21.4 Moses 21, Day 4

Grumbling

I want to talk about the word that the NIV Bible translates as “grumbled”.  I’m not saying this is the wrong word, but I think there is merit into looking deeper.

The dictionary defines grumble as, “to utter (complaints) in a nagging or discontented way, or, to make low dull rumbling sounds.”  It is more growl than bark, more nag than confront.

Let’s look at it in Numbers 16:41, “The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “You have killed the LORD’s people,” they said.”  The word grumbled is a translation of the Hebrew word luwn (Strong H3885).  Depending on the tense of the word, luwn can have a number of different meanings and in Hebrew there are 7 different tenses so, the meanings can be quite varied.  They can range from “to lodge, abide, dwell, pass the night” to “complain, murmur, grumble.”  In the tense used in this verse, the word is translated as, “to show oneself to be obstinate, to be stubborn.”

Obstinate, by definition, means: “stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or chosen course of action, despite attempts to persuade one to do so.”

Isn’t that at the heart of what is really going on?  Despite seeing the ground open up the day before.  After seeing 250 charred to a crisp.  They very next day they still stubbornly refuse to change course.

This is their chosen course, a path of rebellion, a path of wandering, a path of death.  God wanted them in the Promised Land, eating milk and honey, but they chose and continue to choose another path.  They have decided to lodge, abide, dwell in the land of grasshoppers, when God wants them to become giants.

Where are you obstinate in your life?  What mentality about who you are, where you come from, what you deserve, do you refuse to let go of?  Where have you pitched your tent?

Grumbling doesn’t sound so bad, it is just a low murmuring, but it has its roots deep down in our heart and our head where we refuse to change course, despite attempts by others who love and care for us to persuade us to open our eyes and quit being stubborn fools.

There is only one who fully paid the price of atonement.  We are foreigners in this land, spiritual beings wrapped in an earthly shell.  God is calling us to be giants – don’t be a grasshopper, don’t be stubborn, don’t be obstinate.  Choose – do you want to be on the side of the camp dead from plague or the side saved through the atoning act of the High Priest?

 

My Answers:

7.
a.
opened up the ground and swallowed them up (All those associated with Korah) 250 men consumed by fire

b.
He knew God

c.
To cause me not to sin and be jealous, but to be strong and faithful to Him and to trust in Him alone

8.
a.
collected, hammered out flat, overlay on the altar

b.
grumbled

c.
Been faithful, prayed, trusted God, repented of their own sin

9.
a.
God is always on the side of the righteous, those whose battle position is on their knees

b.
Took his censer, put incense in it and burning coals from the altar, made atonement for the assembly running in midst

c.
He has made atonement for us, He sits at the right hand of God as our eternal priest

 

21.3 Moses 21, Day 3

The South’s Gonna Rise Again

Did anyone else notice that these people leading the revolt are all from the tribes on the south side of the tabernacle?  A little rebel yell?

According to Numbers 4, the Kohathites (Levites through the lineage of Kohath) were the moving men.  When it was time to move, Aaron and his sons prepped the pieces of the tabernacle, covering them in blue cloth and leather, “then the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die.” (Numbers 4: 15)

Korah was the cousin of Moses and Aaron.  Dathan and Abiram were Reubenites, the first born of Israel, the first in the census, but now having slipped to 4th in line when the camp moves, behind the camps at the east by the entrance to the tabernacle.

Now, they aren’t going into the promised land, at least not any time soon.  They are so close to the holy articles of the camp, but can’t touch them.  More work, more hard labor, more moving about, no individual glory, no recognition.

With all the tensions in the camp, it probably didn’t take much to brew discontent.  Just a little misdirected leadership, someone with a bold voice and big ego and lots of others would fall right in to the crowd.

I love Moses’ response, time and again.  When individuals rise up from within, Moses falls face down.  Numbers 16:4, “When Moses heard this, he fell facedown.”, Numbers 16:22 “Moses and Aaron fell facedown.”  In these cases, I’m not sure if this was their battle position or if they were simply ducking to get out of the way of what they knew the Lord was going to bring.

Where in your life are you “standing up for yourself”, when you rightfully should be going down on your face in front of God?  What battles are you fighting, claiming God is behind you, when the right place to be is behind God?

God makes His point in a clear and unquestionable way.  The earth literally opens up and swallows the leaders of the rebellion.  Their tents, possessions, family, all gone.  Their followers are consumed by fire from the Lord, leaving only charred remains and bronze censers.

