Comforts and Cautions!

I was just reading in Exodus (16) and Numbers (11- 14) about the Israelites just after they left Egypt and entered the wilderness.  Its a passage I've read many times before, but this time a few more things impacted me - along the lines of comfort and caution! They are relevant and worth pondering for myself, for us in ministry.....and for anyone.

1. It's so easy to complain and grumble, instead of being what we should be - thankful.

2. God is sooooo patient - He endured their complaining again and again, and gave them food to eat daily and water to drink. (Although Psalm 106 warns us about what we complain/ask God for - He gave them what they asked for but sent leanness to their soul.)

3. But we shouldn't mistake God's patience for his tolerance of sin - the Israelites had to endure 40 years of punishment, wandering in the desert. A judgement day is coming.... (2 Peter 3:9)  

4. Just because at one time we trust God and step out in bold faith and follow His commands exactly, doesn't mean we will continue to do the same thing.  

5. Even in the midst of suffering the consequences of our lack of faith in God and our own self-centredness, God is faithful and oh so gracious to sustain us for what we NEED. 

6. Though sin is disobedience to what God says to do or not do, it is primarily dishonour of God Himself. 

Because of our honour/shame research, I tend to notice parts of Scripture in new ways.  There's nothing new there, its just that I'm actually seeing what IS there and has been there all along. So, let me share a little further on this point......

All through the record we have of this event in the book of Numbers, God uses some interesting vocabulary when He talks about Israel's sin.  Their grumbling He called wickedness. He calls them wicked for essentially rejecting the fact that He had brought them out of Egypt and was to bring them into a new land (Numbers 14:27,31,35).  But a close read of Numbers 14:20-23 brings us again to the fact of how sin is to be understood both as disobedience and dishonour - a disobedience that has as dishonour as its source. 

Once upon a time, I would have focused in on the 'disobedience' factor and paid almost no attention to the 'dishonour' language filling these verses.  Yet, Scripture is full of the inseparable one-ness of disobedience and dishonour.  Our disobedience is actually dishonour of God Himself and is observable/definitive proof of that dishonour, and our dishonour of God (in our heart's attitudes) is evidenced by our disobedience of God's commands and will (actions).

"But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD, none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it."

(Numbers 14:21-23 ESV)

It's interesting to note:  God puts Israel's sin in the context of His GLORY (majesty, honour) filling the earth and being shown to the Israelites - a glory that they have chosen to ignore or disregard so much that they put God 'to the test' and disobeyed His commands (voice).  He then summarises by saying 'none of those who DESPISED ME shall see it' (Emphasis added). This is a statement of disobedience sandwiched between honour contexts and vocabulary. The fact of disobedience to what God says is not in any way disconnected or detached from despising God Himself.  

Disobedience to the 'law' is inextricably linked to Dishonour of the 'lawgiver'.  In a sermon on 1 John 3 John MacArthur says a similar thing when he makes the following comment about v4....

Look at verse 4, "Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness and sin is lawlessness." Literally the original says, "Everyone doing sin is doing lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness." Not a transgression of the Law, that's not what he said. He didn't say sin is a transgression of the Law. Sin is hamartia, missing the mark, or wandering off the way. Sin is adikia, a failure to be righteous. He says here we're not talking about sin as a violation, we're talking about sin as an attitude. Everyone doing sin, practicing sin is engaged in practicing lawlessness. And lawlessness is an attitude. It is not so much the transgression of the Law, as the indifference to the Law. Construction here makes sin and lawlessness identical. It's living as if there is no Law. It's living as if there is no law-giver. 

7. In the midst of all this unbelief and doubt and grumbling and in contrast to it, stood two spies who were willing to look to God and not their circumstances - to honour the One who brought them out of the land of Egypt and trust Him to bring them into the land of Promise. 

Oh how easy it is to complain, grumble and be filled with self-pity and hopelessness when we look at the difficult circumstances around us. But by God's grace we can choose to honour the One who is sovereignly and supremely bigger than our circumstances. We can come to know not only the punishment of God, or even the patience and provision of God, but the Power of God at work in and through us by His Spirit, in order to enjoy the fullness of the Promise of His presence and purposes for our lives.