SBS |  2nd Quarter of 2023  | CPAD – Adults –  THEME: FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS – Overcoming Challenges and Problems with Examples from God's Word |  Sunday Bible School  |  Lesson 05: Mutiny in the Family Slides prepared by Celso Napoleon

1. Family Mutiny
LESSON 5
April 30, 2023

2. GOLDEN TEXT
“Do all things
without
murmuring or
disputing” (Phil
2:14)
denounces
1 Corinthians 10.10

3. PRACTICAL TRUTH
From
murmurings
arise strife.
Therefore, we
must avoid
them in our
family.

4. DAILY READING
Monday – 1 Samuel 15:23 Rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft
Tuesday - 1 Co 10.10 Murmuring makes the family perish
Wednesday – Ps 31:13 Murmuring is the fuel of collusion
Thursday – Acts 6:1 Murmuring in the Early Church
Friday – Phil 2:14 Murmuring does Doing all things without
murmuring
Saturday – 1 Corinthians 3:3 Paul rebuked envy among the
brethren

5. BIBLE READING IN CLASS
Numbers 11.1-7; 12.1-8
Numbers 11
1 – And it came to pass, that when the people complained, it was evil
in the ears of the Lord; for the Lord heard him, and his anger was
kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed
those who were in the last part of the camp.
2 – Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the
Lord, and the fire went out.
3 - By what he called that place Taberah, because the fire of the Lord
was kindled among them.

6. 4 - And the crowd that was among them had a great
desire; so the children of Israel wept again and said,
Who will give us meat to eat?
5 – We remember the fish that, in Egypt, we ate for
free; and cucumbers, and melons, and leeks, and
onions, and garlic.
6 – But now our soul is dried up; there is nothing but
this manna before our eyes.
7 – And the manna was like coriander seed, and its
color like the color of bdellium.

7. Numbers 12
1 - And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses, because of the Cushite
woman whom he had taken; because he had taken the Cushite woman.
2 - And they said, Has the Lord spoken only by Moses? Did he not also
speak for us? And the Lord heard him.
3 - And the man Moses was very meek, more than all the men that were
upon the earth.
4- And immediately the LORD said to Moses, and to Aaron, and to
Miriam: You three went out to the tent of meeting. And the three of
them came out.
5 – Then the LORD came down in the pillar of cloud and stood at the
door of the tent; then he called Aaron and Miriam, and they both went
out.

8. 6 – And he said, Hear now my words; If there is a
prophet among you, I, the Lord, will make myself
known to him in a vision or speak to him in a dream.
7-Not so with my servant Moses, who is faithful in
all my house.
8 – Mouth to mouth I speak with him, and by sight,
and not by figures; for he sees the likeness of the
Lord; why then were ye not afraid to speak against
my servant, against Moses?

9. INTRODUCTION
In this lesson, we will study the mutiny formed by Miriam
and Aaron against the leadership of Moses. We shall see
that this riot was in the family, for Moses, Miriam, and
Aaron were brothers. The present lesson exhorts us to
beware of murmurings and contentions in the family, which
contribute to family disharmony. Hence we learn that it is
wise to avoid family strife, that peace and harmony may
reign among the saints.
KEYWORD: MURMURING

11. I - THE NEGATIVE INFLUENCE OF
MURMURING
1- Thus is born a riot. The word “riot” refers to explicit
acts of disobedience or a negative reaction against the rules
and orders established in a social group. This is what we see
in Numbers 11 and 12. In these chapters there is a
description of murmurings that culminated in the family
rebellion against the leadership of Moses. Now let's look at
three complaints that go back to rebellion in Israel's lawgiver
family.

12. 2- The first complaint. Israel had moved out of the
region around Sinai, in which there was relative fertility
for the production of grain and water. Suddenly, after
walking beyond Sinai and facing the inhospitable desert,
the Israelites began to complain that Moses had brought
them to die there, when they could have stayed in Egypt.
That murmuring not only saddened Moses, but God,
who had freed the people from Egyptian captivity.
Therefore, He operated a judgment of fire, destroying a
group of Israelites who lived complaining. The Lord
called that place “Taberah” which means “to burn”
(Num 11.1-3).

13. 3- The second complaint (Nm 11.4-7). After
experiencing the judgment of fire, instead of
humbling themselves before God, the people began
to murmur against the “manna” that God sent each
morning, and to remember with longing the food of
Egypt (Nm 11.4-6). He easily forgot all the hardships
experienced with the slaves in Egypt. These people
also forgot the miracles operated by the Lord, when
he opened the Red Sea, when he turned the bitter
water into sweet water and many other miracles.
Murmuring makes us forget the good things
experienced with God.

14. 4- The third complaint (Nm 12.1-3). In chapter 12, after a
whole context of murmuring presented in chapter 11, we have
the rebellion of Miriam and Aaron against the leadership of
Moses. This is a rebellion in the family of Moses, Aaron, and
Miriam. In the first place, Miriam and Aaron did not accept the
marriage of Moses with a Cushite woman, who, not being from
any Hebrew family, but from the descendants of Ham, son of
Noah, had a lot of resistance to acceptance, since these people
were considered vile and negligible. However, this murmuring
went further. Because they were older than Moses, Miriam and
Aaron wanted to be treated as protagonists like Moses (Nm
12.2). Envy in the family is a dangerous feeling.

15. SYNOPSIS I
The episodes of
murmuring are at
the origin of the
riot produced by
the brothers of
Moses.

16. II - THE REASON FOR THE REBELLION
OF MIRIAM AND AARON
1- Envy. The two entertained the idea that Israel's
leadership would have to be shared with them. Miriam
was a prophetess and Aaron was a high priest.
Therefore, they thought they had the same authority as
Moses, the younger brother. See that the leadership was
Moses, but Miriam and Aaron thought they had the right
to lead the people. Now, their role was to cooperate in
the leadership of Moses. This question says a lot: “Did
the Lord speak only through Moses?