I think the question over sides should have been resolved.

 

My Answers:

4.
a.
“You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourself above the Lord’s assembly?”

b.
Build a coalition – but, also, not much, because the people were so prone to sin, i.e., more work to keep them in line than slip

c.
Yes, in past jobs

5.
a.
K:jealous, bold, organizer, rable rouser, he was a “community organizer”
D&A: Followers – sons of the first born
M: Fighting position – face down in from of the Lord

b.
I can become frustrated over “grunt jobs”.  I can allow myself to get swept up in the complaints of others.  I also know the right place is on my knees in front of God.

6.
a.
God – 16:11

b.
4. fell face down, 8-11 Chastised: isn’t it enough…? It is against the Lord, 12-15 Summoned, Got Angry, 21-22 Interceded: will you be angry against the entire assembly when only one man sins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(The title of this post is a bad reference to a 35 year old movie about the bombing of Pearl Harbor – Tora! Tora! Tora!)

 

 

21.2 Moses 21, Day 2

At the center and at the fringes of my life

God cares.  When we find ourselves in time of need, we find great comfort in that attribute of God.  We know He is paying attention, He is a God of order and details.

But at other times we like to lie to ourselves and believe that “God won’t care.”  When we purposefully take the path of sin, that is what we are saying.  When we lie, cheat, or steal we deceive ourselves into believing no one is watching while knowing that God sees and knows all.  When we push the edges, convincing ourselves it is just little sin, we defile ourselves, something God has chosen as set apart for Him.

Let’s take the example in our lesson today.  While the Hebrews were in the wilderness a man was caught collecting firewood on the Sabbath.  He was taken outside of the camp and stoned.

We look at that and see a harsh penalty for what we may consider a small infraction, a misdemeanor.  But instead of focusing on what the hands were doing let’s look at, to the best of our abilities, the heart of this man.

1. Did he know he wasn’t supposed to work on the Sabbath? Well, we have record that he was told in Exodus 16:23, 16:25, 16:26, 16:29, 20:8, 20:10, 20:11, 31:13, 31:14, 31:15, 31:16, 35:2.

2. Did he know why? In the above verses: a day of sabbath rest holy to the Lord, These are the things the Lord has commanded, a day of sabbath rest to the Lord, This is a sign between Me and you for the generations to come, Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

3. Did he know the penalty? Ex 31:14 Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death, Exodus 35:2 Whoever does any work on it is to be put to death.

4. Maybe he was an exception?  Ex 20:10 neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.

5. Maybe he really needed firewood?  Ex 35:3 Do not light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day.

 

I don’t think there is any way to view this “misdemeanor” as anything other than a total act of defiance and rebellion against God.  A willful, premeditated, direct assault on God by attacking something God had designated as holy.  He was living with his tribe in a community of family.  He was being provided food daily and God dwelled in the community.   He wasn’t just saying that he hoped God wouldn’t care – he was saying the he didn’t care about God.  Every need was being provided for him by God and he openly and publicly rejected God.

Instead of seeing this story and being concerned in our own life that if we “step out of line, God will whack us”, we need to see the deeper story.  If we knowingly and purposefully reject God and defile His holy things, God cares enough that He will give us exactly what we are asking for – eternal separation from Him.

God wants to be in every part of your and my lives.  He wants to be in the Holy days and in the every day.  He wants to be in your heart and in the work of your hands.  He wants to be not only at the center of your life but at the very edges.

We see these visual reminders.  When God grew angry with the defiance of the Israelites, the fire burned at the outskirts.  When the man was to be stoned, it didn’t happen inside the camp, he was taken completely outside, not to the edge, but outside.  The tassles the Israelites were to wear were strong visual reminders.

Sin and temptation seldom strikes at the core of our love for God, at our heart and soul.  Instead it starts at the fringes, the edges.  God says, I’m there too.  God says, I care about those parts of your life, too.  Be holy.

My Answers:

3.
a.
2. After you enter the land I am giving you as a home. 18. When you enter the land to which I am taking you

b.
A man found gathering wood on the Sabbath day, it was purposeful and in direct opposition to God’s commands and laws

c.
To help themselves remember and obey God’s commands, so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes

d.
God instructs me to have him present at the center and at all the edges of my life so that I remember Him in all

20.5 Moses 20, Day 5

Consequences

Consequences and punishments are not the same things.  The word consequences comes from the root words meaning something that follows along closely.  For example, the consequence of bringing home a report card with straight A’s may be praise from your parents.

