The Rebels Executed

The people were going along with Korah and his followers’ demands to serve as priests, without considering God’s plan.  God had threatened to start over with Moses’ family when they refused to follow his plan, determined to have their own way, and a few weeks later, here they are doing almost the same thing.   Moses and Aaron had to intervene on the people’s behalf again, as  Numbers 16:20-22 describes.  “And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.  And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?”

 

A holy God was frustrated by such stubborn selfishness.  Had it not been for Moses and Aaron’s intervention he might well have destroyed them.  Knowing his perfectionism, God has chosen to use human priests to intervene for people’s sin, as Hebrews 5:1-2 tells us.  “For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.”  Moses and Aaron were chosen because they would consider both God’s and the peoples’ sides of the conflict.  This is why it is so important that Jesus Christ was both God and man, so that he could fully understand both sides, as Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us.  “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

 

In their demands to be priests, Korah and his followers were demonstrating a total disregard for God.  God ordered the people who were nto actively involved in the rebellion to separate from those who were in Numbers 16:23-27.  “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.  And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.  And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.  So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.” 

 

Moses informed them that God would show a miracle to clearly designate who he had chosen as his priests, in Numbers 16:28-30.  “And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.  If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me.  But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.”  They would die as a result of a miraculous action by God.

 

Numbers 16:31-34 35 describes two miraculous events.  “And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.  They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.  And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.  And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.”

 

It was pretty obvious this was not a normal earthquake as the epicenter was exactly where the ringleaders of the rebellion had set up their tents, killing them and their families, and sending panic among the other people.  Along with the earthquake, God sent a burst of fire which killed the two hundred fifty men who had decided to be priests.  None of them died of old age or natural disease.  It was pretty obvious God had caused their deaths. 

 

God directed that the censers they had used be attached to the brazen altar as a constant reminder of the results of rebellion, in Numbers 16:36-40.  “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed.  The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.

 

And Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar: To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.”  It was to be a warning that only God had the authority to choose who would serve as priests.  Real faith and respect for God requires we recognize his authority as God.  

Rebelling Against Moses’ Leadership

 It had been over two years since the Israelites had left Egypt with the intention of going to the Promised Land.  While they had seen God’s power demonstrated repeatedly, they still hadn’t arrived.  Some of the people were jealous of Moses authority, and blamed him for their still being in the wilderness.  They were convinced they could do a better job of leading the people.  It was the same attitude Aaron and Miriam had taken in Numbers 12, but in that case it had been a private conflict with Aaron and Miriam opposing Moses and most of the people were not involved.  This time it was a public rebellion against Moses and Aaron causing a serious conflict among the people. 

 

Numbers 16:1-3 describes the rebellion.  “Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?”

 

This rebellion was carefully planned, involving some of the best known leaders among the various tribes.  They accused Moses and Aaron of doing exactly what they were doing themselves, seizing power over the people.  Moses had resisted taking that leadership, but had directed by God to take it,  Hearing their accusations, he prayed first of all.  After praying about it, he asked the rebels to appear before God, prepared to offer sacrifices like Aaron did and let God demonstrate who he had chosen, in Numbers 16:4-7.  “And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face: And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD will show who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.  This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company; And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the LORD to morrow: and it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.” 

 

Korah was a Kohath Levite, one of the people charged with transporting and taking care of the Ark of the Covenant and the various items used in worship of God.  It was a vital role in their religion, and as Moses pointed out, the he and the other Levites had been chosen by God for that duty.   Their demanding more implied a disdain for the responsibility God had given them, as he said, in Numbers 16:8-11.  “And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi: Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?  And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?  For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?”

 

There is an old saying that if you are too big and important to do the little jobs, you aren’t qualified to do the bigger jobs.  Quite simply, if you don’t consider the basic jobs worth doing, you’ll never be able to handle the bigger things that depend on them.  If they didn’t think getting the Ark of the Covenant, the table of shew bread, and the altar ready mattered, they clearly wouldn’t worry about offering the sacrifices properly. 

