(Sunday)
Wow, there is a lot in today’s reading – it would take me several pages to comment on it all, like God providing meat for the people (11:1-20), and controversy over who can prophesy (11:26-28) and about Moses authority (12:1 – 15) and then there is the story of the spies going into the land – 12 go but only 2 trust in the power of God. But as I read through those lesson there was one recurring theme – did you happen to catch what is was?
Yep, Complaining.
The people complained about the manna and no meat, – I love how God responded. “You want meat? Well you will eat it until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it” (11:20). Some of them also thought there were people prophesying who shouldn’t have been. It seems like they were afraid that the prophets were usurping Moses job, but I believe he welcomed the help from the others, I can’t imagine what a tremendous burden it must have been trying to keep everyone in line and constantly reminding them to keep their focus on God and not themselves. What did surprise me was, who it was that was complaining to Moses. -Joshua, son of Nun. The one who will become Moses right-hand man. Maybe he thought that he was defending Moses authority, but for whatever reason, Moses sets him straight and tells him he wishes that everyone was a prophet.
Moses also had to deal with Aaron and Miriam complaining to him about who should be the leader. Again God sets the complaining people straight. Miriam is struck with a skin disease that puts her out of the community for a week. Did you notice too, how it was Moses that prayed for her to be healed. (12:13) No holding grudges here.
Then comes the biggest complaint of all.
The twelve spies are sent out to investigate the land. Did you see that when they cut off a cluster of grapes and some figs and pomegranates that they were so big they had to be carried between two poles? That is some big fruit. (13:23). But unfortunately, 10 of the spies look at the people in the land and could not get passed their size. They were not thinking about the size of God.
Too often we feel overwhelmed by the “big obstacles” in our life and forget that God is bigger. In our sermon today at church, Pastor Rick reminded us that God is the big protector, and defender – that we should never be afraid to go where He tells us to. And like we learned in yesterday’s post, God is three days ahead of us, fighting our battles before we even get there. So, yet again, the complaining leads them to some serious consequences. We’ll read about that tomorrow.
I guess the lesson for me in all of this is – STOP COMPLAINING. If there is a problem, call on God… if your needs are being met then what are you complaining about? And if God goes with you, you really have nothing to complain about.
Blessings
PK