The picture I have is of being invited to God’s house for dinner, and, upon the way, coming upon a crystal clear body of water.  Instead of leaving it as it is and proceeding on, you wade out into the water, your feet disturb the mud and sediment and your motion through the water makes an after-current of cloudy water.

We may seek forgiveness and even though we are now wet and muddy, God will forgive us and give us new robes to wear and invite us in to His house for the banquet.  But, the mud and sediment is still floating through the water we disturbed.  Not only do we, but everyone else around us, lives with the muddied waters.

To me, that is the difference between consequences and forgiveness.

My Answers:

10.
a.
Yes, v20

b.
Nevertheless

c.
not one of those who saw God’s glory and signs in Egypt will see the land

11.
a.
No, they deny sin and expect others to accept it as “normal” which, unfortunately, it is normal since it is average behavior.  That does not mean it is not sin.

b.
Of course.  Not only is it a part of creation to do so, but it is also important for our own training and for others.  That doesn’t mean I like it.

12.
a.
All who went into the land as spies, except Joshua and Caleb, were struck down and died of a plague

b.
They ignored God’s command and said “now we are ready to go into the land”

20.4 Moses 20, Day 4

Replacing the grasshopper mentality

Number 13:33, “We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

What is your perspective?  How do you view yourself?

The events of our past can influence our view of our selves.  The Israelites were slaves.  They were the lowest of the low, tending to flocks that no one else wanted to be around.  They were servants.  They were nothing but victims.

They saw themselves first as grasshoppers.  Perspective matters.  The way we view ourselves is a strong influence on our lives.  And, while life experiences are very real, we do not have to allow them to shape us and control our perspective.

You and I have the power to change our perspective.  It starts with 1 God in His name, 2 words: I am.

  • I am a child of God.
  • I am saved.
  • I am a brother to Jesus.
  • I am filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.
  • I am a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come.
  • I am washed clean by the blood of the lamb.

 

What a difference.  We can see ourselves as grasshoppers, in our own eyes and in the eyes of others.  Or we can adopt the perspective of the Great I AM.

But, when it seems like everyone is fighting against you, how do change your perspective?  Moses and Aaron modeled that for us in our lesson.  All of Israel, 2-3 Million of them, were rising up against them in revolt.  They were ready to fight.  So what did Moses and Aaron do?  They assumed their fighting stances, the best fighting stance you or I can take.  They dropped to their knees.  The very best fighting position we can take is to get on our knees and call in God’s Calvary.

 

My Answers:

8.
a.
They knew they were sinning against God (again).  They recognized this was a pivotal moment – choosing sides

b.
They tore their clothes in mourning.  They put their faith and trust in the might of God.  They acknowledged the might of the people of the land, but knew God was more powerful

c.
The whole assembly talked about stoning them

d.
It is only through the grace of God that I am alive.  I’ve done enough stupid and insolent things that there is no reason I’m alive

9.
a.
I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.

b.
Not for his own glory but that he feared that God’s reputation would be tarnished.

c.
The Egyptians will hear, they will tell, They have heard you are with them, they will hear the “Lord was not able to bring these people into the land”

20.3 Moses 20, Day 3

How are you “dissin'” God?

One little part of a word.  From Latin it means a negative or reversing force.  Three letters: dis.

But how we let those three letters creep into our lives.  Instead of being content, we harbor discontent.  Instead of loyal, we are disloyal.  Instead of being heartened by the beauty and promise, we are disheartened by the challenges.  Instead of being filled with belief in God’s power, we fill ourselves with disbelief.  Instead of courage, we are discouraged.  Just like the Israelites.  One but and then dis…

366 times the bible tells us to not be afraid.  One for every day of the year, including leap year.  God tells us to be strong and courageous.  God gives us good things.  God gives us strength.  Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4b).

But we add the “dis” to God’s gift.  We reverse course, when God tells us to move ahead.  We bring the negative, to God’s positive power.

What dis’s are you allowing in your life?  Where can you replace those three weak, negative letters with three great and powerful ones instead: GOD?

Finally, I’m not much of a gambler.  I understand math well enough to know when the odds are against me.  But in our lesson today Caleb made a pretty big wager.  He could have placed his bet on the side of, well, everyone else, or he could have placed his bet on the side with God.  Just FYI: God’s side always wins.  If you are betting on the other side, it might be time to check your wagers.  Any place in your life that you acknowledge that “the bible says… but…”  you’re on the wrong side of the odds on that wager, even if everyone else seems to be with you.