 

When Moses called the other rebels who were not seeking Aaron’s job, they refused to even talk to him, accusing him of lying to them and trying to make a king, in Numbers 16:12-14.  “And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up: Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?  Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.”

 

Deeply hurt and angry, Moses asked God to ignore their complaints knowing he was innocent of their charges, in Numbers 16:15.   “And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the LORD, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.” 

 

 

Rather than responding to the charges, Moses instructed Korah and his followers as to what they should do to meet with God so he could show who he had chosen, in Numbers 16:16-17.  “And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow: And take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each of you his censer.”

 

Korah and his followers complied with Moses’ instructions, bringing out the entire congregation to watch as they took over, in Numbers 16:18-19.  “And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron.  And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.”  They were looking forward to discrediting and embarrassing Moses.    

 

Sometimes people blame God for not making things happen as fast as they expected, but other times they blame the leadership and try to replace them in the belief someone else could do a better job and make things happen.   Such an attitude is the result of a lack of faith in God to do things in the best way at the proper time, and as we have pointed out repeatedly, “…whatsoever is not of faith is sin…,” according to Romans 14:23. 

Trusting God Even When His Commands Are Not Popular

 If we are to live by faith, it is critical that we understand God does not change the rules or his attitude toward us.  Without that assurance, we can never be sure what to expect from him.  Fortunately, we have verses like Malachi 3:6 , which says, “For I am the LORD, I change not…”, or Hebrews 13:8, which says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”  As a result, we can always be sure what will please him and what will not.

 

In Modern America, there is a tendency to hold different people to different standards, whether based on personal wealth or culture.  God was very specific that the same standards were to apply to everyone, in Numbers 15:29-31.  “Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.  But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.  Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.” 

 

While they could cut a person who didn’t know better a little slack, a person who deliberately did wrong was to be held fully accountable, regardless of his background or financial state.  It is the same principle stated By Jesus in Matthew 18:15-17.  “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.”  While God may overlook unintentional sin, deliberate sin exhibits a disdain for him that will not be ignored. 

 

While they were camped at Mount Sinai, God had given the Israelites specific commands that they were not to do any work on the Sabbath.  Numbers 35:2-3 are quite explicit.  “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.  Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.” 

 

About a year later, after repeated efforts to make sure everyone knew what the law said, a man violated that command, in Numbers 15:32-34.  “And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.  And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.  And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.”

 

There was no question about whether he knew the law and the law was quite clear that he was to be executed, but they were not sure how he was to be killed.  God answered that question, in Numbers 15:35-36.  “And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.  And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.”  It was to be carried out publicly by the entire nation so that there was no question of this being just one person’s opinion.  If they believed God, they had to perform the execution, distasteful though it might be.  If we really trust God, we will obey him even when his commands are unpopular or unpleasant. 

Rebelling Against The Consequences Of Their Actions

 The Israelites had left Egypt with the idea of coming into a land of their own.  When it didn’t happen instantly, some of them began to complain, even before they crossed the Red Sea, wanting to return to Egypt.  When Moses was not right there for a few days, they made the golden calf and worshipped it, and were constantly complaining about something.  When they came to the edge of the promised land, they refused to go in, because they didn’t trust god to give them the victory, despite all the times he had given them what they needed.  Frustrated at their refusal to trust him, God said he would not take any of those who had refused to go into the land.  Instead they were to spend the next forty years in the wilderness, until all those who refused to go died. 

 

Hearing that, and having seen the ten spies who refused to go killed, the people decided that if the4y couldn’t go back to Egypt, they would go now and claim his promise for themselves.  God was taking too long and they weren’t going to wait any longer, as Numbers 14:39-40 tells us.  “And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.  And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned.”

