Numbers 11:4-6 “Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt. And the people of Israel also began to complain. ‘Oh, for some meat!’ they exclaimed. ‘We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!’”
For a believer, the Israelites’ time in the wilderness is symbolic of the spirit’s struggle with the flesh. From their first test of faith at Marah, to their desire to have a god that fit their convenience, they were always their own worst enemies.
In Numbers 11, their ugly side began to show again. It started among the mixture of people they had with them - the Egyptians that were impressed with the way God rescued Israel and followed them out to the wilderness. As they journeyed through the desert, these Egyptians began to crave their favorite foods from Egypt. Apparently this craving became a continuous topic of conversation and eventually the Israelites picked up on it. The miraculous provision that God poured out for them every morning became the object of complaint. They began to long for what they saw as the luxuries of Egypt; meat, fish, and a few vegetables. Ignoring the hardships of slavery, they began to dream of going back!
These complaints and cravings became rampant throughout the camp. Whenever two people talked to each other, this craving eventually wormed its way into the conversation. Whenever they came to see Moses, this was what they always brought up - we want meat to eat!
Finally, Moses got tired of dealing with their whining and moaning. Look at his conversation with God in verses 10-15, “Moses heard all the families standing in the doorways of their tents whining, and the Lord became extremely angry. Moses was also very aggravated. And Moses said to the Lord, “Why are you treating me, your servant, so harshly? Have mercy on me! What did I do to deserve the burden of all these people? Did I give birth to them? Did I bring them into the world? Why did you tell me to carry them in my arms like a mother carries a nursing baby? How can I carry them to the land you swore to give their ancestors? Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people? They keep whining to me, saying, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I can’t carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!”
Whatever complaints these people had, they weren’t valid. They were rescued from a harsh life of slavery and were on their way to a land of their own. Their lives weren’t in danger - it wasn’t as if they were starving. And even though they may have a temporary shortage of meat, they did have meat to eat. They raised their own livestock, so manna wasn’t all they had to eat! Their problem was their own craving.
These people wouldn’t stop craving the things of Egypt, so God gave them over to it. He said in verse 18, “Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, ‘Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.’ Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have despised the Lord who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, ‘Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?’”
This is exactly what happened! God sent an enormous flock of quail. This flock covered the whole camp and extended for miles on either side of it. God held the birds fluttering about three feet above the ground. All the Israelites had to do was reach out and pull them out of the sky! No one gathered less than 30 pounds of meat - that is a lot of quail!
But this wasn’t a reward for their whining, it was a consequence of it. While they were gorging themselves, unrestrained in their craving, they began to die. Verse 33 says, “but while they were gorging themselves on the meat—while it was still in their mouths—the anger of the Lord blazed against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague.” Many people died and were buried there, all because they “yielded to intense craving” (verse 4 NKJV). When they moved on, they named that place Kibroth Hataavah - the graves of lust.
1 Corinthians 10:1-6 “Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.”
Everything that happened to the Israelites after the Exodus happened as a spiritual example for us. The things they went through are a picture of what we go through on our spiritual journey. Some of these examples are good to follow, more of them are warnings to avoid. This is one of those warning.
We all had things that we really liked to do while we were in the world. It could be drinking, it could be partying, it could be pornography - it could be anything. Before we received salvation, we were slaves to all kinds of sin. But when we were rescued by Jesus, we were delivered from the power those sins had over us. Now we no longer have to submit to it. However, now we have to diligently remove any trace of our old life from our new one.
Our flesh will still desire, or crave, the things we once did. Sin is so sneaky! It will convince you to remember all the fun you had when you behaved that way - all the while forgetting the bondage you were in and the freedom you longed for! It will pant thoughts like: “Do you remember all the fun you had?” “Don’t you remember how good those tasted?” “You know, before you were saved, you didn’t feel bad about doing that!” If you don’t respond properly, you’ll find this thing worming its way deeper inside.
Eventually, if you don’t stop that craving (that lust), you’ll have the opportunity to go back to it. But just like there were consequences for the Israelites, there will be consequences for gratifying that lust. Stay away from that “meat”!
How should we respond to these ungodly cravings? The same way the Israelites should have - by focusing on what you have, not what you don’t have! These people had their freedom! They had a promise! They were being supernaturally provided for! If they would’ve filled up on what God gave them, they wouldn’t have hungered for what they used to eat. Remember, manna is symbolic of God’s Word - our spiritual food from Heaven. So...you’re answer to these cravings is to keep your nose inside the pages of your Bible.
Cut out those things in your life that are stirring up your lusts (like those Egyptians that were traveling with the Israelites) and replace their thoughts with what God’s word says! Whatever you do, never allow yourself to return to the things that held you in bondage!
Romans 6:16-18 “Don't you know that when you give yourselves to obey someone you become that person's slave? You can be slaves of sin. Then you will die. Or you can be slaves who obey God. Then you will live a godly life. You used to be slaves of sin. But thank God that with your whole heart you obeyed the teachings you were given! You have been set free from sin. You have become slaves to right living.”
