Wilderness Behavior
Last night I was pretty tired. So, I went to bed early and got up late. After some pleasant weather in recent days, I discovered it was snowing and we had three to four inches on the ground.
After some office work, I decided to go shovel snow from the driveway. I was able to get my power wheelchair going, so I used it instead of my riding lawn mower to push the snow shovel. While I was working on my drive way the recycling truck pulled up and the driver go out and commented about my creativity and industry.
I noticed my neighbors driveway across the street needed to be plowed, so I thought I go over and help them out. Then I noticed our neighbors to south needed some snow removed. I then noticed other driveways that had snow on them. As a matter of fact out of the seven houses on our cul-de-sac only one was cleared. So I did them all.
What was going to be a quick job before lunch ended up being my three hour neighborhood project. I’m glad the weather was warm enough to melt some of the snow as it was cleared.
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “I want you to remember, my friends, what happened to our ancestors who followed Moses. They were all under the protection of the cloud, and all passed safely through the Red Sea…All ate the same spiritual bread and drank the same spiritual drink. They drank from the spiritual rock that went with them; and that rock was Christ himself….But even then God was not pleased with most of them…all of this is an example for us, to warn us not to desire evil things…We must not put the Lord to the test,…We must not complain…All these things happened to them as examples for others, and they were written down as a warning for us.” 1 Corinthians 10:1,5
I am reading through the Book of Numbers. Outside of continuing instructions on sacrifices and rituals, we find accounts of God’s people in persistent rebellion and refusing to trust the Lord and obey Him. All of this in spite of the visible sign of God’s presence and all the miracles He performed.
For a group of slaves, they were as Moses said, “stiff-necked and rebellious.” They used every opportunity to complain about their present while they minimized the agony of the past and refused to look toward the future God had promised.
We read of the spies being sent into Canaan. They survey the land for 40 days and come back with a detailed report. Two of the spies are filled with faith and confidence and ten are discouraged and even speak disparagingly of the land. “…the men who had gone with Caleb said, “No, we are not strong enough to attack them; the people there are more powerful than we are.” So they spread a false report among the Israelites about the land they had explored. They said, “That land doesn’t even produce enough to feed the people who live there.” (Numbers 13:31,32)
When the Lord spoke judgment against the people for their lack of faith, some changed their mind and against the Lord’s instructions tried to entered into the promise land in their own strength. They suffered a brutal defeat.
Moses found his leadership challenged by his own sister (Miriam) and then by Korah and 250 followers that he convinced to join him. After God judged Korah and his followers, the congregation rose up and said, “you have killed the Lord’s servants.” (When things go bad, sometimes they continue to go bad,)
Grumble, complain and rebel. The Children of Israel did more of that after leaving Egypt than they did when they were slaves in Egypt. As a result they forfeited receiving the fulfillment of the promise of God and their own words, “we are going to die in the desert” and lack of faith, became their destiny.
As Paul writes to the Corinthians, who were having their own issues at the time, he reminds them of the history of God’s people. The harsh reality is that people were pretty much the same in Moses’ day as they were in Paul’s day, as they are today. We are quick to complain, easily become disgruntled, lack the patience and perseverance that is needed to experience God’s best for our lives.
And that is exactly why Paul said these accounts are recorded. The challenge remains for us today, to have confidence that the God of miracles of the past, is the God of miracles of the present. We must avoid testing the Lord and giving into the human tendencies toward evil and disobedience. We are to keep from grumbling and murmuring and instead, allow our minds and heart to be filled with reminders of God’s promises and faithfulness.
There is some of the wilderness generation of God’s people in God’s people today. Those actions were displeasing to the Lord thousands of years ago and still are today. May the Lord who is full of love and grace, grant us the love and grace we need toward others and strengthen us to be a faithful followers and not a crowd of complainers.