1. Rebellion (verses 22-23)
2. Hope (verse 24)
If you are familiar with the name of "Maurice Clarett," chances are that you are a football fan. And if you know his name, chances are that you know of the tremendous disappointment that this young man has been. When he was playing football at Warren Harding High School in Youngstown, Ohio, many publications across the country called him the top high school football player in the country. As a true freshman at Ohio State University, Clarett was an instant star. He rushed for record 1,237 yards and scored 18 touchdowns in 2002, helping to lead the Buckeyes to a 14-0 season and a national championship. He was a man of tremendous potential who was on course to be a major star in the National Football League.
But, from there, his story goes downhill. He was suspended from the football team in 2003 for filing a false police report, claiming that his valuables worth $10,000 were stolen from a car that he had borrowed. Rather than returning to play with the Buckeyes in 2004, Clarett declared himself eligible for the NFL draft. However, the NFL will only allow those players who are three years out of high school to enter the draft. After many court battles, the NFL's position stood firm. And so, Clarett was forced to sit out the 2004 football season as well. Being out of competition for several years made its effect upon Clarett's abilities. At the scouting combine (when the NFL scouts test the physical abilities of the draft prospects), he ran very slow. With this (and his troubled past), many NFL teams were simply not interested. He was eventually drafted by the Denver Broncos, who knew that they were taking a big risk on drafting him, but were hoping for something special. He turned down a $400,000 signing bonus to obtain a contract filled with incentives for performance. Unfortunately, he was unable to even make the team, as he showed up for training camp 20 pounds overweight, had run-ins with coaches, and was found drinking alcohol in the team’s weight room.
On August 28, 2005, he was officially released from the Denver Broncos, seeing only a small fraction of the money that he could have received. Currently, his debt due to legal fees is reported to be around a million dollars! Shortly before this past New Year, Clarett’s agent announced that he was planning on playing for NFL Europe in 2006. But, before being able to sign any contract, on January 2, 2006, Clarett turned himself into the police, who were searching for him in connection with an armed robbery that he committed. He spent a few nights in jail and was released on a $50,000 bond. His former coach at Ohio State University, Jim Tressel, commented about his armed robbery, saying, "I hope it's not true, but beyond that, I don't know much, but my reaction is, I was sad." The story of Maurice Clarett is a sad story. It is a story of squandered opportunity. Clarett was the top high school prospect in the nation with a bright future ahead of him. But, through bad choices he made and the sinful activity in which he was engaged, his football career appears to be in great jeopardy.
This morning, in our exposition through the entire Bible, we come to another story of squandered opportunities: the book of Numbers. The people of Israel had every opportunity to place their faith in the LORD and follow Him fully and enjoy tremendous blessings! But, alas, they refused to trust in the LORD. Instead, they tested the Him and tried Him and grumbled and complained against Him. As a result, the LORDdealt bitterly with them. Rather than conquering the promised land, they died in the wilderness.
This morning, I would love to preach to you a great story of a conquering people who believed God for great things and conquered kingdoms and gave for us an incredible display of the great glory of God, and be encouraged in our faith. But, that’s not the story of the book of Numbers. The book of Numbers is about the tragic results of unbelief. It teaches us by negative example. When the apostle Paul wrote about the experience of the people of Israel in the book of Numbers, this is what he said,
"These things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. ... These things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the end of the ages have come" (1 Cor. 10:6, 11).
In coming days, people may well look at Maurice Clarett and hold him up as a negative example of how a promising career in athletics and stardom may easily come to a crashing halt through poor decisions and irresponsibility. So it is with the book of Numbers. The Israelites that we read about in Numbers have become a example for all people of how not to live. Everything that we see in the Israelites is an example of everything that we ought not to be.
This morning as we look into the book of Numbers, my aim is to teach you by negative example. As my message progresses this morning, I may not have much specific application for you. But, if you are attentive to see the behavior of the people which God so despises, I exhort you now to learn from their bad example. And when you see how your behavior is like these Israelites, turn your affections to Christ Jesus, who alone is able to change your behavior. Don’t try to change by your own power. That is futile. Strive according to His power, which works in you to conform you to the image of Christ (Col. 1:29). It is only by the grace of God that any change will result in your behavior. So, when you are confronted with your own sin, plead with Jesus that He might change you.