Showing posts with label Israelites. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Israelites. Show all posts
Friday, May 11, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
The Life Of A Believer - Don't Be Surprised!
After the exodus came the wilderness. The wilderness should’ve have been a time of growth and trust. Israel knew God’s power - they witnessed it as He forced Egypt to release them. They watched His wonders when He split the Red Sea. They should’ve been excited that God was on their side and anticipating the promise He was bringing them to. But a mere three days later, they started something that would become a habit for them - whining.
Three days after leaving the shore of the Red Sea, they came to a place named Marah. They named it Marah because the water there was tainted and undrinkable. They should’ve trusted the God who delivered them, but instead they began to groan about the lack of water. Instead of seeing through faith, they allowed themselves to get discouraged. But God still provided for them and miraculously purified the water there. Then He gave the Israelites there these instructions: “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.”
Two months later, and the Israelites began to complain about the lack of food. Once again, they should’ve trusted in God’s care for them and His power to protect and provide. But they started to reminisce about the “good times” in Egypt. God, in His mercy began to down bread for them. When they saw it, they had no idea what it was - it didn’t look like any bread they had ever seen. So they said “what is it?” And that’s how their bread got its name - Manna means “what is it?” God sent enough manna every day to feed the estimated 3 ½ million people for forty years!
Then they traveled into yet another place where there was no water. You would think they wouldn’t be surprised by that - after all, they’re in a desert. But somehow, they weren’t expecting that. They started their usual process of complaining by coming to Moses and saying, “We thought God cared for us! Well, is God with us or not?” By this time Moses was feeling the pressure and prayed, “God, what am I going to do with these people?” But God told Moses exactly what to do. He called all the people together around one of the many large rocks in the area, and struck it with his staff. Immediately the rock broke open and water gushed out - enough to support every one of them! Sadly, the name of that place became “Meribah” because the people contended with God.
While they moved on from Meribah, the Israelites were attacked by a group of marauders known as the Amalekites. I would imagine that they would’ve whined about that too, if God had given them time! Instead God immediately commissioned them to go fight. He sent Moses up to the top of the nearby mountain and Joshua commanded the army. As long as Moses lifted his hands, the Israelites won. But when he dropped them for fatigue, they began to turn back in defeat. So two of Moses’ close advisers, Aaron and Hur, stood by him and held his arms up until Israel had completely wiped out the Amalekites. God then issued a declaration of war against them and commissioned the Israelites to wipe them out.
So...if you remember, everything that happened to Israel serves as an example for us. Israel’s exodus and deliverance pictures our salvation and baptism. Immediately after our salvation comes a time when we learn faith and obedience. This is a time when we learn that our biggest enemy is our self-life - a time to subject ourselves to God’s will.
It’s important to realize that not every example the Israelites set is something to follow. In fact, most of it is a warning to stay away from what they did. Listen to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:1-5, “I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses.(In other words, they were all “saved”) All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.” Do you see that salvation isn’t the end, but the beginning of your Christian walk?
So let’s look at the example they set:
First Marah. Marah was where the reality first set in that their salvation didn’t mean immediate milk and honey. They realized that life could still be bitter, even when God was on their side. How many new believers fall away when they realize this? How many people come to Jesus with a anticipation that their life is immediately going to be fun and enjoyable - only to have their situations get worse? Their family thinks they’re nuts and abandons them, their old friends desert them, their spouse doesn’t understand their choice to serve God and argues with them....what’s going to happen? What every new believer needs to understand is that life will always be life. It is often bitter - but, when they hold to their faith, God can turn it sweet! Marah is the first test of faith.
Then came the Manna. Just like the Israelites had to learn to recognize their food, every believer needs to learn what their spiritual sustenance is. God’s Word is what will sustain the believer. A life inside its pages is a life of fullness. A life outside its covers is a life of spiritual starvation. Ironically, many Christians are still asking “what is it?” Is this the inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of God or isn’t it? Every believer needs to recognize what this book is and how necessary it is for them.
Meribah was there Israel’s doubt came out if full force. They loudly demanded, “Is God with us or not?” They could remember their salvation, but they weren’t sure about God’s continued presence with them. This is a common issue among new or immature believers. Every Christian can remember a time when they weren’t sure if God was still with them. We’ve all walked through Meribah - but it’s important to realize that God calls this kind of doubt contention. Why? Because He directly promised “I am with you always, even until the world ends.” Who are we to wonder if He’s with us? If you still find yourself walking through Meribah - answer it in faith, not doubt!
Finally, we come to Israel’s first battle. The Amalekites appear throughout the old Testament. Saul fought with them, David fought with them, and even Esther had to deal with an Amalekite - Haman! They are a picture of our fight with sin. That is every believer’s first battle. Just like the Israelites, we need to recognize that our victory doesn’t depend on us. They looked to Moses on the mountain; we look to our Savior, Jesus! Romans 7:24-25 gives us the key to victory in our battle with sin; “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”
These are four stages that every new believer will go through. Usually it doesn’t take them long to encounter each of them. We can succeed through each of them by standing in faith and staying in God’s Word!