17. Did he not also speak for us?” (Nm 12.2).
An envy settled in the hearts of Miriam and
Aaron, leading them to a corrosive feeling,
arising from the desire to take the place of
the other. All this against his own brother.
That same feeling is very dangerous these
days. When envy settles at the center of the
family, the consequences can be tragic.

18. 2- The family riot promotes unpleasantness and
offenses. Although Miriam played an important role
among the people as a prophetess and counselor (Ex
15:20,21), she could not turn against Moses. Though
Aaron was a high priest, he could not burn with
jealousy against his own brother. Unfortunately, this
attitude of Miriam and Aaron influenced the people
against Moses' leadership. God would deal with the
two brothers. We must therefore remember that one
of the keys to keeping a family spiritually balanced is
the practice of mutual respect among family members.

19. SYNOPSIS II
The envy of Aaron and Miriam
got severe treatment from the
Lord.

20. III – MOSES: A MEEK AND HUMBLE MAN
1- More meek than there was on Earth. The Bible
declares that Moses was a humble man and meek in
attitudes (Nm 12.3). He did not retaliate against his
brothers. His meekness was a quality of character
that set him apart from other men. In the Sermon
on the Mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for
they shall inherit the earth” (Mt 5:5). Later in the
same sermon our Lord said:

21. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be
called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). These
two attitudes, emphasized by our Lord, were
present in Moses' leadership of God's people. In
the worldly mentality, being meek can mean
“weakness and cowardice”, but in biblical
teaching, it implies the ability to exercise self-
control, self-control. Thus, meekness is one of
the qualities of the Fruit of the Spirit (Gl 5.23).

22. Moses had the serenity to act firmly without letting
himself be carried away by anger. Even knowing
Miriam and Aaron's murmuring and sedition against
his leadership, he did not have a vengeful attitude
towards his brothers. Rather, he prayed that God
would forgive them. In this sense, meekness and
pacification are virtues that the Christian family
cannot fail to pray to God for and practice. These are
two indispensable virtues for the balance of the
Christian family.

23. 2- The burden of a leadership. In chapter 11 of Numbers, after
the second complaint of the people of Israel, Moses vented to
God about the weight of his leadership with the Hebrews (Nm
11.11-15). There was a moment in his life when the weight of
leadership left him without the courage to continue the mission of
leading Israel to the Promised Land. Then he received direct
guidance from God to separate 70 elders from among the princes
of Israel (Num. 11:16). When choosing the 70 elders, the Spirit of
God rested on them and they began to prophesy (Nm 11.25). This
episode dates back to the context of the rebellion of the two
brothers against Moses. Again, it is a blessing when the Holy
Ghost is poured out on the family; in the place of hate, there is
love; in place of jealousy and envy, there is partnership and
communion. May the Holy Ghost work the character of Christ in

24. 3- The punishment of Miriam and Aaron (Nm
12.4.-7). The rebellion provoked by Miriam's and
Aaron's envy against Moses' leadership aroused the
anger of the Lord. Therefore, they were summoned,
together with Moses, out of the tent (Nm 12.4). The
Lord descended in the pillar of cloud, a demonstration
of his presence, and spoke directly to the two rebels,
showing them his divine sovereignty. He made it clear
that with Moses, unlike with them, he spoke face to face,
not figuratively. Because of the gravity of Miriam's sin in
instigating her brother Aaron to collude with her against
Moses, punishment was immediate against her.

25. Miriam immediately became leprous and was separated
from the camp of Israel for seven days (Num 12:10,15).
Thus, the text shows that every upheaval in the heart of
the family has a tragic consequence. Therefore, we must
ask God for wisdom to act in our family. It is necessary
to avoid false accusations, cross words, the destruction
of the reputation of family members. This is not a
behavior of those who manifest the Fruit of the Spirit
(G1 5.22-24). God's will is that peace and harmony be
upon the Christian family, for it is the Holy Ghost who
works the character of Christ in the family.

26. SYNOPSIS III
Moses is an
example of a
faithful, meek
and humble
leader.

27. CONCLUSION
The mutiny raised by Miriam and Aaron was caused
by envy of the authority delegated by God to Moses.
Therefore, the consequences of attitudes like these
produce great moral and spiritual damage in the
family. Therefore, the apostle Paul advises that we
walk in the Spirit so that the works of the flesh do
not dominate our attitudes (Gl 5.25,26). It is time for
great prudence.

28. REVIEWING THE CONTENT
1- What does the word “riot” refer to?
It refers to explicit acts of disobedience or a negative reaction
against the rules and orders established in a social group.
2- According to the lesson, why did Miriam and Aaron not
accept Moses' marriage to a Cushite woman?
Because she is a descendant of Ham, people considered vile.
However, the real reason was jealousy, because they wanted to
have the same role as Moses.

29. 3- What happens when the feeling of jealousy settles
in the family?
Tragic consequences.
4- What does the Bible say about Moses?
Moses was a humble man and meek in attitudes (Nm
12.3).
5- Among many behaviors, which ones do we need to
avoid in the family?
Jealousy, mutiny and the works of the flesh (Gl 5.25,26).

30. EBD | 2nd Quarter of 2023 | CPAD – Adults –
THEME: FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS –
Overcoming Challenges and Problems with
Examples from God's Word | Sunday Bible
School | Lesson 05: Mutiny in the Family
Slides prepared by Celso Napoleon