So, let’s dig into the book of Numbers. The book begins in the very first verse by setting the time frame of the whole book. The book begins a year after the people of Israel were delivered from the Exodus of Egypt (Numbers 1:1). During that year, they were encamped near Mount Sinai, where Moses received the law -- the last half of the book of Exodus and the book of Leviticus. During that year, the people of Israel built the tabernacle. It ends forty years later, with an entire generation dying in the wilderness, due to their unbelief (Deut. 1:3).
Now, to be sure, God was faithful to the promises that He had made to Abraham to give to his descendants a land. However, the generation that escaped the clutches of Pharaoh wasn’t going to be the generation to enter the promised land. Due to their repeated rebellion against the LORD, God had promised them, "Your corpses will fall in this wilderness" (Num. 14:28, 32). It would be their children who would enter the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Num. 14:31), and not themselves. The details of this conquest is told in the book of Joshua.
The turning point in the whole story comes in chapters 13-14. I invite you to turn in your Bibles to Numbers 13. At this point in the story, the Levites had packed up the tabernacle for the first time in accordance with God’s instructions in the first four chapters of the book of Numbers. And then, the two million people had marched across the wilderness, with six tribes in front, the tabernacle in the middle, and six tribes behind the tabernacle. Finally, they come to Paran, where they camped (Num. 12:16), just on the border of the land of Canaan. In verse 2, we find the LORDspeaking to Moses, saying, ... "Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers’ tribes, every one a leader among them" (Num. 13:2). And so, Moses gathered together 12 men, one from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. He sent them into the land with these instructions, ...
Numbers 13:18-20
“See what the land is like, and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many. How is the land in which they live, is it good or bad? And how are the cities in which they live, are they like open camps or with fortifications? How is the land, is it fat or lean? Are there trees in it or not? Make an effort then to get some of the fruit of the land.”
Sending out such spies makes good military sense. The Israelites had planned to enter the land and conquer it with the help of the LORD. A bit of information of the status of the land would be helpful in their plans to conquer it. So, off the spies went into the land. Some forty days later, they came back to the congregation of Israel and reported to them. And their report wasn’t good. Ten of the twelve spies gave this report:
Numbers 13:27-29
“We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. Amalek is living in the land of the Negev and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites are living in the hill country, and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan.”
At this point, there was a commotion in the crowd, because the Israelites knew the reputation of these people and were afraid of these merciless people. But, "Caleb [full of faith], quieted the people" from their commotion and said, "We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it" (verse 30). The other spies disagreed with Caleb’s assessment and said, ...
Numbers 13:31-32
“We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us. ... The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size.
And then, as if to seek to further make their point, they added a bit to the daunting challenge that it would be with these words:
Numbers 13:33
There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."
Upon hearing the report, ...
Numbers 14:2-4
All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt? ... Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt."
One can easily see the foolishness of this plan. The Israelites were already the source of much hardship for the Egyptians. The plagues that came upon Egypt came as a result of the Israelites. Also, by their hands (or, more precisely, by the hands of the LORD), the entire Egyptian army was destroyed. Any return to the land would only be met by hostilities, rather than kindnesses. They would certainly be slaves again. Perhaps Egypt would punish them as well. However, at this point in their wanderings, they thought that it would be their best option.
Despite the pleading of Joshua and Caleb (verses 7-9), the congregation continued in its resolve to head back to Egypt. In fact, the congregation of Israel attempted to stone Joshua and Caleb when they insisted that they should take up their arms and conquer the land (Num. 14:10). It was only the appearance of the glory of the LORD that saved them (Num. 14:10). Such outright rebellion was too much for the LORD, who was ready to wipe out the people and start again from Moses (Num. 14:11-12). And so, Moses argues with God. His prayer is very instructive for us. As we read it, I want for you to hear how God-centered it is. Moses is pleading for the glory of God.
Numbers 14:13-19
Moses said to the LORD, "Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from their midst, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, for You, O LORD, are seen eye to eye, while Your cloud stands over them; and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say, 'Because the LORD could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness.' But now, I pray, let the power of the LORD be great, just as You have declared, 'The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.' Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now."
In other words, Moses was pleading, "God, if you destroy these people, You will be mocked for your inability to bring the people into the land which You promised." In His grace, God pardoned their sin and allowed them to live (Num. 14:20). But, God said that they would not enter into the promised land. Lets look at verses 22-23. We will use these three verses as our focus this morning. God said, ...
Numbers 14:22-23
Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of these who spurned Me see it.
Without a doubt, the people of Israel saw some great and tremendous displays of the power and ability of God. Verse 22 gives the two places in which God displayed His power: In Egypt and in the wilderness. In Egypt, God displayed His power through the plagues. In the wilderness, God displayed His power through providing for the people exactly what they needed when they needed it.
