The Red Cloud chief., 1913-10-02
INTERNATIONAL
SUNlGSC|1OOL
LESSON
LESSON FOR OCTOBER S
MOSES cay FOR HELP.
(By r. o. SELLERS. Director Of Evening
Department. The Moody Bible Institute.
Chicago.)


working."-James 5:16.
This lesson Is taken from the book
Of Numbers, "the book of journey.
ings." or aptly called the book Of mur.
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
connection Ps. IS: 10 and Cor. 10. From
Sinai to Kadesh-Barnea are found four
general murmurings. 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.
1925. 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 man 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 terrible strain.
the details Of his leadership. the con.
stant murmuring of the people un-
der this load he gave way, just as he
had previously yielded to impulse, Ex.
2:12, and as he did subsequently. Ch.
20:10-13. The Israelites are strik.
ing illustration Of the natural discon.
tent Of the human heart. Any at.
Fiction, and discomfort or privation
and we forget Gods marvellous works
on our behalf. His wonderful good.
ness. That God was displeased is in.
dicated by verse 10. but that did not
imply that Moses, too, was to lose
his temper, to resort to murmuring.
and to accuse God of being respon-
sible for the burden or that he would
not help to share the load. v. II. God
placed great honor upon Moses by
calling him to this task of leadership
and now he complains. and doubts for
q moment Gods sustaining grace. 2
Cor. 1879: Phil. 4:13. The language
here used, w. 1914. Is wonderfully
suggestive. The utter weakness of
the Israelites. the promised goal. the
hunger OF soul and body, the sorrows
OF afiliction are all graphically set
before us. Moses own weakness Ia
revealed ". 13) by his words. where
should have flesh to glve?" He seems
to forget absolutely Gods dealings
with Israel before they reached Sinai
lex. 16), as though God expected any
such thing from him. The height OF
| k;o vat,lanon aud htttorpaco DO oh,
ed when he exclaims, kill me pray
thee and let me not see my
wretchedness," v. Is.
Burden Distributed.
n. Comfort and Counsel. w. 1918
"a, 25. Moses had been warned not tC
bear the entire burden of Leadership
by his father-in-law, Jethro. Ex. 1917
1S. 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 wal
no more power. however. but more
machinery. God distributed the bur
den and revealed the fact that Moses
power was In proportion to his burden
AAoIton hotot0 oAWoyO A00hO AOA Shs
arp of flesh upon which to rely, bu
such reliance usually brings curse
not q blessing upon those who seek II
Jer. 1875. God dealt In mercy will
Moses. Notice how gently he passe
by this exhibition Of infirmity ant
Notwithstanding this lapse, bears tes
timony to his faithfulness (12:O. Ye
he Is impartial In chronicling his fault
and thereby giving US an incidenta
and thereby giving us the truth.
! What a suggestion In the words ''
will come down and talk with thee,
yet that Is the privilege Of the beliey
er In Christ. John 14:16. II and 49,: IL
God calls tent meeting,"v. 16 r. v
but before he meets them they mus
sanctify themselves, for SO only
one prepared to meet God, Elk. 10: II
10. %. These people had been lus
: ing for the food of Egypt even as t.
day many who have professed to a,
. cept Christ are forever longing for tn
pleasures Of time and sense. The
I forget the bitterness Of past slavery 1
{ the privations of the present, entir,
' ly forgetful OF the goal OF luxury an
3 freedom. Rom. 1928, 2 Cor. 4:17. Go
. granted their request, v. IS, to thei
. sorrow, v. 20. The whole trouble wa
then rejected the Lord" v. 20 r.
The granting of material prosperit
tends to leanness of soul, Ps. LOG: L
It frequently happens that God doe
not answer our prayers because b
knows that to answer them actuall
= and literally would spell disaster
:. our lives.
Conclusion. This lesson bring
: Moses very near to US. Such q r
= markable man az he 10 he sometime
" seems to be far removed from OF
!. actual experiences In life. Yet as "
y consider him faltering for o momel
beneath his staggering, crushing bu
:, den of responsibility. with streng'
:. and courage gone. we share our syi
IA n IN nnt.