 

Moses warned them that to go after God said they couldn’t would just be another act of disobedience and that it wouldn’t succeed, in Numbers  14:41-43.  “And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper.  Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.  For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.”   God would not bless their disobedience, and they were already in land claimed by the Amalekites and Canaanites.  The way they were planning to go would lead directly through Amalekite and Canaanite cities and would be seen as an invasion.  The Amalekites and Canaanites would surely fight to protect their cities, and without God’s help, the Israelites would be defeated. 

 

Determined not to wait on God, the people ignored Moses’ warnings, in Numbers 14:44.  “But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.”  God didn’t cause the pillar of cloud to rise as a signal they were to move, so Moses and Aaron and the Levites stayed in the camp. 

 

As long as the Israelites stayed in the unoccupied parts of their territory and stayed on the caravan routes, the Edomites,  Amalekites, and Canaanites were not too worried about them, but when they invaded the communities it was obvious they were not just passing through.  The Amalekites and Canaanites had no choice but to defend their homes property, as Numbers 14:45 describes.  Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.”  With no real plan of action, or experienced leaders, the Israelites were easy prey.  The Amalekites and Canaanites chased them for miles.   

 

Forty years later, fearing a similar attack, the Edomites refused to allow Israel to follow the caravan routes across their lands. 

Facing The Consequences Of Disobedience

Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb recognized that the people were rebelling against God in refusing to go because of their fear.  As Romans 14:23 tells us, “…for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”  They tried to stop the people but they threatened to kill them.   God had already punished them for similar rebellions, and this time would be no different, as we see in Numbers 14:10b-12 describes.  “...And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.  And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have showed among them?  I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.”

 

Their lack of faith led to their refusal to obey God, and God was frustrated by their refusal to believe him.  Any person who has experienced people refusing to believe them knows how frustrating that can be.   God threatened to destroy them and start over with Moses’ family.  Please understand that God knew beforehand what they would do, and was not surprised.  He knew that they were going to continue to rebel for the next thirty nine years, but Moses did not.  I suspect he was preparing Moses for that future rebellion by making him think about what their destruction would mean. 

 

The strategy worked, as Moses’ response in Numbers 14:13-19 describes.  “And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;) And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.  Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.

 

And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my LORD be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.  Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”

 

If God destroyed them as they deserved, the people around them would receive the impression tht God had only limited power, and that he, like their gods, was a vindictive and selfish being.   Moses asked God to reveal himself as the powerful and forgiving God he knew him to be instead of lowering himself to the level of the idols of the people around them.

 

God had no intention of destroying them. he had already forgiven them, but they were going to have to live with the consequences of their sin, as Numbers 14:20-25 describes.  “And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word: But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.  Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.  (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.”

 

The area where they were was occupied by the Amalekites and Canaanites, and to stay would only result in their being attacked.  God directed them to go back south along the border of the Gulf of Aqaba toward the desert around Mt. Sinai because none of the people who had refused to obey would be allowed to go into the land.  He directed Moses to explain why they were not going to be allowed to go into the land, in Numbers 14:25-35.  “And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.

 

Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.  But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.  But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.

 

And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.  After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.  I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.”

 

They had accused God of just bringing them out there to die, and now God was going to let it happen.  They would spend a year in the wilderness for each day they had spent scouting the land and everyone over twenty years of age except Joshua and Caleb would die.  They had worried that their children would die in the wilderness, but God promised they would survive.   God punished the men who had encouraged the rebellion immediately, as Numbers 14:36-38 tells us.  “And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land, Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD.  But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still.” 

Letting Their Imagination Run Wild

 About a year and a half before, Israel had come out of Egypt.  They had seen the plagues God had sent, had walked across the Red Sea on dry land, and had seen the Egyptian army drown in the very place they had walked across.  God had miraculously given them water from the rock and daily food.  When they complained he had allowed thousands to die, and just a few weeks before Miriam had gotten leprosy as a result of her complaining.  Now they had come into the wilderness of Paran, a large desert area extending from the river of Egypt, or El Arish eastward  into present day Saudi Arabia and from the tip of the Gulf of Aqaba to the Dead sea. 

