2017/09/10 Based on Numbers 13 and 14

 September 10, 2017

1The Lord said to Moses, 2“Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.”
3So at the Lord’s command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites. 4These are their names:

from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zakkur;
5from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori;
6from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh;
7from the tribe of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph;
8from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun;
9from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti son of Raphu;
10from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel son of Sodi;
11from the tribe of Manasseh (a tribe of Joseph), Gaddi son of Susi;
12from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel son of Gemalli;
13from the tribe of Asher, Sethur son of Michael;
14from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi son of Vophsi;
15from the tribe of Gad, Geuel son of Maki.

16These are the names of the men Moses sent to explore the land. (Moses gave Hoshea son of Nun the name Joshua.)

Numbers 13:1-16

So much has happened in our story. Rescued from slavery in Egypt. The miraculous escape from Pharaoh’s army and the destruction of that army. The manna, miraculous food from heaven. The Ten Commandments. They finally arrive at the border of the land God promised them, but then they let fear guide them instead of faith in the God who had led and cared for them so far. And now they are condemned to wander in the wilderness until the entire adult population has died off.

The real problem was that the people did not trust God or His promise to bring them into the promised land. They had seen God’s power, His miracles, His provision, yet they still didn’t trust that He could give them the land He had promised. They still thought it would be their own strength that would conquer the land. God did not like that at all.

God’s reaction, to keep them from the promised land and force them to wander until they died, seems harsh, but these people, except for Moses, Caleb, and Joshua, put their own fear before trust in God. The same God who had been showering them with miracles daily. To God, this was a serious sin.

It seems to me that we often fail to recognize certain things as sin. We know lying is wrong. We know stealing is wrong. We have a list of commandments that tell us right from wrong. But there are many things we do daily that we never think about or identify as sins.

Haven’t we all told a little white lie from time to time?

“Does this outfit make me look fat, dear?”
“Of course not. You look lovely.”

I’ll bet no husband has ever confessed one of those white lies:
Dear God, forgive me for saying my wife looked great even though that dress made her look like a walking sofa.

That’s probably not the best illustration, because in that case the husband is most likely just trying to be kind, but you get the idea. It’s a little lie, so it doesn’t count.

Even when we do recognize certain attitudes or actions as sin, we don’t think they’re a very big deal.

Worry is one of those sins we often fail to recognize because it seems to be human nature to worry. It doesn’t appear to hurt anybody. But most often, worry translates to a lack of trust in God. Worry not only shows a lack of trust, but it also puts the responsibility for fixing everything on us, not God. That creates enormous stress in our lives.

Remember the hymn What a Friend We Have in Jesus:
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer.

We need not only to take it to Him, but also to trust Him to care for us.

I understand this issue well because I am a born worrier. I am inclined to worry about everything, and I frequently wake up in the middle of the night unable to sleep because I’m worrying. I remember my mom telling me I was just born that way, and while it was normal for me to worry, it was wrong to continue worrying after I prayed about it. She assured me that God could and would help me. I didn’t fully believe her, but I tried to stop my worrying nature, with varying degrees of success.

One night, shortly after Ron and I married, I was lying awake worrying about some bills we had no way to pay. I finally woke Ron up and told him I couldn’t sleep because I was so worried. He said, “Let me ask you a question. Is there anything you can do about paying those bills right now, in the middle of the night?”

“Well, no,” I told him.

Then Ron said, “Let’s tell God exactly what you’re worried about right now, and ask Him to take care of it and give you peace so you can sleep.”

He prayed, thanked God, hugged me, and told me to go to sleep, which I finally did.

It set an example for me, and I use it today. I still worry, but as soon as I realize I’m taking all that on myself, I stop and pray, give it to God, thank Him, and trust that He will handle it. If you’re a worrier yourself, this might sound simplistic, but it does work, even if I need to pray multiple times or get up and read my Bible for a bit.

Controlling our worry, and its accompanying lack of trust in God, is an ongoing issue, something we can work on. We may not see the Red Sea parted or the daily miracles the Israelites saw, but we do see miracles. We can see God’s care for us and read about His care for others in the Bible, and that can help us learn to trust more fully.

Learning to turn our fears over to God not only pleases Him, but frees us from the stress of trying to do everything ourselves.

Read Philippians 4:6–7.
I memorized this verse and repeat it to myself whenever fear or worry threatens to engulf me. I also pray the 23rd Psalm. These scriptures comfort me and remind me Who is in control, and who can change things. And it isn’t me.

But back to our wandering people in the desert, there was another sin that angered God, and it’s one most of us don’t even recognize as sin: grumbling or complaining.

Here’s a partial list of the Hebrews’ grumbling after they left Egypt:

• 48 hours after leaving, they complained: “Did you bring us out here to die? Weren’t there enough graves in Egypt?” (Exodus 14)

• Three days after crossing the Red Sea, they complained about no water. Instead of calling out to God, they just grumbled. God gave them water after Moses prayed.

• A month later, they complained about food and blamed Moses and Aaron for leading them into the wilderness.

• God gave them manna, but then they complained because they wanted meat. So God gave them meat, so much that it “came out their noses.”

• Then Miriam and Aaron complained about Moses’ second wife and also because they felt they didn’t get enough credit for leading the people. God was furious about this one.