So great were the miracles during the days of Moses that I would argue that no generation that ever walked upon the earth saw as much of God’s power as did these people. I believe that the magnitude of the miracles done in the days of Moses surpasses even the miracles done in the days of Jesus. To be sure, Jesus did a great many miracles and healed many people and did things that Moses could never have done. But the shear magnitude of the miracles done in the days of Moses were of a greater scale. Jesus fed His thousands, but God fed His millions in Moses’ day.
As a result of seeing the great power of God, these people were without excuse. Sadly, they never learned. Time after time after time, they rebelled against the LORD, testing His patience with them. In fact, verse 22 says that they rebelled against the LORD "ten times!" Common advice that psychologists will give people today in dealing with their anger is to stop what you are doing and count to ten before you respond. It’s good advice. Often in our anger, we will say things that we regret we said. We will do things that we regret we did. Counting to ten and taking a few deep breaths, is a good mental exercise to help you calm down, so that you might respond to the situation in a controlled manner. In some ways, this is what God did. He counted to ten until He gave up on the generation of Moses’ day. What a radical thing for God to do. He gave up on an entire generation, because of their rebellion. This is made clear in verse 23, "[They] shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers."
Beginning in verse 27, we see the strength of the LORD's resolve. He said, ...
Numbers 14:27-35
"How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. Say to them, 'As I live,' says the LORD, 'just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will surely do to you; Your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me. Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. Your children, however, whom you said would become a prey -- I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. Your sons shall be shepherds for forty years in the wilderness, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your corpses lie in the wilderness. According to the number of days which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall bear your guilt a year, even forty years, and you will know My opposition. I, the LORD, have spoken, surely this I will do to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be destroyed, and there they will die.'"
When you think about it, it’s quite shocking! Their rebellion got so bad that God gave up on them and sentenced them to a life of wandering in the wilderness and dying! And what was their sin that made this so bad? They grumbled against the LORD. Verses 27-29 shows us how God distilled their sin.
Now, I’m not quite sure of what you think about the sin of grumbling. But God hates it. He hates it because it shows a lack of faith in God. Grumbling takes place when you remember only the difficulties of your life and forget the triumphs that the LORD has brought you through. God hates grumbling because it is demonstrates a lack of contentment in the things that God has given to us. Our God is sovereign over the universe and over our lives. If a particular difficulty comes into our lives, it comes with sovereign design. And so, grumbling at such a situation is a complaint that rises against the wisdom of God. God hates grumbling because it can spread so easily among His people.
Have you seen this attitude in your life and in the lives of others around you? Perhaps life is going along just fine for you. And then someone at home complains about something. After a bit of thought, you agree with it. Pretty soon, you find yourself complaining as well. And then the attitude spreads. You think about something else to grumble about, which others haven't ever thought of before. Pretty soon, others are grumbling about it as well. God said that this sin had become so bad that he was willing to sentence a generation of His people to wandering in the desert for 40 years until they all died out.
By way of outline this morning, I want to use the words in verses 22-24 as our launching pad. My first point this morning is found in verses 22-23. I’m calling it ...
1. Rebellion (verses 22-23)
This point will have ten sub points corresponding to the ten times that the people of Israel put God to the test. This morning we will go through ten episodes in the life of Israel which will illustrate their rebellion against the LORD. We don't know the exact ten events to which God refers. But, our problem isn't in coming up with ten events, because there are more than ten such episodes from which to choose! So, we will simply pick out ten of them in the spirit of the text this morning, which refers to the "ten times."
Many of these moments of rebellion come from the book of Exodus and from the book of Numbers. In zooming through the book of Exodus a few weeks ago in only two sermons, we skipped past much of this material. However, this morning we will look at what we skipped, as this text calls us back to think about what they did.
Rebellion #1 - "The Red Sea Rebellion" (Ex. 14:11-12)
Turn back in your Bibles to Exodus 14. The LORD had just finished going through the land of Egypt, killing all of the first born, "from the firstborn of Pharaoh ... to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle" (Ex. 14:29). Finally, Pharaoh directed the people to go. This chapter finds the sons of Israel camped in front of Baal-zephon, by the sea (Ex. 14:2). Once again, "The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh ... and he chased after the sons of Israel" (Ex. 14:8). Finally, they arrived beside Pi-hahiroth, "in front of Baal-zephon" (Ex. 14:9). When the sons of Israel saw the Egyptian army following after them, they said, ...