 

God was prepared to lead them into the land of Canaan as he had promised them.  They were going into an area they had only heard about.  They had already been complaining about missing things they had had in Egypt.  God directed them to send some scouts to go ahead of them and see what was there to give them some encouragement, as Numbers 13:1-3 describes.  “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.  And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel.”

 

The scouts were to bring back information so that the people could know what to expect, as Moses directed them, in Numbers 13:17-20.  “And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain: And see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many; And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds; And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes.”

 

The scouts went out early in the harvest season and spent forty days traveling around viewing what the crops and land looked like, as Numbers 13:21-25 describes.  “So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath.  And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)  And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.  The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence.  And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.”

 

One of the first cities they came to was the ancient city of Hebron, the home of the Anakims.  As they worked their way north, they spread from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Coast seeing as much as they could, and collecting some samples of the produce.  Numbers 13:26-29 describes their initial report.  “And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land.  And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.  The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.“

 

They had already had one battle with the Amalekites, and had defeated them, but the Anakims were noted for having giants which concerned the people.   As it turned out there were only three of the giants, but most of the scouts could not get over how big they were.  When Caleb stated they could easily overcome them, the other scouts insisted it couldn’t be done, as Numbers 13:30-33 describes.  “And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

 

But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.  And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.  And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.”

 

When we focus on our fears, our imagination takes over and distort our thinking.  Instead of three giants they described all the people as being huge and the giants were so big they felt like grasshoppers by comparison.  To top it all off the land itself ate up the people, whatever that meant.  Their imaginations had run away with them and they were exaggerating the danger. 

 

Unfortunately fear is contagious, as we have seen repeatedly during the Covid-19 Virus pandemic.    The people believed the exaggerations and turned on Moses and Aaron, blaming them for the problems, as Numbers 14:1-4 describes.  “And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.  And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!  And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?  And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.”

 

Panicked, the people decided to go back to slavery in Egypt, ignoring everything that had happened and how God had protected them.  Moses and Aaron and Joshua and Caleb believed God would protect them, and did everything they could to convince them to trust od.  Unfortunately, once people give in to fear, it is very difficult to get their attention off of what they are afraid of, as Numbers 14:5-10 describes.  “Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.  And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.  If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.  Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. But all the congregation bade stone them with stones…”

 

Caleb and Joshua were doing everything they could to help the people, but the people turned against them, intending to kill them if they kept trying to get them to face their fears.    Had the spies stopped with what they were supposed to do, there would have no panic in Israel.  In much the same way, if the media had stopped with just reporting what was happening with Covid-19, much of the panic could have been avoided.   Because they didn’t, they spread fear around the world.    As Christians, we need to stop with what God shows us and trust him with what happens next instead of letting our imagination run away with us.     

Trusting God With Family Conflict

A short time after the group that complained about the food died and were buried, the people came to Hazeroth, where they stayed for some time.  Here a new problem arose.  Moses was over eighty and had been married to Zipporah for over forty years.   When he remarried, he had married an Ethiopian, which in their language meant a black person.  She wasn’t Jewish, and they didn’t like it much, as Numbers 12:1 tells us.  “And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.” 

 

Upset about his marriage, Miriam and Aaron became jealous of Moses’ popularity and began to try to discredit him, in Numbers 12:2.  “And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us?...”  Why shouldn’t they share in his power?  After all, they were his siblings and were both older than he was, and God had used them at different times as well.  They were just as qualified as Moses to speak for God.  Such an attack by those you have trusted and been close too is devastating, but they are not uncommon, and sometimes there is not much you can do about them except trust God to work it out.    

 

God knows about such attacks, and will do what is needed to keep these attacks from destroying his plans.  He knew that Moses was not the problem and he addressed it directly, in Numbers 12:2b-4.  “And the LORD heard it.”  (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)  And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.” 

