Delaware City press. (Delaware City, Del.) 1913-19??, 1913-10-03

This lesson is taken from the DOCK
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 Num-
bers occupy about SO years, Read inthis
connection Ps. 95: 10 and Cor. 10. From
Sinai to Kadesh-Barnea are found four
general murmurings. The first was
at Taberah, 1873, and the events of to-
days lesson which occurred at
Kibroth, 1884. The other two were
at Hazeroth, 1915, 16, and Kadesh,
1926. This book is full of Impress
i've warnings about worldliness.
Moses Was Human.
I. Complaint and Controversy, w.
lois. 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 estt-
mate of his character, 1878. Moses
had been subjected to a terrible strain,
the details Of his leadership, the con-
slant murmuring of the people I'M
der this load he gave way, just as he
had previously yielded to impulse, Elk
2:12, and as he did subsequently, Oh.
20:10-13. The Israelites are 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
/ q
ness. That God was displeased is in
Dictated 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. IL. God
placed great honor upon Moses by
calling him to this task of leadership
and now he complains, and doubts for
moment Gods sustaining grace, 2
Cor. 1879; Phil. Alb. 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 affection are all graphically set
before us. Moses own weakness is
revealed ". 49, by his words, where
} SHOULD have feEh to give?p 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 pray
thee and let me not see my
wretchedness,' v. Is.
Burden Distributed.
, u. Comfort and Counsel. w. 1913
, "a, rs. Moses had been warned not to
bear the entire burden of leadership
: by his father-in-law, Jethro, Elk. 1877
/ Is. Now that he is unwilling to take
j the full honor of undivided Leadership
| God most graciously grants his re
quest and appoints others to share the
: burden and responsibility. There was
t no more power, however, but more
i. machinery. God distributed the bur
n den and revealed the fact that Moses
Il power was in proportion to his burden
9 Human nature always looks for tn,
), arm of flesh upon which to rely, blu
e such reliance usually brings curs
/. not blessing upon those who seek il
g Jer. 1876. God dealt in mercy witt
Moses. Notice how gently he passe
It by this exhibition of infirmity an
4. Notwithstanding this lapse bears ties
t. timony to his faithfulness (12:D. Ye
Al he is impartial in chronicling his fault
Ie and thereby giving us an incidents
,r and thereby giving us the truth.
" What a suggestion in the words
T. will come down and talk with thee,
lie yet that is the privilege of the belize
ut er in Christ, John 14:16, II and 16: L
10 God calls tent meeting" V. 16 r. V
ut but before he meets them they mui
lg sanctify themselves, for SO only
ct one prepared to meet God, Elk. 49,
10, 90. These people had been lus
Of ing for the food Of Egypt even as t
lie day many who have professed to a
re cept Christ are forever longing for IL
lie pleasures of time and sense. The
forget the bitterness of past slavery
to the privations Of the present, entiT
b. ly forgetful of the goal of luxury az
le, freedom, Rom. 1928, 2 Cor. AIT. CT
is granted their request, v. 1S, to the
sorrow, v. 90 The whole trouble WI
X then rejected the Lord" V. 20 R.
in The granting of material prospect
&C. tends to leanness of soul, Ps. 106: ]
IN 1t frequently happens that God do
ne not answer our prayers because
he knows that to answer them actual
ct, and literally would spell disaster
B." our lives.
I'd, Conclusion. This lesson brin
ne Moses very near to us. Such a
ew markable man as he is he sometim
ad seems to be far removed from O
ply actual experiences in life. Yet as
consider him faltering for a nome
m, beneath his staggering, crushing b,
nd den of responsibility, with strene
of and courage gons. we share our sy
its patty with him and he seems to ent
Ich into the actualities OF our daily Ii
by God reveals himself as one who
in derstands perfectly, one who kno
est exmetly all that his servant felt, a
be- one who In tender compassion had /
Ia | a