Exodus 14:11-12
"Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness."
I don’t blame the sons of Israel for uttering such words. In their minds, they were facing their impending death, by the sword. They were afraid! Certainly, they were considering the land they just left. Sure, they were slaves, but at least they were alive and could have enjoyed the pleasures of life! But, in saying these words, they had forgotten everything that the LORD had done for them. The LORD had just demonstrated His amazing power in the land of Egypt. He turned the Nile into blood. He controlled the frogs, gnats, and insects. He sent pestilence upon livestock, and boils upon the people. His power was further demonstrated by bringing hail to destroy the crop, calling the locusts to eat what was left, surrounding the Egyptians with darkness, and destroying the firstborn in Egypt.
By forgetting what God did in the past, the Israelites failed to have faith for the future in what God would do. They should have reasoned among themselves, "If God was powerful enough to perform these plagues in Egypt, certainly, He is powerful enough to protect us from Pharaoh’s army." They could have brainstormed all the different ways in which He could have protected them. The possibilities are endless. God could have sent sickness among Pharaoh’s camp, so that they couldn’t fight. He could have placed blisters on their feet so that they couldn't walk. God could have turned all of their swords into snakes, which went through the camp and bit Pharaoh’s army. With no swords, they couldn’t fight. God could have brought darkness upon Pharaoh’s camp, so that they couldn’t set out any further. God could have softened Pharaoh’s heart. God could have struck down every person in Pharaoh’s camp.
I trust that most of you remember how the Israelites escaped from the Egyptian army. "Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORDswept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land" (Ex. 14:21-22). When Pharaoh’s army pursued them, "Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and then returned to its normal state. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, not even one of them remained" (Ex. 14:27-28). Israel made it to the other side of the sea, safe and dry, with no more worries about Pharaoh’s army coming after them anymore.
Rebellion #2 - "The Bitter Water Rebellion" (Ex. 15:24)
This next rebellion is discussed at the end of chapter 15. These events took place three days after God’s amazing victory at the Red Sea. They had been "three days in the wilderness and found no water" (Ex. 15:22). Finally, they came to a Marah, but the water there was bitter, and so they couldn’t drink (Ex. 15:23). When they saw the situation, they grumbled at Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" (Ex. 15:24). In and of itself, these aren’t such terrible words. The people of Israel had a legitimate problem. They had gone three days in the hot wilderness without any water, and they were thirsty. They needed water to survive. It was life and death here. Their concern was very real. But, somehow, the way in which said it was very wrong. For in saying, "the people grumbled at Moses" (verse 24). They may have simply had a poor attitude, or they may have told Moses these things with anger in their hearts, or they may have been blaming Moses.
I believe that there was nothing wrong in expressing their concern before Moses, as it was a legitimate concern. But, I believe that they should have expressed this concern before Moses in such a way that was very God-honoring. How easily they could have come to Moses and told him, "Moses, you have been such a help to the people of Israel. You have delivered us out of the terrible slavery that we experienced in Egypt. God has used you in remarkable ways. I know that we are on the way to the promised land, which God swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But, we have a slight problem. We have been three days in the wilderness. And we are all thirsty. We have come to the waters of Marah, but you know as well as I do that the waters are too bitter to drink. Perhaps you could pray once again to the LORD. Perhaps He will help us and provide for us the water we need to live."
I trust that you see how such a response to Moses could have come to him without a complaining attitude. These words come with an affirmation of Moses and what God has done through him. They come with an identification of the problem. They come with a possible solution. They come with a faith in God to provide. But rather than having that attitude, the Israelites complained to Moses by grumbling (v.24).
In His grace, God showed Moses a tree and had him throw it into the waters. Once he did, the waters became sweet, and the people were able to drink. In His marvelous grace and patience, God warned the people of their need to trust and obey Him, "If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer" (verse 26). He asked them to trust the LORD and obey Him. He promised blessing to them if they would. This leads us to the third rebellion, which took place about a month and a half later.
Rebellion #3 - "The Hunger Rebellion" (Ex. 16:2-3)
This comes in chapter 16. Beginning in verse 2, we read that "The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. ... 'Would that we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.'"
