The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1913-10-02

GOLDEN TEXT-"The application OF
righteous man avaIleth much in It's
working. sic.
This lesson is taken from the book
OF Numbers, the book Of Journey
ings." or aptly 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 3s years Read in this
connection Ps 95 10 and Cor. 10. From
Sinai to Kadesh-Barne are found four
general murmurings. The first was
at Taberah. 1873, and the events of to-
days lesson which occurred at
Kibroth, 1894. The other two were
at Hazeroth. 1915. 16. and Kadesh,
1926. This book Ia full Of impress
i've warnings about 'worldliness.
Moses Was Human.
!. Complaint and Controversy, w.
t015. Moses was great but he was
human. No man is faultless, and In
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. the con-
slant murmuring of the people un-
der this load he gave way. just az he
had previously yielded to impulse. Ex-
2:12, and as he did subsequently, Oh.
20:10-13. The Israelites are 0 strik-
ing illustration Of the natural discon-
tent Of the human heart. Any af-
Fiction, and discomfort or privation,
and we forget Gods marvellous works
on our behalf. His wonderful good
ness. That God was displeased 10 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
a moment Gods sustaining grace, 2
Cor. 1879; Phil. 4:13. The language
here used. w. 1914, 10 wonderfully
suggestive. The utter weakness Of
the Israelites. the promised goal. the
hunger of soul and body, the sorrows
or affection are all graphically set
before us. Moses own weakness 10
revealed ". 13) by his words, where
should have flesh to give?" 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
his petulance and bitterness is reach
ed when he exclaims. kill me l pray
thee and let me not see my
Indebtedness" v. Is.
Burden Distributed.
u. Comfort and Counsel. w. 1918,
| "a, IS. Moses had been warned not to
bear the entire burden of leadership
by his father-in-law, Jethro, Ex. 1917,
Is. 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 more power, however, but more
machinery. God distributed the bur-
den and revealed the 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 q curse
not a blessing upon those who seek 1t,
Jer. 17:5. God dealt in mercy with
Moses. Notice how gently he passes
by this exhibition Of infirmity and
Notwithstanding this lapse, bears tes-
! timony TO his faithfulness (12:O. Yet
he is impartial in chronicling his faults
and thereby giving US an incidental
and thereby giving US the truth.
What a suggestion In the words Il
will come down and talk with thee"
yet that is the privilege Of the believ-
er in Christ, John 14:16. IL and 1913.
God calls tent meeting" v. 16 r. ".
but before he meets them they must
sanctify themselves, for SO only Is
one prepared to meet God, Elk. 10: 10,
is, 20. These people had been lust
ing for the food of Egypt even as to-
day many who have PROGRESSED to &C
cept Christ are forever longing for the
pleasures OF time and sense. They
forget the bitterness OF past slavery In
the privations OF the present. entire
ly forgetful OF the goal of luxury and
| freedom, Rom. 10: 2s, 2 Cor. Alt. God
granted their request, v. IS, to their
sorrow, v. 30. The whole trouble was
then rejected the Lord" v. 20 r. v.
The granting OF material prosperity
tends to leanness of soul, Ps LOG: 10.
IL frequently happens that God does
not answer our prayers because he
knows that TO answer them actually
and literally would spell disaster In
our lives.
| Conclusion. This lesson brings
Moses very near TO us. Such a re-
markable man as he is he sometimes
seems to be far removed from our
actual experiences IN life. Yet as We
consider him faltering for a moment
beneath his staggering, crushing bur
den OF responsibility. with strength
and courage gone, we share our sym
patty with him and he seems to enter
| into the actualities OF our daily life.
God reveals himself as one who I'M
derstands perfectly, one who knows
exactly all that his servant felt. and
one who in tender compassion had not
/ "A word Of rahuka