 

Moses was meek, i.e. not self-centered, and would not retaliate, but God took it seriously.  God made it very clear that he was the one who decided would speak for him to the people, in Numbers 12:5-8.  “And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.  And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.  My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.  With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” 

 

It was very disrespectful for them to decide God had no choice in the matter.  Numbers 12:9-10 tells us God was quite angry.  “And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.  And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.”  God completely withdrew from the Tabernacle to make his disapproval obvious, and Miriam came down with an advanced case of leprosy. 

 

Aaron was shocked by God’s response, and admitted they had done wrong, asking Moses to do something to heal her, in Numbers 12:11-12.  “And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.  Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb.”

 

When Moses prayed for God to heal her and forgive them, God reminded them that even making her father mad would have resulted in a period of discipline to drive home the seriousness of her sin.  God would do no less.  It would be a week before she recovered, as a warning not to repeat her sin as Numbers 12:13-16 describes.  “And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.

 

And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.  And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.  And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.”  As Dr. Lee Baucum says, forgiveness is not a blank check.  We frequently still have to deal with some of the consequences of our sin. 

 

When we are wrongfully attacked, we can trust god to deal with the attackers, even when they are members of our own family or church.  Romans 12:19-21 instructs us, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.  Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.  Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”    By doing good, you are emphasizing the contrast between them and yourself, forcing them to consider their attitude.

Getting What They Demanded

 Even to Moses, feeding more than two million people at one time in the middle of a desert area seemed like an impossible feat, and he had questioned where God could get all that food, in Numbers 11:21-22.  “And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month.  Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?”   Moses had six hundred thousand men between the ages o twenty and fifty.  That does not include their wives and children or older people.  If they averaged just a wife and two children each there would be two million four hundred thousand people.  It would take about fifteen hundred cows a day just give each one a quarter pounder every day.   

 

It seemed impossible even for God to come up with that much food, but God was not concerned.   He had created the world, and everything in it, and he still had that same power, as he pointed out in Numbers 11:23.  “And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD'S hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.”  Six hundred thousand pounds of meat was nothing to the God who created the universe.

 

After selecting the seventy elders to help him, Moses returned to the camp, where God delivered the meat he had promised, in Numbers 11:30-31.  “And Moses gat him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.  And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.” 

 

This must have been something like the accounts of the huge flocks of passenger pigeons in early America.  The huge flocks would block out the sun for hours, wiping out entire crops of grain when they stopped to eat, and breaking limbs off trees when they tried to perch.  Hundreds would be crushed by the weight of those landing on top of them.  People would take clubs and kill as many as they could in an effort to save their crops and fruit trees. 

 

The Israelites responded much like the early settlers, killing vast numbers of the quail, according to Numbers 11:32.  “And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.”  A homer was about six bushels or forty eight gallons, so everyone killed eight or ten barrels of quail during the two days the swarm lasted.  They spread the meat out to dry all around the camp. 

 

They had more quail than they could possibly eat in a month, fore it was gone, thousands of people died, probably from eating improperly dried meat that God caused to spoil, as Numbers 11:33-34 describes.  “And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.  And he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted.”    They had gotten what they demanded, and God had warned them they would be sick of the meat before they got it eaten, and that they would be puking it up.    They named that place the graves of the longing or lusting, and left as soon as the dead were buried and the survivors had recovered.  For the rest of the time in the wilderness they would receive quail every night and manna every morning, as described in Exodus 16:8.  “And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.” 

 

Real faith trusts God to do what is best for us without demanding our own way.  Sometimes when we demand our own way, he lets us have what we demanded to learn that some things are not good for us.  If things are not exactly the way we want them we need to trust God instead of demanding our way because he knows what is best for us.  When we demand our own way, we are not trusting him, and as Romans 14:23 tells us, “…whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

Trust God To Guide Other People.

 The constant complaining by the Israelites had eventually overwhelmed Moses, leading him to ask God to just let him die.  Many Christians come to that same point of frustration.  Even before promising to deal with the people’s complaints, God dealt with Moses discouragement, telling him to pick seventy elders to take part of the responsibility, and God would empower them with his Spirit.  Moses chose the seventy, in Numbers 11:24-25.  “And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle.  And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.”