Again, you need to see that these people were facing an incredible difficulty. They were running out of food. All they could anticipate was dying of hunger! But once again, they came to Moses with a wrong attitude. Rather than coming with a hopeful attitude, filled with trust and expectations in the mighty hand of God, they came with grumbling. They grumbled because they remembered the wrong things. They remembered the wonderful meat in Egypt. They should have remembered the LORD’s incredible provision for them during the previous years. They should have recounted the great plagues and the display of God’s power. They should have recalled how God miraculously delivered them from Pharaoh’s army at the Red sea. They should have remembered how God miraculously made the water sweet at Marah. I find it remarkable how gracious the LORD was toward them. He simply caused bread to "rain" from heaven. In the morning, when the dew evaporated, a "fine flake-like [substance] as fine as the frost [was left] on the ground" (Ex. 16:14). It was named "manna," which, is derived from the Hebrew expression for "what is it?" (Ex. 16:15, 31).
Moses clearly gave them instructions about how to deal with this Manna. He said, "Gather of it every man as much as he should eat; ... Let no man leave any of it until morning" (Num. 16:19). In verse 20, we see yet another rebellion against the counsel of Moses.
Rebellion #4 - "The Hoarding Rebellion" (Ex. 16:20)
Look at verse 20, "They did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul." Moses had clearly instructed them not to leave the Manna until the morning. And yet, they left part of it until morning. We should realize that here, again, they had a legitimate concern. They were totally out of food. The food that they had brought forth from Egypt a year before was now gone. They had nothing left. And when they gathered the Manna, it was all that they had. To discard the Manna that wasn’t eaten would put them in the exact same situation as before: on the brink of starvation. If the Manna didn’t come, they would die. They were in great distress. Sadly, they failed to trust God. Instead, they hoarded their food. In so doing, they rebelled against the LORD, who had just demonstrated that morning that He was capable of providing the entire congregation of Israel with their daily food. The next time they tested the LORD came only six days later.
Rebellion #5 - "The Sabbath Rebellion" (Ex. 16:27)
In the Ten Commandments, God had commanded the people of Israel to work six days and rest on the seventh. The Manna was going to be provided for the people on a daily basis, a problem would come on Saturday. If they gathered Manna on that day, they would be working in defiance of the Ten Commandments. If they didn't gather, then they would go hungry that day since according to their own observations, should they keep the Manna they gathered on Friday, it would breed worms and become foul (Ex. 16:20). God provided for them a wonderful plan. He said (in verse 23), "Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a holy sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning." In other words, the Manna which appeared on the ground on Friday would be distinctly different than the Manna that appeared on the ground on the other days. It would have preservatives in it. It wouldn’t rot. It wouldn't breed worms.
And yet, we find the people once again rebelling against the LORD. Look at verse 27, "It came about on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather, but they found none." Rather than trusting in the LORD, they were trusting in their own reasoning and experience. They knew that if kept the Manna until the next day, it would rot. They also knew that the past six days, this Manna had appeared on the ground like clockwork. And so, they went out on the sabbath day. Not only did they break the Ten Commandments on that day. But, they also refused to trust in the LORD by keeping the commandments and instructions of God (Ex. 16:29).
Rebellion #6 - "The Thirst Rebellion" (Ex. 17:2-3)
This comes in chapter 17. This chapter finds them journeying in the wilderness and landing at Rephidim. While they were encamped, "there was no water for the people to drink" (verse 1). At this point, you might rightly ask yourself, "How should they have responded?" They should have looked back and recalled everything that God had done. God had demonstrated His power in the plagues (Ex. 7-11). He demonstrated His power in parting the Red Sea and destroying Pharaoh’s armies (Ex. 14). He demonstrated His power in making the water sweet (Ex. 15), and in raining bread from heaven (Ex. 16). Looking back, they should have looked up to heaven for their next provision of water. Perhaps they should have prayed, "Oh LORD, you have become a mighty deliverer. You have delivered us from slavery in Egypt. You have destroyed the Egyptian army. You have supplied us with all our needs. But, now, O LORD, we are in need of water. We have no water. Our children have no water. Our livestock have no water. You know our need, even before we ask. In faith, we believe that you will provide for us as you have faithfully done before. Oh LORD, please do so for your great glory."
But yet, how did they respond? Look at verse 2, "The people quarreled with Moses and said, ‘Give us water that we may drink.’ And Moses said to them, ‘Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?'"
Do you know why they grumbled? It is what they always did! They had the gift of grumbling! I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the Israelites grumbled about getting dust on their shoes as they walked through the Red Sea. I wouldn’t be surprised if they complained that the sweetened water at Marah wasn’t quite sweet enough for them. And we know that they grew tired of Manna and complained. We shall see their rebellion come in Numbers 11. Seemingly, they were never satisfied.
In verse 3, we see their grumblings continue, "But the people thirsted there for water; and they grumbled against Moses and said, ‘Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?’"