I can understand some of Miriam and Aaron’s feelings. Moses was likely the youngest. Miriam probably placed baby Moses in the Nile for Pharaoh’s daughter to find. Aaron was likely born before the edict to kill Hebrew boys. They wanted credit too, but they forgot it wasn’t Moses’ power. It was God’s. Moses was the one chosen, not them.

In these examples of grumbling, the people would have been dealt with harshly because of God’s anger, but Moses prayed for them and begged God to forgive them.

This issue of complaining is more serious than we realize. Every time we complain, it detracts from what God has done and is doing for us. It is especially dangerous when we complain about the people God has called to lead or teach us.

If you remember the Bible quiz I gave you, the question about the man who cursed 42 youths because they ridiculed him for being bald, the real issue was that these young “gang members” knew who he was. They knew he was God’s chosen prophet, and they did not show him the respect he deserved because of his position.

This is a biblical principle: we are to respect those God has appointed over us.

Hebrews 13:17 ESV
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

1 Timothy 5:17 ESV
Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.

1 Thessalonians 5:12–13 ESV
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

Romans 13:1 ESV
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

Exodus 20:12 ESV
"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you."

Hebrews 13:7 ESV
Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

1 Peter 2:17 ESV
Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

1 Timothy 2:1–15 ESV
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions…

Philippians 2:3 ESV
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

1 Timothy 5:17–20 ESV
Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor…

Romans 12:10 ESV
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

1 Peter 5:5 ESV
…Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another…

I looked up Bible verses about complaining, and the first site I opened listed 100 verses, many of them showing how grumbling angers God.

The Bible seems clear: we are not to idly criticize or complain, and this is especially true when it involves complaining about authorities or fellow believers.

God dealt with complainers:

• Miriam and Aaron (Numbers 12): Miriam was struck with leprosy.

• The Israelites against God and Moses (Numbers 21): God sent poisonous snakes among them.

• Korah and 250 followers (Numbers 16): The earth swallowed them alive.

Then look at how David responded to being mistreated by King Saul. David refused to fight back or harm Saul because Saul was God’s anointed king.

Many people like to complain about their pastors and others in their churches. This discourages pastors, and their job is already very difficult. In one UMC survey, 80% of pastors’ wives said they had to sacrifice a great deal for their spouse’s ministry and suffered from frustration and loneliness. Pastors know this, and seeing their families struggle makes their work even harder.

While statistics vary, pastors experience significantly higher rates of depression and frustration than national averages, some studies show 11.5% compared to 5.5%.

When we complain about our leaders and pastors, their effectiveness is diminished, their witness is damaged in the community, and it becomes easy for them to lose heart.

I remember an instance when the mother of a church member went into the hospital and later died. The man told everyone that the pastor refused to visit her. He was bitter, quit the church, and spoke often about how neglectful the pastor had been. It caused a great deal of trouble.

The problem was that the man had never told the pastor his mother was in the hospital. He never called the pastor, never called the church office, never left a message. Instead, he complained to anyone who would listen, and many of them became angry as well. But the pastor had never been told anything at all.

Certainly we all complain, and sometimes our complaints are justified. But it is how we handle these situations that determines whether they become sin, or opportunities for growth, understanding, or reconciliation.

For the Israelites, their complaining and lack of trust had disastrous consequences: some died outright, and the rest wandered for 40 years and never entered the promised land. For us, complaining is more likely to weaken our spiritual growth, damage our witness for Jesus, and reduce the effectiveness of our ministries, which, in a way, becomes our own wandering in the wilderness.

Even when we have legitimate complaints, we must learn to handle them constructively.

• Don’t like a politician? Pray for him to make wise choices.
  (And just a note: do not riot, burn flags, or smash things.)

• Angry that your neighbor hasn’t mowed his lawn in three weeks?
  Check on him. Maybe he’s sick or overwhelmed. Offer to mow while you’re already out there.

• Don’t like the type of music in the church service?
  If you only grumble, you’ll grow frustrated. You may complain to friends, and then they become frustrated. Nothing good comes from that.
  A better approach is to talk to the person who selects the music. Ask if they can include some songs you enjoy. And if you’re a member of the church, attend the monthly music selection meeting and help choose the music yourself.

• Wondering why your pastor hasn’t visited you in the hospital?
  Call him and let him know you’re there.

A note on pastors:
Their job is surprisingly difficult. It may seem like they only preach on Sundays and attend meetings, but it is far more than that. They are always on call. The needs of the congregation often come before the needs of their families. They are constantly scrutinized, what they wear, what they drive, how they spend their money, how they preach, how they spend their time. They spend hours studying, praying, writing, filling out forms, attending meetings at the church, district, and conference levels. And they know people complain, but almost no one ever brings concerns directly to them.

I suggest that if you have a complaint about anyone, try to understand their situation. Make sure you are correct if something truly is wrong. Then go to them, work with them, not against them, to resolve the issue. And above all, pray for them.

Pray for your pastor.
Pray for coworkers who frustrate you.
Pray for the politicians who lead our country.
Pray for your church.
Pray for each other.

And then read Philippians 4:8:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.

And I might add: speak about such things.

We can build each other up instead of tearing each other down. We can help instead of hinder. We can grow in love and unity, and by trusting God fully, we can boldly enter our own promised land.