 

A common misconception is that if there are more Christians involve there will be more of God’s power.   God does not get his power from the people who follow him.  He has his full power whether there are millions standing with him or none.  God took some of the spirit that was upon Moses and shared it with the others, but God’s power was not changed.  The only thing that changed was how many were exercising that power.  When they received the Spirit, they proclaimed God’s words just as Moses did. 

 

 Two of the men Moses had chosen did not go out to the Tabernacle with the others, but stayed in the camp.  When the spirit came on them they prophesied just like the others, but some of the people felt they should not be allowed to prophesy since they were not with the others, in Numbers 11:26-28.  “But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp.  And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.  And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.”

 

Numbers 12:3 tells us, “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.”  He was not worried about maintaining or increasing his prestige, and he realized they were not competing with him.  Instead of getting upset, Moses wished there were more like them, in Numbers 11:29.  “And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD'S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!”    

 

Paul faced a similar situation in Philippians 1:15-18.  “Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.  What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.”  Some of the pastors and teachers were deliberately going contrary to what Paul was teaching in an effort to discredit him.  In spite of that fact, Paul chose not to get angry about it, but instead to rejoice because they were still preaching about Christ. 

 

In II Thessalonians 3:14-15 Paul advised that if someone is teaching false doctrine we are to withdraw from them, in hopes of getting them to consider their errors, but we are not to consider them enemies.  “And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.  Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”  We are to concentrate on the Job God has given us and recognize that both we and they will have to answer to God for we have done, as Romans 14:10 reminds us.  “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” 

 

We can take a lot of pressure off ourselves by not trying to make everybody do things the way we do.  Instead, let God work through other people and trust him to accomplish his purpose.  God’s plan differed from that recommended by Jethro in that it depended on spirit led men, rather than mere Human wisdom.     

Whining And Complaining Discourages People

Moses wife was the daughter of a Midianite priest, who had brought her to Moses shortly before they reached Mount Sinai.  When Israel left Mount Sinai, one of her brothers was visiting them and Moses asked him to accompany them, in Numbers 10:29-32.  “And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses' father in law, We are journeying unto the place of which the LORD said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the LORD hath spoken good concerning Israel.

 

And he said unto him, I will not go; but I will depart to mine own land, and to my kindred.

 

And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes.  And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that what goodness the LORD shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee.” 

 

Hobab wanted to go back to his hometown where his relatives lived, but Moses asked him to stay promising that he wouldn’t be in the way.  He had grown up in the area and was familiar with the land and its inhabitants.   He could save them a lot of hassles because of his knowledge.  If he would accompany them, he would experience the same blessings the Israelites did. 

 

Whether he went or not, God would be the one guiding them, as described in Numbers 10:33-36.  “And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days' journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days' journey, to search out a resting place for them.  And the cloud of the LORD was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp.  And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.  And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel.”

 

Unfortunately, the people had developed a habit of complaining while they were in slavery, and while they were now free, the habit persisted, even a year later.   For almost a year they had camped at Mount Sinai, without having to move their camp.  When they started moving away from Mount Sinai, some of them griped about having to leave and move every few days.  Numbers 11:1-3 tells us, “And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.  And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.  And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them. “   

 

If they just stayed at Mount Sinai, they would never get to the land God had prepared for them. I wonder how often God has to send fire into the camp to get the people to follow him?  Even when they followed him, many were looking back at the past and longing to go back.  Numbers 11:4-6 describes such a group.  “And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?  We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic: But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.” 

 

The mixed multitude was a group of former Egyptian slaves of various races who tagged along when Israel left Egypt.  They were experiencing all the same blessings, but they had no commitment to God or interest in the Promised Land.   As so often happens, they began to gripe about missing things they used to have while overlooking what they have now.  They were griping about the lack of cucumbers and onions and melons and fish.  When they had those things they had been slaves, beaten and killed for the least infraction.  Now they had freedom, and an ample supply of good food. 

