Two years in the desert means two years since the exodus, so now God reminds Moses that it's time to celebrate Passover again. As the Israelites begin to prepare for the meal, one group of people approaches Moses, worried that they will be excluded because they have been made unclean by a corpse. Moses doesn't know what to tell them, so he goes away to ask God's opinion. How often do we do that? And how often do we rush in and give an answer we're not really sure about? If somebody asks us a tricky theological question, it's okay to say we don't know. It's even better if we then pray about it and go back to that person with God's answer. But back to Moses. God tells Him that the unclean people may join in with the meal just like everybody else, and so may foreigners living among the Israelites. God didn't want the people to miss out, and He doesn't want us to miss out. That's why He accepts us no matter what state we're in.
Here we are told again that on the day the Tabernacle was set up, a cloud appeared over the tent. While the cloud remained, the people stayed put. When the cloud lifted, the people packed up and followed it until it stopped. "At the Lord's command they encamped, and at the Lord's command they set out." Can we say the same for ourselves?
God then tells Moses to make two silver trumpets. These are to be used to call either the leaders of the clans or the whole community to assemble. They are also to be sounded when the Israelites go into battle, because then God will remember them and come to their aid. God wants us to hold Him accountable to His promises, and we have the right to remind Him of them.
And now it is time to move on. The cloud lifts and the people set out in their clans and divisions. Every time the people set out, Moses calls on God to go before them and clear their way, and every time they camp, Moses calls on God to return to His people. Essentially, he starts and ends every day with a prayer. If we want to build a relationship with God, we need to spend time with Him. Wouldn't saying good morning and good night be an excellent start?
The people aren't happy, though. They complain about their hardships, so God sends fire among them. Then, despite the fact that God has continued to send them manna every day, they complain that they don't have enough meat to eat. Their ingratitude is disgusting, but unfortunately it's not all that surprising. So often we ignore what we have and waste our time and energy pining over something we don't. We torture ourselves with longing and miss out on everything our lives already have to offer us. It's not good for us, and we know that deep down, so why do we persist on doing it? The fire clearly hadn't stopped the people from moaning, so now God decides to try a different tactic. He says He will send them meat "until it comes out of their nostrils and they loathe it". It's as they say, you should be careful what you wish for. Be thankful for what you have because what you desire may be far worse.
The people aren't the only ones who are dissatisfied, though. Moses has taken a Cushite wife, and it seems Miriam and Aaron aren't happy about it. That's not the real issue here though, because what they actually say is "Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?...Hasn't he also spoken through us?" They use Moses' wife as an excuse to have a bit of a moan, but they are really annoyed because they feel like their contribution has been overlooked. They do have a point - it's important that we recognise everyone's gifts and listen to what God has to say through them - but their whining smacks of arrogance and a desire for praise. They're totally missing the point. We serve God because it is the least He deserves from us, not for glory or honour.
God is angered by their grumbling and calls them to the Tent of Meeting, where He basically tells them that Moses is a faithful servant and that they should not have spoken against him. This isn't one of those ordinances that last from generation to generation and it doesn't mean that all leaders are beyond reproach, or that we should never criticise them. No one is infallible, and when a minister does wrong we need to speak out, just as we would with any other person. The point is, they shouldn't have criticised Moses because He didn't deserve it. There is no place for baseless gossip and slander. God also says that while He speaks to others in riddles and dreams, He speaks to Moses clearly, face to face. It may seem that this is because God like Moses better than the others, but that's not necessarily the case, and I certainly don't believe that God practises favouritism now. I do believe though that there are many ways in which God can speak to us, and He will speak to each of us in different ways at different times, because He knows how we will hear Him best.
Here we are told again that on the day the Tabernacle was set up, a cloud appeared over the tent. While the cloud remained, the people stayed put. When the cloud lifted, the people packed up and followed it until it stopped. "At the Lord's command they encamped, and at the Lord's command they set out." Can we say the same for ourselves?
God then tells Moses to make two silver trumpets. These are to be used to call either the leaders of the clans or the whole community to assemble. They are also to be sounded when the Israelites go into battle, because then God will remember them and come to their aid. God wants us to hold Him accountable to His promises, and we have the right to remind Him of them.
And now it is time to move on. The cloud lifts and the people set out in their clans and divisions. Every time the people set out, Moses calls on God to go before them and clear their way, and every time they camp, Moses calls on God to return to His people. Essentially, he starts and ends every day with a prayer. If we want to build a relationship with God, we need to spend time with Him. Wouldn't saying good morning and good night be an excellent start?
The people aren't happy, though. They complain about their hardships, so God sends fire among them. Then, despite the fact that God has continued to send them manna every day, they complain that they don't have enough meat to eat. Their ingratitude is disgusting, but unfortunately it's not all that surprising. So often we ignore what we have and waste our time and energy pining over something we don't. We torture ourselves with longing and miss out on everything our lives already have to offer us. It's not good for us, and we know that deep down, so why do we persist on doing it? The fire clearly hadn't stopped the people from moaning, so now God decides to try a different tactic. He says He will send them meat "until it comes out of their nostrils and they loathe it". It's as they say, you should be careful what you wish for. Be thankful for what you have because what you desire may be far worse.
The people aren't the only ones who are dissatisfied, though. Moses has taken a Cushite wife, and it seems Miriam and Aaron aren't happy about it. That's not the real issue here though, because what they actually say is "Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?...Hasn't he also spoken through us?" They use Moses' wife as an excuse to have a bit of a moan, but they are really annoyed because they feel like their contribution has been overlooked. They do have a point - it's important that we recognise everyone's gifts and listen to what God has to say through them - but their whining smacks of arrogance and a desire for praise. They're totally missing the point. We serve God because it is the least He deserves from us, not for glory or honour.
God is angered by their grumbling and calls them to the Tent of Meeting, where He basically tells them that Moses is a faithful servant and that they should not have spoken against him. This isn't one of those ordinances that last from generation to generation and it doesn't mean that all leaders are beyond reproach, or that we should never criticise them. No one is infallible, and when a minister does wrong we need to speak out, just as we would with any other person. The point is, they shouldn't have criticised Moses because He didn't deserve it. There is no place for baseless gossip and slander. God also says that while He speaks to others in riddles and dreams, He speaks to Moses clearly, face to face. It may seem that this is because God like Moses better than the others, but that's not necessarily the case, and I certainly don't believe that God practises favouritism now. I do believe though that there are many ways in which God can speak to us, and He will speak to each of us in different ways at different times, because He knows how we will hear Him best.
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