Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1913-10-02

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 Num-
bers occupy about 38 years. Read inthis
connection Ps. So: 10 and Cor. 10. From
Sinai to Kadesh-Barnea are found four
| general murmurings. The first was
| at Taberah, 11:3, and the events of to-
days lesson which occurred at
Kibroth, 1874. 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.
|. 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, 1913. Moses
had been subjected to terrible strain,
| the details of his leadership, the con-
slant murmuring of the people UNI
| der this load he gave way, just as he
had previously yielded to impulse, Elk.
PIP, and as he did subsequently, CHI.
| 20:10-13. The Israelites are strik-.
/ ing illustration of the natural discon-
tent of the human heart. Any az
Fiction and discomfort or privation,,
and we forget Gods marvellous works
on our behalf His wonderful good
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, " H. 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, Wv. 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 ". 13) by his words, where
should have flesh to give?" 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 bitterness is reach
| ed when he exclaims, kill me | pray
| thee and let me not see my
| Indebtedness" v. Is.
Burden Distributed.
II. Comfort and Counsel. w. 1918,
| "a, rs. Moses had been warned not to
bear the entire burden of leadership
| by his father-in-law, Jethro, Elk. 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 a curse
not blessing upon those who seek it,
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-
timony5to 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 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 a tent meeting" " 16 r. w..
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 protested to ac-
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. 1928, Q Cor AIT. God
| granted their request, " IS, to their
sorrow, v. 20. The whole trouble was
then rejected the Lord" v. 20 R. v.
The granting of material prosperity
| tends to leanness of soul, Ps. 106 10
| 1t 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 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
pathy with him and he seems to enter
into the actualities OF our daily life.
| God reveals himself as one who TN
derstands perfectly, one who knows
exactly all that his servant felt. and