Doubt and Murmurings

So I thought I might try giving some time to reading my quarterly for this week. This quarter is about the book of Numbers, which chronicles the journey of the children of Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land. This week's study is on Numbers 11 - 14. Numbers 11 had some interesting happenings which I will try and summarize and think about below.

1. THE PEOPLE COMPLAIN TO GOD

-We do that often now. Rather than rehearsing our blessings, and realizing how God has blessed us in the past, we focus on now and the things we don't have, the situations we need God to work in, and forget that He is all-knowing and is working all things out for our good.

2. GOD SENDS A FIRE.

The complain so much that God sends a fire and destroys a part of their camp, and Moses has to plead with God on there behalf. All this happens in verses 1-3. By verse 4, the people are complaining AGAIN! Again, no different from us today. Time after time, God tries to change us, and transform us, and we face our punishment and still don't learn. So, they are complaining again, and their specific complaint is for meat. All this time, God had blessed them with manna from heaven, but their appetites have increased and they've set their hearts on meat. But not only do they start to complain. They begin to recount the food they enjoyed during their time in Egypt!!! How audacious! Can you imagine God, who had delivered them from the evils of slavery, who now has to hear them complain about how good the food was, and how much they wished they could have meat like they had back in Egypt?!? I can only imagine what my response would have been, being an all powerful being.

3. MANNA FROM HEAVEN

-They had a food supply that was certain. It fell every morning after the dew, and yet they were not satisfied.
-Greed, and the yearning for more, and still more is something that is rampant in our society and the church. I need to search my heart and my life and see if this text can any way be applied to me.

4. MOSES COMPLAINS TO GOD TOO

Verses 10 - 15 show us, that the children of Israel aren't the only ones with problems. Moses, isn't feeling that peachy either. As he listens to the complaints of the people, his frustration builds and he begins to complain to God too! He also begins to look down on the gift that God has given him; to lead His people. He starts to say Lord, why are you treating your servant so bad, haven't I found grace in your sight, why have you given me the load of all these people to be in charge of." He goes on to say "Did I conceive all of these people, that you've told me that I should carry them in my bosom, like a mother does her baby. Where am I supposed to get meat to feed all these people. I can't deal with this by myself. I mean, if you're gonna do me like this, please take my life"
-All I can say is wow. What a tirade right? But again, its no different with us today. We lose faith, complain, and get dramatic and familiar with God; forgetting that we are dealing with the sovereign God of the universe who could turn off our oxygen with a lifting of his finger.
- First thing I see, is that Moses forget his place. He was talking to God, like they were equals, and they weren't.
-Moses looked to himself and not to God...."where am I supposed to find meat to feed all these people?". That's not your problem Moses, trust God. God didn't appoint him to be provider of meat, God appointed him to lead the people to the promised land (as he (Moses) was led by God himself). When we look to ourselves, we will always get frustrated, and feel hopeless, because in ourselves and of ourselves, we can do nothing. Moses had a right to get frustrated, as he thought about how he was going to get meat for all those people. Of himself, it wasn't possible.

5. DESPITE MOSES' TANTRUM, GOD COMES TO HIS RESCUE

-What a merciful God. As Moses complains that he cannot lead all these people on his own, the Lord appoints 70 elders to help carry the load.

6. GOD HEARS THE CHLDREN OF ISREAL

-He provides meat, but this time I think his intentions are a bit different than when he responded to Moses cry for help. This time, he essentially says to the people "Fine, is meat yuh want, then meat yuh going get". He promises them meat for 30 days, and said they would eat it till it came from their noses, and until they hated it. Why did God do this? "....because you didn't value / despised Jehova that was en the midst of you". I think this goes back to what I touched on earlier. They had the Lord in the midst of them as a pillar by night and a cloud by day. God haad triumphantly led them out of Egypt and they had forgotten all that.

7. MOSES DOUBTS GOD

-So, God just helps Moses, by providing 70 elders to share the leadership role, and still Moses doubts. The same Moses who had seen the Red Sea rolled up, and had walked through on dry land! When God says He will provide meat for 30 days, Moses tells God how many people there are (as if He doesn't know) and questions where that much meat will come from!?! Again, quite audacious!!! This is the God of the universe here, I think He can handle meat for 600,000 people. And it is then that God utters one of my favorite texts , verse 23 "Is God's hand shortened, Now you will see if My word will come to pass or not".
-So often we do the same thing Moses did, he looked at the situation rather than looking at God. In his mind, there were so many people that would need meat, he just couldn't see how God could provide that much meat. If he had looked at God rather than at the situation, had he rehearsed God's track record, and saw that He specializes in things impossible, then it would have been clear to him, that providing meat for 600,000 people was a simple thing for God to do.


Summary
1. Don't complain.
2. Before you think to complain, think of the things God has done for you in the past.
3. Don't doubt God's ability. He specializes in things impossible
4. If you need help with a situation just ask Him. Moses asked for help with leadership, and God gave it to him. No drama necessary.
5. Be satisfied with what you have. When the Lord sees fit, He will bless you with more. The children of Israel had manna everyday, and instead of being thankful for their manna, they were lusting after meat.


Ten Blessings
My home....My mom.....That God knows best in all situations....Friends and their prayers :)....Infinite Praise, that God got the message across without me...A few more days to study...My roommate just in the nick of time...Safety and protection on the roads, and for my family....My family, that we're relatively close and can help each other out when we need it....CC