Bible Study Helps, Numbers 20, Anger's Consequences
Genesis: God makes the covenant with Abraham and repeats it.
Exodus: After 400 years, Moses leads them out of Egyptian slavery, and it ends with God’s protection.
Leviticus: How to live as the covenant people so they will understand the seriousness of sin and look forward to the final sacrifice.
Numbers: It starts with numbers, but that’s not really what it’s about. Bemidbar is the Hebrew name: In the Wilderness. Theme of Numbers: Consequences of disobedience to the covenant even when God remains faithful.
These accounts are not uplifting, really. As Pat taught last week, Israel went through periods of complaining (not minor complaints, either) and suffering the consequences. Their biggest complaint and sin: fear of going into the promised land, even though that was why they were freed, to return to what God had promised Abraham. Only two, Joshua and Caleb, said, “We can do this!” and they alone got to enter. (Hold that thought.)
Parallels: Why were we freed by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and the resurrection? To enter into rest, Hebrews tells us, which can be seen as heaven but is more about rest from the struggle to please God and to grow more like Christ. He hold back from fear, which leads to disobedience.
We have our chances/opportunities and don’t take them.
Theological point: Some scholars say God ended His covenant with Israel when Jesus came. Others say the church became Israel. Others say Israel is still under covenant and the covenant will be completed at the second coming and end of the age.
I don’t know. But 1. God doesn’t break promises or otherwise He wouldn’t be faithful and true, and 2. the church is not an ethnicity or people group, and 3. Most Jews don’t want anything to do with Christ but perhaps they will.
Last week Jim Shaddix preached on AD 70 and destruction of the Temple. Back story on that.
So, let’s get to Numbers 20. The Israelites will be in the Wilderness of the Arabian peninsula for 40 years.
40 means “testing.” Examples?
Read passage.
Was God being unjust to punish Moses this way?
1. Was Moses ever promised to see the land of Canaan?
2. He did it “his way.” V. 10-11
3. Moses has been through this before and hasn’t learned.
4. As a leader he had the burden of example. V. 12.
5. His error was not just anger, but lack of faith, and that affected how others would see God.
Honestly, I don’t like this story. I think Moses should have gotten to go into Canaan (although at 120 it would have been hard). More, I don’t like that my behavior and words are something that could hallow God or affect how others see Him.
Too bad for me. They do.
Takeways: If Moses had gone into the land regardless of his actions here, it would say, “Lack of faith and disobedience don’t matter.”
There is public and private behavior. Moses would have been guilty if no one saw his hitting the rock, but others saw it. Very little is every fully private.
The people still got the water and Moses was still the leader and outlived Aaron. God kept His covenant to Israel. “Even the failure of God’s leaders will not thwart His will to bless His people.” Example: recent failures of Christian leaders.
Anger and frustration must be dealt with immediately. I think Moses, although humble, had some deep-seated frustrations and anger. What is the anatomy and physiology of Anger? Where does it come from and what does it become?
We have to believe God’s commandments as well as His promises. Commandments demand faith too.
Let’s drop the “aren’t the Israelites the worst?” and “weren’t the disciples so clueless?” pattern. We find ourselves there, and like them, need God’s mercy.
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