But, God, in His grace, provided them with some water. Moses was told to take his staff and strike the rock at Horeb (Ex. 17:5-6). When He did so, enough water flowed from the rock to satisfy the thirst of millions. At this point, their grumblings against the LORD were so great that God named the place, "Massah and Meribah," which are the Hebrew words for "testing" and "quarrelling," as a continual testimony to their grumbling and complaining.
Rebellion #7 - "The Golden Calf Rebellion" (Ex. 32:1)
The next rebellion comes in Exodus 32. Perhaps you remember the story. Moses is up on the mountain, receiving the instructions from the LORD concerning the plans for the tabernacle. And down below, some distance away from Mount Sinai, waited the congregation. Forty days without their leader was a bit much for them. Perhaps forty days without someone to grumble against was a bit too much for them. And so, they appointed a new leader, Aaron, the brother of Moses. The people said to Aaron, "Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him" (Ex. 32:1). And so, they made this golden calf and worshiped it.
It’s a sad story. The people of Israel had failed to look back at all the ways in which the LORD had provided for them. And again, rather than looking up to the LORD for help, they looked down to Aaron for their own solution to the problem that lay before them. Obviously, God was not well pleased with their idolatry. He even threatened to abandon and destroy this "obstinate people" (Ex. 32:9-10). The response of Moses was incredible. Though the people had repeatedly rebelled and resisted God, and though they had repeatedly complained and grumbled against Moses, Moses was still faithful to plead with God that He would forgive them. As a spiritual leader, Moses displayed a heart of love for his people even when they continually went astray. In His grace, God didn’t destroy these people.
Rebellion #8 - "The General Rebellion" (Num. 11:1-3)
Numbers 11:1 reads, "Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the LORD;" I call this "The General Rebellion," because there was no specific issue, that we know of, for which they complained. But, it was simply ingrained in their hearts to complain. From the best that we can tell, they were facing some sort of difficulty, but it’s difficult to tell exactly what that means. But, it was some type of trouble that came upon the people (as was the case in all these rebellions).
Times of adversity will come into your life. When they come, you have a choice to make. You can accept them as coming from His Sovereign hand and joyfully accept the refining influence upon your life that it will be. Or, you can complain about them. When times are difficult, you ought to turn to the LORD in faith, seeking help. You have to know that the things that come upon your life come with Sovereign design written all over them. If it is a difficult time, it is for your growth. If it is an easy time, it is for your blessing.
As was normal for the Israelites, they complained again. In God’s response, we see how He begins to lose patience with them. Throughout all of these rebellions, we have seen the LORD transition from displaying total grace to them, to displaying great displeasure with them. This is how verse 1 ends, "And when the LORD heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp." I believe that this was simply a display of God’s power. But it was also a display of God's grace. Should He have wanted to, He could have sent fire inside the camp to destroy the people. Again, we see Moses pleading to the LORD for the people (Num. 11:2) and the fire dying out.
Rebellion #9 - "The Discontent Rebellion" (Num. 11:4-6)
Consider these verses, ...
Numbers 11:4-6
The rabble who were among them had greedy desires; and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, "Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna."
Again, the Israelites came with complaints to Moses (verse 10). This time, it was because they were flat-out discontent. God was providing everything that they needed to live. He was providing the manna for them. They were well-nourished. They lacked nothing. However, they grew tired of the same old routine. Again, they remembered the good that they enjoyed in the days in Egypt. They remembered the tasty melons and leeks and onions and garlic. Of course, they forgot the bad -- the hard labor.
I can sympathize with them. One of the things that I have often struggled with is the eating of leftovers. Now, it’s not that I mind leftovers. But, when you enchiladas for dinner on Monday night, and leftover enchiladas for lunch on Tuesday, and leftover enchiladas for lunch on Wednesday, and leftover enchiladas for lunch (and dinner) on Thursday, it can get a bit wearing on you. I can only imagine that their experience was much worse. Having manna on Monday night and Tuesday night and Wednesday night and Thursday night and Friday night and Saturday night and Sunday night can become wearying. After all, Manna wasn't the most tasty of dishes. We might easily compare it to our rice cakes.
I can sympathize with their desire to have a variety in their diets. But again, I believe that attitude here is everything. They easily could have come to God thankful for all that He had done for them in the past. They could have told God of the difficulties of eating the same food day after day after day. They could have asked God for some variety in their diet, with an attitude that Jesus displayed in the garden, "Yet, not as I will, but as You will" (Matt. 26:39). After all, God has specifically created this world to have a variety of colors and tastes and smells for our enjoyment. God gives us pleasures in the various types of food we eat. I don’t believe that the LORD is against such praying. But, seemingly they came with a heart of discontent, remembering only the good in Egypt.
