The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1913-10-02

working. FLAMES GIG.
This lesson is taken from tho book
of Numbers, "the book of journey,
ings." or APPLY called the "book Of muir.
murings." The events Of Exodus and
Leviticus cover perhaps one or two
years, whereas those recorded in Mum
bers occupy about 38 years. Read in this
connecticut s. 95:10 and I Cor. 10. From
Sinai to Kadesh-Barnea are found four
general m~urmurings. The first was
at Taberah, 1913, and the events Of to-
days lesson which occurred at
Kibroth, 1884. The other two were
at Hazeroth, 1915, 16, and Kadesh,
1875. This book Is full Of Impress
I've warnings about worldliness.
Moses Was Human.
]. Complaint and Controversy, W..
1915. Moses was great but he was
human. No a is faultless, and in
this lesson we have another incident
illustrating the weakness OF Moses.
Yet despite all this we find inserted
In the~Very next chapter Gods esti-
mate Of his character, 1873. Moses
had been subjected to a terrible strain,
the details Of his leadership, tho con-
slant murmuring Of the people un-
der this load he gave way,"just as he
had previously yielded to impulse, Elk.
ZIP, and as he did subsequently, Oh.
20:1O-13. The Israelites are q strik-
ing illustration Of the natural discon-
tent OF tho human heart. Any af-
Fiction, and discomfort or privation,
and we forget Gods marvellous works
on orr hnhn1P 1Jio ,,o,5orf1 -S.H
ness. That God was displeased is In
dicated by verse 10, but that did not
imply hat Moses, too, was to lose
his temper, to resort to murmuring,
and to accuse God Of being respon-
slble for the burden or thai he would
not help to share tho load, v. II. God
placed great honor upon Moses by
calling him to this task Of leadership
and now he complains, and doubts for
a moment Gods sustaining grace, 2
Cor. 1873; Phil. Alb. The language
here used, w. 1914, Is wonderfully
suggestive. The utter weakness Of
n lsraelites, the promised goal, the
munger OF soul and body, the sorrows
or afliction are all graphically set
before us. Moses own weakness is
revealed ". 13) by his words, where
should l have flesh to givo?" He seems
to forget absolutely Gods dealings
with Israel before they reached Sinai
eek. 16). as though God expected any
such thing from him. The height of
his petulance and blttorness is.reachs
ed when he exclaims, "ki1l me 1 pray
thee and let me not see my
wre%tchedness," v. Is.
Burden Distributed.
IL. Comfort and Counsel. Wv, 1918,
"a, rs. Moses had been warned not to
bear the entire burden Of leadership
by his father-in-law, Jethro, Elk. 1917,
IL. Now that he Is unwilling to take
the full honor OF undivided leadership
God most graciously grants his re-
quest and appoints others to share the
burden and responsibility. There was
no moro power, however, but moro
machinery. God distributed the bur-
den and revealed tho fact that Moses
power was In proportion to his burden.
Human nature always looks for the
arm Of flesh upon which to rely, but
such a reliance usually brings a curse
not q blessing upon those who seek 1t,
Jer. 1875. God dealt in mercy with
Moses. Notice how gently he passes
by this exhibition Of infrmity and
Notwithstanding this lapse, bears tes-
timony to his faithfulness (12:7). Yet
he Is impartial in chronicling his faults
and thereby giving us an Incidental
and thereby giving us the truth.
What q suggestion in the words II
Will come down and talk with thee"
Unf fo0f 10 tho ,-it,,Io~~ % 49,
er in Christ, John 14:16, II and 1918.
God calls a tent meeting" ". 16 r. ",
but before he meets them they must
sanctify themselves, for so only Is
one prepared to meet God, Elk. 1910,
10, %. These people had been lust
ing for the food Of Egypt even as to-
day many who have professed to ac-
cept Christ are forever longing for tho
pleasures OF time and sense. They
forget the bitterness Of past slavery in
tho privations Of the present, entire
ly forgetful Of the goal Of luxury and
freedom, Rom. 1923, Q Cor. AIT. God
granted their request, ". 18, to their
sorrow, ". 20. Tho whole trouble was
then rejected the Lord" v. 20 r.. V.
The granting Of material prosperity
tends to Of soul, Ps. 106:16.
1t frequently happens that God does
not answer u prayers because he
knows that to answer them actually
and literally would spell disaster in
lives.
Conclusion. This lesson brings
Moses very near to us. Such a re-
markable man as ho is he sometimes
seems to BIO far removed from our
actual experiences in life. Yet as we
consider him falterlng for n moment
beneath his staggering, crushing bur.
den Of responsibility, with strength
and courage gone, we share our SYM
pathy with him and he seems to enter
into the actualities Of our daily life.
God reveals himself as one who I'M
dcrstands perfectly, one who knows
exactly all that his servant felt, and
ono W'o in tender compassion had not