Three days after leaving the shore of the Red Sea, they came to a place named Marah. They named it Marah because the water there was tainted and undrinkable. They should’ve trusted the God who delivered them, but instead they began to groan about the lack of water. Instead of seeing through faith, they allowed themselves to get discouraged. But God still provided for them and miraculously purified the water there. Then He gave the Israelites there these instructions: “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.”
Two months later, and the Israelites began to complain about the lack of food. Once again, they should’ve trusted in God’s care for them and His power to protect and provide. But they started to reminisce about the “good times” in Egypt. God, in His mercy began to down bread for them. When they saw it, they had no idea what it was - it didn’t look like any bread they had ever seen. So they said “what is it?” And that’s how their bread got its name - Manna means “what is it?” God sent enough manna every day to feed the estimated 3 ½ million people for forty years!
Then they traveled into yet another place where there was no water. You would think they wouldn’t be surprised by that - after all, they’re in a desert. But somehow, they weren’t expecting that. They started their usual process of complaining by coming to Moses and saying, “We thought God cared for us! Well, is God with us or not?” By this time Moses was feeling the pressure and prayed, “God, what am I going to do with these people?” But God told Moses exactly what to do. He called all the people together around one of the many large rocks in the area, and struck it with his staff. Immediately the rock broke open and water gushed out - enough to support every one of them! Sadly, the name of that place became “Meribah” because the people contended with God.
While they moved on from Meribah, the Israelites were attacked by a group of marauders known as the Amalekites. I would imagine that they would’ve whined about that too, if God had given them time! Instead God immediately commissioned them to go fight. He sent Moses up to the top of the nearby mountain and Joshua commanded the army. As long as Moses lifted his hands, the Israelites won. But when he dropped them for fatigue, they began to turn back in defeat. So two of Moses’ close advisers, Aaron and Hur, stood by him and held his arms up until Israel had completely wiped out the Amalekites. God then issued a declaration of war against them and commissioned the Israelites to wipe them out.
So...if you remember, everything that happened to Israel serves as an example for us. Israel’s exodus and deliverance pictures our salvation and baptism. Immediately after our salvation comes a time when we learn faith and obedience. This is a time when we learn that our biggest enemy is our self-life - a time to subject ourselves to God’s will.
It’s important to realize that not every example the Israelites set is something to follow. In fact, most of it is a warning to stay away from what they did. Listen to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:1-5, “I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses.(In other words, they were all “saved”) All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.” Do you see that salvation isn’t the end, but the beginning of your Christian walk?
So let’s look at the example they set:
First Marah. Marah was where the reality first set in that their salvation didn’t mean immediate milk and honey. They realized that life could still be bitter, even when God was on their side. How many new believers fall away when they realize this? How many people come to Jesus with a anticipation that their life is immediately going to be fun and enjoyable - only to have their situations get worse? Their family thinks they’re nuts and abandons them, their old friends desert them, their spouse doesn’t understand their choice to serve God and argues with them....what’s going to happen? What every new believer needs to understand is that life will always be life. It is often bitter - but, when they hold to their faith, God can turn it sweet! Marah is the first test of faith.
Then came the Manna. Just like the Israelites had to learn to recognize their food, every believer needs to learn what their spiritual sustenance is. God’s Word is what will sustain the believer. A life inside its pages is a life of fullness. A life outside its covers is a life of spiritual starvation. Ironically, many Christians are still asking “what is it?” Is this the inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of God or isn’t it? Every believer needs to recognize what this book is and how necessary it is for them.
Meribah was there Israel’s doubt came out if full force. They loudly demanded, “Is God with us or not?” They could remember their salvation, but they weren’t sure about God’s continued presence with them. This is a common issue among new or immature believers. Every Christian can remember a time when they weren’t sure if God was still with them. We’ve all walked through Meribah - but it’s important to realize that God calls this kind of doubt contention. Why? Because He directly promised “I am with you always, even until the world ends.” Who are we to wonder if He’s with us? If you still find yourself walking through Meribah - answer it in faith, not doubt!
Finally, we come to Israel’s first battle. The Amalekites appear throughout the old Testament. Saul fought with them, David fought with them, and even Esther had to deal with an Amalekite - Haman! They are a picture of our fight with sin. That is every believer’s first battle. Just like the Israelites, we need to recognize that our victory doesn’t depend on us. They looked to Moses on the mountain; we look to our Savior, Jesus! Romans 7:24-25 gives us the key to victory in our battle with sin; “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”
These are four stages that every new believer will go through. Usually it doesn’t take them long to encounter each of them. We can succeed through each of them by standing in faith and staying in God’s Word!
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