God was not pleased with them. Look at verse 18. The LORD instructed Moses to tell the people, "Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, ‘Oh that someone would give us meat to eat! For we were well-off in Egypt.’ Therefore the LORD will give you meat and you shall eat." (verse 18). When Moses objected that there were hundreds of thousands of people and that slaughtering all the flocks and herds wouldn’t be enough for them (verses 21-22), the LORD said, "Is the LORD’s power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not" (verse 23). God brought a strong wind that "brought quail from the sea, and let them fall beside the camp. The birds were piled up to three feet high all around the camp for miles. The people had a feast and the LORD was not well-pleased with them, striking many of them with a plague (verse 33) because of their greedy desire.
That’s nine times the people rebelled against the LORD. Let's look at the tenth rebellion. [1]
Rebellion #10 - "The Faith Rebellion" (Num. 14:1-4)
This rebellion comes in chapter 14, when the congregation refused to enter the land. At the beginning of my message, I spent quite a bit of time telling you this story. Remember when the spies entered the land and gave a report. Ten of them said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us" (Num. 13:31). But, two of them, Joshua and Caleb, gave a different report. They said, "We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it" (Num. 13:30). All you need to do is think a little bit about who was on your side! The LORD of hosts, who could sustain a couple million people in the wilderness, was on their side! And yet, the people failed to believe.
At this point, my message comes back to the end my first point. Numbers 14:22-23, "Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it."
As I said at the beginning, it is a sad story. They had all the opportunity in the world. But, failed to believe. And it’s not like God didn’t give them opportunity. Time after time after time after time, God gave them opportunity. He displayed His great glory in the plagues, giving them reason to believe. He redeemed them from slavery, showing them that He was for them, not against them. He provided for them everything they needed, showing them that He was worthy of being trusted. But, time after time after time, they refused to believe, choosing to grumble instead. As a result, this generation would all die in the wilderness.
These who started with such great promise, finished with such great disappointment. This is what the book of Numbers is all about! Its about a group of people, wandering around the wilderness, dying over a period of approximately 40 years. They were dying off at rate of some eighty to a hundred people each day.
In the early part of the book, a census is taken of all the people who came out of Egypt (chapters 1-2). In the latter part of the book, a census is taken of all the people who remain alive and ready to enter the promised land (chapter 26). They died for their unbelief. They died for their grumbling. Even once God pronounced this judgment against them, they continued in their rebellious grumbling against the LORD. Chapter 16 contains more grumbling (16:41). Chapter 17 contains more grumbling (17:5). Chapter 21 contains more grumbling (21:5). Chapter 25 finds many in Israel involved in idolatry (Num. 25:2). Indeed, they were a rebellious generation.
But, there is hope. I am grateful for the hope! I always want to preach a message of hope! My first point about their rebellion came strong and hard, because this is what took place in Israel. This is the whole reason for them wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. It’s because they rebelled! But, my second point is ...
2. Hope (verse 24)
It comes in verse 24 in our text this morning. "But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it."
It wasn’t all of Israel that was destroyed in the wilderness. There were two men who were over 20 when the spies entered the land who were permitted to enter the promised land: Joshua and Caleb. Both of them spoke in faith of how they might be able to capture the land. Caleb was 40 years old when he spied out the promised land (see Joshua 14:7), God allowed Him to live long enough to enter the promised land. In fact, when they entered the land, Caleb was allowed to have his choice of all the land. You can read about it in Joshua 14. And I love it. He chose the hill country of Hebron, because that’s where the descendants of Anak lived. It was these people that gave the other spies such fear because of their great size. It was a display of Caleb’s great faith.
I’m sure that for years, Caleb excitedly recounted the story of how he was now living in the land of the people who gave the other spies such doubts about conquering the promised land. It’s the sort of thing that a missionary friend of mine can tell. He went to the missions field of a godless nation. The former leader of that country had attempted to rid the country of all the remnants of religion. When the leader of this country fell, so did many of the strict regulations upon the practice of religion. When the country was opened to foreign missionaries to come, my friend came to the country in an effort to reach out to the people. He began to help the people of the country by educating them through the establishment of a technology school that now teaches more than 1,400 students. Their school building doubles as a place for their church to meet. The LORD has so blessed their ministry that this past year they began a seminary to train nationals for ministry. A few years ago, their ministry was able to purchase the home of the former leader of the country as a central base for ministry. For several years now, my friend has been able to tell the wonderful story of how faithful God has been. From the very same place where a man sought to squash religion from his country, God is now using it to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world.