 

My Answers:

5.
But

6.
a.
He risked the repercussions of going against the entire nation, but in reality, it cost him nothing .  He was on the right side of the bet

b.
All.  The 10 others who had gone in to the land, plus the “whole assembly” was groaning

c.
Not alone, but I have as part of a family and church.

7.
a.
Moses, Aaron and God

b.
Blame leaders, assume God is not responding to our prayers because He is responding the way we want

20.2 Moses 20, Day 2

What did they expect?

The people of Israel come to the border line of the Promised Land.  12 “spies” are selected and sent in.  They come out and give a report of what they observed.

First:

Just like the Israelites, God gives us lines in our lives.  Taking your first step as an infant.  Speaking your first word.  Your first day of school.  Graduation.  Wedding.  New job.  Birth of a child.  The journey of our life is filled with not only the day-to-day but also with stages that we cross between.  If we walk with God and trust in Him, He guides us through the stages, going before us to pave the path.  There will be challenges, trials and tests to teach and help us grow stronger, but it is a forward journey.  Some we pass through on our own.  Some with family, class or groups.  But crossing each line into the next stage is also a choice.

The Israelites faced a breakthrough moment.  One they had been looking forward to for 431 years.  God, through Moses and Aaron has been preparing them and brings them right up to the line to cross, to breakthrough, and they choose to put on the brakes.  The look in the rear view mirror.  They reject what God has prepared and, in so doing, they reject God.  Their insistence on clinging to a fear and slavery mindset locks them out of being able to breakthrough to what they can become.  It is not God that keeps them out of the Promised Land, it is themselves.

Second:

What the heck were they expecting?  It is the Promised Land, capital P, big deal, promise from God Land.  It is going to be amazing.  Nothing but the best for God’s chosen people.  Fruit, fully grown trees, fertile land.  There were walled and fortified cities.  There were giants.

Of course there are going to be fortified cities.  Did they think God wanted them to live exposed in tents the rest of their lives?  He even gave rules about the jubilee years and how they applied to “walled cities”, of course there are going to be walled cities.

And, since the garden of Eden, crops and plants and livestock don’t just take care of themselves.  If you’ve got clusters of grapes so big that it takes 2 people just to carry a single cluster, you aren’t going to have wimpy little scrawny care-takers preparing the land and the harvest.  Of course there are going to be giants.  Beside that, in a time when the powerful took what they wanted, wouldn’t giants want the best.  Frankly, if the giants were living somewhere else, then that place would have been a better place than the promised land.

Both of these things go hand in hand.  When our focus is in the rear view mirror, when we refuse to let go of who we were in the past, then we are unable to look forward, we stop thinking and start reacting, we become an emotional uncoupled train wreck instead of a powerful train car coupled to God’s locomotive.  With fear instead of God as our motivation, we uncouple ourselves from the locomotive and just become loco.

 

My Answers:

3.
a.
“Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.”

b.
God said, good to understand their enemies, motivating to people to hear that the land possessed all that God promised

c.
Explore and report on the people, land, towns soil and trees and fruit

d.
God has given the goal to me already.  Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged.

4.
a.
The land was fruitful and populated.  The cities were old and established.  Everything was built and in place for the Israelites to take possession of a great land.

b.
40 days

c.
They were the Nephilim (Angels had mated with human women) – they were defeated by Caleb who was given their land

 

19.5 Moses 19, Day 5

God speaks through me and you

God is God.  God’s attributes that we have the ability to learn through the scriptures, are revelation of God.  God speaks through the Holy word of Scripture.

But, God’s ability to “speak through” and to reveal His character and attributes is not limited to the words in the Bible.  Nothing else revealed will contradict the bible, nor will it replace or even add to what is revealed in the bible, but it is still real and God still fully has the ability to use it.

For example, nature.  Who can truly look at the beauty and magnificence of nature and not have sense of the Creator within it?  Take hymns, “Holy, Holy, Holy”, “What a friend we have in Jesus”, “How great thou art”.  Take a pastor or preacher with a Holy Spirit enabled gift to paint a picture for us to apply the words of the bible to our lives.  Or a writer who challenges our thinking and pulls our heart closer to God.

For that matter, what about me and you?  Not only can God (who by the way can do anything) speak through us, but He does.  Those around you see the Lord in your life.  They see your deeds.  They see your service.  They see your attitude and your dedication and from these things they learn about God.