 

Numbers 11:7-9 describes the Manna and how it was gathered and used.  “And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.  And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.  And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.”  While it wasn’t cucumbers and onions or melons and fish, manna tasted pretty good and could be fixed a lot of different ways.  Best of all it could be gathered with just a few minutes work everyday and there was no need to store it for the winter. 

 

The complaints didn’t make much sense, but they rapidly spread throughout the camp, with people who hadn’t even thought about it joining in.  Both Moses and God were upset by the complaining.  Moses himself began griping about having to put up with the people’s attitudes, in Numbers 11:10-15.  “Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.  And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?  Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?  Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.  I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.  And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.”

 

Constant griping and complaints can wear down even the strongest and most spiritual people.  Moses asked God to just kill him so he didn’t have to put up with it any more.  Instead, God told him to pick out a group of men who could take part of the responsibilities, and God would give them the spiritual power they needed, in Numbers 11:16-17.  “And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.  And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.”

 

God also warned that the people would have to bear the consequences of their choices, in Numbers 11:18-20.  “And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.  Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?”  Sometimes, when we demand our own way, God lets us have it so we can learn how foolish our demands were. 

 

Moses was dumbfounded By God’s promise to give them all the meat they could eat for an entire month, as Numbers 11:21-22 tells us.  “1 And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month.  Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?  He couldn’t imagine where God could get so much food so quickly.  It seemed impossible, but God reminded him that he was still God, in Numbers 11:23.  “And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD'S hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.”   When we get discouraged, it is easy to forget how much power God has.  

Remembering What God Had Done

 A year before, the Israelites had been slaves in Egypt.  They had celebrated the Passover early the same night they left Egypt, on the fourteenth day of the first month.  Exactly one year later, God commanded them to celebrate the Passover again, in Numbers 9:1-5.  “And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying, Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season.  In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, ye shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it.  And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, that they should keep the passover.  And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.”

 

The first time they kept the Passover, they were just doing what God had commanded, hoping they would eventually be freed.  One year later, they were celebrating a year of being free.  God had commanded that every Israelite was supposed to keep the Passover, but there were a few men who could not meet the requirements due to circumstances beyond their control, as Numbers 9:6-7 describes.  “And there were certain men, who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day: And those men said unto him, We are defiled by the dead body of a man: wherefore are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the LORD in his appointed season among the children of Israel?”

 

Sometimes things happen at inconvenient times, making it impossible for us to do things just the way we believe God wants us to.  God understands this, and makes allowances for it.  He commanded these men to keep the Passover one month later on the fourteenth day, according to Numbers 9:9-12.  “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the LORD. The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.  They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it.”

 

They were to celebrate the Passover exactly as everyone else celebrated it, just one month later. They were only to use this second date if they were unable to keep it on the proper date.  Numbers 9:13 warned, “But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the LORD in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.” 

 

Sometimes in modern life, it is impossible to attend regular church services as commanded in Hebrews 10:25.  “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”  Many churches have other services during the week, or one may be able to spend time praying and studying by themselves, but if possible, they need to be in church, both for their own spiritual growth, and to encourage those around them.  Celebrating the Passover was a way of reminding them of what God had done for them and helping keep them following God.   The church worship services should accomplish the same purpose for Christians.  Without it they will tend to drift into sin, and Hebrews 10:26-27 warns, “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” 

 

God understands our situation, and makes allowances for such things.  He also knows our commitment to obey is an indicator of our faith.  If a person doesn’t care enough to make the effort, how much do they really care? 

Trusting God To Guide Others

 When Moses first led the Israelites out of Egypt, he had tried to personally take care of everything.  His father-in-law advised him to teach others and let them take care of the minor day to day affairs so that he could focus on things that actually needed his attention.  Moses had to learn to trust God to guide other people to do their jobs.  When they were attacked by the Amalekites, Moses had sent Joshua to lead the army while he, Aaron and Hur went up to pray.  Had he been leading the army, Moses could not have focused on pryer, and it was his prayer that made the difference in the battle. 