This would have been Caleb’s perspective. Until his dying day, he was able to speak about the descendants of Anak, who instilled such fear into the minds of the Israelite people that they failed to believe that they could conquer the land. And yet, here he was, living on the same spot where they used to dwell. It was a daily reminder of the power and faithfulness of God. I can just hear Caleb now say to all who would come and visit him, "Isn’t the LORDgood? Isn't He mighty? Hasn't He accomplished great things for us? He is worthy of being trusted for years to come!"
Verse 24 reveals two characteristics of Caleb, which are worthy of our imitation as well.
1. Caleb had a different spirit (verse 24).
This means that he had a different attitude than the others. Whereas the others would be quick to voice their complaint, Caleb was quick to remind the people of God’s power and strength and faithfulness to the people of Israel. In fact, look back at verse 7 to see the words he used to try to convince the people of Israel that they should take the land. He said, ...
Numbers 14:7-9
"The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us--a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them."
Notice how God-exalting his words were. "If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us." "The LORD is with us!" "Do not fear them." "Their protection has been removed." I believe that this is the key to how Caleb was so different. His focus was upon God and His power to deliver.
It was at this point that the Israelites had failed so badly. They lacked faith in the power of God to deliver them in their distress. Rather than believing in the power of God, who had brought them right where He wanted them and had the ability to deliver them in their distress, they complained instead. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Caleb was constantly reminding the Israelites of all the things that God had done for them. In each of the ten times that Israel rebelled, Caleb could have easily have shown them what the power of the LORD can do.
When the people rebelled at the Red Sea, Caleb may well have said, "God delivered us from slavery through an incredible display of His glory. Certainly, He can protect us now." When the water was bitter, Caleb may well have said, "Didn’t God turn the water into blood? God has control over the water. Certainly, He can make it sweet." When they were hungry or thirsty, Caleb may well have said, "God has provided for us thus far. Surely, He will provide for us again." When the people were quick to complain to God, Caleb was quick to remind them of God. He had a different spirit!
It’s right here that the application to us ought to abound. If you are anything like me, you struggle with a grumbling spirit. Even yesterday, I’m preparing this message about the evils of grumbling, and I come into the house to get something. I found myself complaining to Yvonne. How often I find that I like to complain. I like to grumble! And yet, all of it is sin. Let's face it and address it for what it is!
The apostle Paul said, "Do all things without grumbling or disputing" (Phil. 2:14). He didn’t say that we should do "most" things without grumbling or disputing. He didn’t say that we should do "the majority" of things without grumbling or disputing. He said, "All Things." This leaves no wiggle room. It means that if you ever complain about anything, you are in sin!
So, how do you stop yourself from complaining? What is the antidote? We should follow Caleb's example. Caleb kept his eyes fixed upon the power of God. You ought to do the same. You ought to focus your attention upon the power of God. And there is one place where God demonstrated His power. It was at the cross of Christ. When Jesus was lifted up to die, it was for the sins of those who would believe. His example is forever worthy of our gaze. Listen to how the writer of Hebrews explains it.
Hebrews 12:2-3
[Let us be] ... fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
The difficulties that Jesus faced were real and were difficult! And yet, He endured them as an example for us. Concerning Jesus, Peter wrote, that Jesus "committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously" (1 Pet. 2:22-23). The antidote for grumbling is a trusting look to the LORD, who is able to save those who call upon Him.
2. Caleb followed the LORD fully (verse 24).
This means that Caleb believed in the LORD. This means that Caleb obeyed the LORD. Caleb trusted the LORD. This isn’t the only time that the Bible uses this phrase to describe Caleb's utter devotion to the LORD. In Numbers 32:12, we read, "Caleb ... followed the LORD fully." In Deuteronomy 1:36, we read, "Caleb ... followed the LORD fully." Additionally, this was also the testimony that came from the mouth of Caleb, himself. He said, "I followed the LORD fully" (Joshua 14:8).
Does this attitude of full devotion to the LORD characterize you?
This sermon was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church
on February 12, 2006 by Steve Brandon.
For more information see www.rvbc.cc.
[1] At this point, I skip over "The Leadership Rebellion," in which Miriam and Aaron complain against Moses (Numbers 12).