All things on heaven and earth are for God’s glory.

Through all of the lives of all the people, God’s glory, all of His attributes and who He is, continues and continues to be revealed.  The same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t always reflect highly on us!

We see this with Miriam in our lesson today.  She asked the question, “doesn’t the Lord also speak through us?”  And, He did.  He spoke in righteous judgment for one who speaks against one of His faithful servants..  He spoke in the power and control over illness and disease (even those we consider uncureable).  He spoke in the mercy He showed in forgiving and healing.  He spoke in the Fatherly love of holding to consequences for significant wrongs and bad teaching from those He has placed in a leadership position in the church.

We see volumes in lessons about God and who He is through this situation with Miriam.  All of it is true and all of it is positive.

But if Miriam sought additional attention from the Israelites, that happened as well.  Not only during the 7 days the entire encampment sat in wait, but, can you even imagine the “walk of shame” as she re-entered the camp?

God does speak through me and you.  Whether we do right or wrong, it doesn’t change who God is and the truth of His revelation.  But when we sin, God’s light isn’t dimmed, but our ability to reflect that light is tarnished and muddied.  People see more of our faults and less of God’s reflection.

Where do you need to “polish your mirror?”  What traits or habits are present in your life that, if revealed, would tarnish your ability to reflect God’s light?  What is going to get you to change?

I don’t know about you, but I really don’t want to have to hear God use the “Dad voice” with me to get me to change, like He did with Miriam and Aaron :

  1. Listen to my words (what dad hasn’t used that one?)
  2. In my house (about moses, “he is faithful in all my house) – (this is my house and in my house…)
  3. Why then…?  (if you were thinking, how could you have possibly thought this was a good idea?)
  4. The anger burned and He left.  (I think sometimes the most convicting thing (terrifying thing) wasn’t when Dad took action but when he was so angry he walked away from the discussion).

 

My Answers:

10.
a.
Brought all three parties together, called them to the tent of meeting, came down in pillar of cloud, stood at the entrance and summoned Aaron & Miriam, told them “listen to my words”, laid out the circumstances, asked why they were not afraid to speak against “my servant Moses”, anger of the Lord burned, He left them, Miriam skin turned leprous

b.
“he is faithful in all my house”, “my servant Moses”

11.
a.
I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles, he sees the form of the Lord

b.
All of creation is God’s house – Moses is faithful at all times and in all places

12.
a.
skin became leprous

b.
He would have had to examine her and judge her unclean and she would have been sent permanently outside of the camp

c.
He prayed for people who had unjustly wronged him and received a just penalty, but asked for their healing and forgiveness

d.
He healed her disease, but there was still justice and teaching.  God forgives our sins, but still teaches us necessary lessons

19.4 Moses 19, Day 4

Complaining springs from ingratitude

Part of our aim for this week is that complaining springs from ingratitude.  I love the imagery of the spring in that line and we see it in today’s lesson.

Miriam and Aaron have gotten themselves all wound around the axle about Moses’ new wife.  We don’t have a lot of information here.  We don’t know if something happened to his first wife.  We don’t know if there was some other tension or jealousy.  We don’t know if it had anything to do with race or nationality.  We just don’t know and I don’t think it wise to try to fill in the blanks.

What we do know is that “because of his Cushite wife” Miriam and Aaron “began to talk against Moses.”

What is interesting in the imagery of the spring is that, while they were wound up about his wife, that is not what popped out.  They way they sprung up against Moses was by attacking his relationship and standing with God.  The words punched at his relationship as being nothing unique or different.  “has the Lord spoken only through Moses?”, “Hasn’t He also spoke through us?”

There are times in our lives where we, too, can get “all wound up” about something.  Just like that spring, the issue coils around our heart, storing up all this negative energy.  When we release it, it springs out, uncontrolled and normally not in a matter that has anything to do with what the real issue is, but just a way to inflict harm to the other person.

But, not only is that not a healthy approach, but it is also not the biblical approach.  God recognizes we are human.  He recognizes there will be disagreements among us.  Have you noticed all the laws and guidelines He has been putting in place to address these disagreements and disputes?  Have you noticed the 70+ elders he has put in place to help the people in these areas and how he equipped them with His spirit?  God does not paint some make-believe land where everyone just gets along.  God knows we are going to get wound up from time to time especially about family and especially about leaders and especially about family who are leaders and believers.  We hold them to a higher standard and, well, sometimes we see things in them that we consider to be unaddressed faults.