 

When they got ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave the plans to Moses, but he gave orders that Bezaleel and Aholiab were to oversee the construction while Moses was to focus on leading the people, according to Exodus 31:1-6.  “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.  And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee.”

 

God had called Bezaleel and Aholiab to oversee building the Tabernacle just as clearly as he had called Moses to lead Israel.  He had given them special skills and training just as he had given Moses special training for his job.  In Christian circles, it is very common to think only pastors missionaries or evangelists are called of God, when in fact, that carpenter, mechanic, teacher, or janitor may have a specific a calling as well because their particular skills are needed.  I Corinthians 12:28 tells us, “And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.”

 

Believing that they would be guided by God, Moses turned the construction over to them, explaining his decision to the people in Exodus 35:30-35.  “And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.  And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.  Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.”

 

A vital part of faith is learning to focus on what god has commanded us to do and trusting him to guide others he has chosen in doing their jobs.  When we begin to try to control or micromanage people we exhibit a lack of faith in god’s ability to guide other people.  Moses left the construction of the Tabernacle up to the men God had chosen, in Exodus 36:1-4.  “Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded.  And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it: And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning.”

 

God can cause even people who are not really devoted to him to do what is needed.  Even the people who had grumbled over the lack of water and gone along with worshipping the golden calf began to donate the necessary materials.  It wasn’t long before they had to ask the people to stop giving as they had too much, as we see in Exodus 36:4-7.  “And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made; And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make.

 

And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.  For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.”  When Moses just trusted god, they had more than enough.  How many times have we heard a modern pastor or leader say we have too much? 

 

When He trusted God to direct them they did things exactly as God directed, according to Exodus 39:42-43.  “According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.  And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.”  Had Moses tried to control everything, it is nearly certain things would not have turned out as well, because God had not given him the special skills and understandings that were needed. 

 

Living by faith demands that we trust God to guide other people instead of trying to control everything around us.  A sense that we have to be in control demonstrates a lack of faith.

Drawing Close To God

 Moses had a much closer relationship with the Lord than the other Israelites.  Unlike most of them, who didn’t want to get close to God, he sought an even closer relationship, in Exodus 33:12-36.    “And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.  Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.

 

God promised to go with them and protect them, but Moses told him he didn’t want to go unless God went along, because they were separating from other peoples to follow God, in Exodus 33:14-15.  “And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.  And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.  For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. “

 

Moses asked for a personal relationship.  God said the relationship would be limited by the fact that God is divine and Moses was only human.  Even between two humans there are things that interfere from time to time.  God agreed to go as far as he could, in Exodus 33:17-23.  “And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.

 

And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory.

 

And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.  And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.  And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.”

 

God fulfilled his promise, to reveal himself to Moses in Exodus 34:5-8.  “And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.  And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.  And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.” 

 

As a result of his closeness to God, Moses had a much greater appreciation for who God was as the last sentence above points out.  What he didn’t realize was the effect it had on him personally, according to Exodus 34:29.  “And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.”

 

Like Moses, getting to know the Lord personally changes us, as II Corinthians 3:18 tells us.  “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”    We become like the people we hang around with, and when it is the Lord we hang out with, we become more like him.  II Corinthians 5:17-18 describes some of the changes.  “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;”

 

Like Moses, we usually don’t recognize all the differences that relationship with the Lord makes, but the changes in our attitude are clearly visible to those we come in contact with, as Exodus 34:30-35 describes.  “And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.  And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them. And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai.

 

And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.  But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the veil off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.  And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.” 

 

The Jewish rulers observed similar changes in attitude with the disciples in Acts 4:13.  “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”  They were no longer afraid to speak. 

 

The people had been afraid to get too close to God.  Now they were afraid to get too close to Moses.  They wanted him to wear a face mask to keep them from seeing what God had done in him.  Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t want to get close enough to really see what God wants to do for them.    Like most of the Israelites, they never learn to fully trust God.