advice. Presumptuous, they spoke on the Lord’s behalf as they made a conclusion not grounded on true truth or motivated by desire for truth.
Believing a lie to be truth, they felt free to slander Moses. Slander is a form of murder; an assault on another’s character always moves toward a curse. “Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.” (Pro 10:18, NKJV).
Abraham’s Seed
The Law said those of the priesthood were only allowed to marry a virgin of their own people. (Leviticus 21:14). Why did Moses marry an Ethiopian?
When Moses took a wife, the Law had not yet been given. The wording of Numbers 12:1 could sound like he took a second wife, but the passage does not state he took a new wife. It is likely Miriam and Aaron spoke of Zipporah.
After Sarah died, Abraham married Keturah and had 5 sons; the eldest was Midian. Zipporah was a Midianite of the seed of Abraham. Therefore, Moses did not sin by marrying Zipporah, for her family also worshiped the Lord God.
When the King James Version (KJV) was translated, England referred to Africans as Ethiopians; much of Africa was called Ethiopia, which would explain why the KJV said Moses married an Ethiopian. Zipporah was not Ethiopian. The Hebrew word used is Cushite, which seems to denote a darker skin. We can only speculate, but perhaps his siblings, and especially Miriam, were jealous of Zipporah’s influence on Moses.
Paul warned against making comparisons, of measuring ourselves alongside another to make a value judgment (2 Cor 10:12). The root of compare is to make a separation, to move into an adversarial role, which allows one to accuse or pronounce judgment on another. [1]
When we make comparisons, we move into the adversarial role and make an accusation that allows us to boast. As we do, we come into agreement with the Accuser. The Adversary of our soul stands against the Lord, who alone judges righteously. Jealousy is dangerous for it causes us to view a human as the enemy, and entitles us to make accusations.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Eph 6:12 ESV)
[1]Compare: G2919 krinō verb. To separate, put asunder; approve, esteem; be of opinion, deem, think; determine, resolve. To judge: pronounce opinion concerning right and wrong – to examine and pass judgment; pronounce judgment, censure act part of judge to pass judgment on deeds and words of others; to rule, govern; to contend together as warrior and combatants – dispute, forensic, go to law. Accessed 6 Mar 15.