But the biblical approach is not to become a spring.  Instead, we are called to unwind the concern with a fellow family member to the brother in the presence of God.  We are to release the energy, not attack with it, and get to the core of the situations.  We are to trust God and hold to His words, but also to model His mercy and grace.

What are you wound up about?  When have you felt the negative energy stored up in your heart?  Who or what have you sprung out against, especially in a way that is totally unrelated to the core issue?  What fellow christian can you join with to unwind the energy and address the issue with your brother and with God?

Start with a focus on gratitude to God.  Start with the words, “thank you, Lord” and then keep saying it as you let the negativity unwind.

My Answers:

8.
a.
Moses’ sister, watched over him in the nile, approached pharoah’s daughter, lived as a slave in Egypt, was a prophetess, leader, singer of songs
b.
He married a Cushite woman.  We don’t know enough to draw conclusions (what happened to 1st wife)  other than the fact that God, who knew her heart, was displeased and the wording in the bible implies jealousy and lack of humility

9.
a.
He didn’t respond, at least not directly.  He likely talked with God about it (history of doing that)

b.
grow sad, frustrated, humiliated, angry.

 

19.3 Moses 19, Day 3

Joining the Rabble = Rejecting God

 There is always the rabble.  No matter the setting, it seems like when you get a group of people together, there are always some who choose to be unhappy, discontent.  No matter the blessings all around them, they find something to complain about.

If you are one of those people – stop it.  It is not constructive criticism if you are not picking up your tools and helping construct something better – it is just criticism.  Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”  “No corrupting talk”, “building up”, “give grace.”

If you are around “the rabble”, do not fall in with them.  As Christians, we know we are on God’s team.  We love Him and honor Him, but we also hear the voices of the complainers.  Not only in our private lives or at work, but even at church.  But this passage tells us God’s view of us when we turn our attention to the rabble.  From His perspective, we aren’t just casually listening to them, instead, we have turned out back on Him.  By joining with them, even if only in listening and allowing our heart and minds to be stirred, we reject God.

Our passage also clearly points out that we don’t have to live our life in denial.  Sometimes things are hard.  Sometimes our burdens are great.  Sometimes things are not going at all like we want or need them to go.  We get frustrated.  We get annoyed.  We get overwhelmed.

But, when that happens, just like it did to Moses, we are called to do what Moses did and turn it over to God.  The difference is in this question, “Do you want to enjoy wallowing in the complaining or do you want to solve it?”  If you want to solve it, turn to God – He has the power to solve anything and everything.  If you want to just enjoy having a pity party – well – that is not your best idea!

The people lashed out against each other, against God, against Moses.  Ping, ping, ping, drip, drip, drip.  Just like a continual dripping on a rainy day.  Each comment added to the annoyance, but resolved nothing.  But Moses didn’t drip.  He unwound all his issues at God’s feet.  He didn’t lack for drama (just kill me), but god didn’t chastise him.  The difference is that when Moses unwound it all to God, he was done and trusted in God for a solution.

God showed He had the power to provide.  He provided 70+2 elders empowered with His Spirit to help Moses.  He provided quail 3 feet deep.  He had the power to provide.  But, there is also a lesson here as well.  When our heart and words are focused purely on ourselves and not God, God may give us what we think we want, but it is not going to bring us peace and fulfillment – it brings plagues and death and un-fulfillment instead.

My wife had a good perspective on this.  She said, I wonder if, before they left Egypt, God and Moses had sat the Israelites down and had a talk with them and said, “We’re going to take you out of slavery and bondage and into the promised land flowing with milk and honey.  You’ll defeat pharoah’s armies, you’ll have riches of gold and jewels, food will be provided each day that tastes like honey, nations will fear you, and God will dwell among you, but, for a period of time, you won’t have fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions or garlic.”  Just how many people do you think would have stood up and said, “hold on, that’s a deal breaker – just leave me here in slavery.”?

 

My Answers:

5.
a.
free fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, garlic

b.
slavery, hardship

6.
a.
He was troubled – overwhelmed

b.
It is what he was honestly feeling and he took it to God.  A bit dramatic, but, yes, the people were a burden.

c.
Shared the burden with 70+2 = 72 = 12 x 6 elders equipped with His spirit.  (note: 72 is the same number Jesus appointed to be sent out in Luke 10:1)

d.
Through others and by showing He is present and faithful and has a plan

7.
a.
They had rejected Him

b.
Brought a plague on them