Obedience is Better Than Sacrifice
Psalm 95; Numbers 20:1-5
In this week’s blog I felt the need to discuss last Sunday’s Sunday School’s lesson taken from the SSPB Sunday School Commentary as it relates to Moses and the children of Israel’s disobedience.
In reflecting on this lesson study, several thoughts came to mind, which are: (1) the children of Israel wondered forty years in the wilderness due to their constant disobedience and complaining about what they didn’t have or the way God was handling things. Israel wondered forty years in a fifty mile radius. (2) They repeatedly made the statement “God brought us here to die and how they were better off in Egypt (partial paraphrase). Had they forgotten their suffering in Egypt and their cry to God for deliverance? He opened up the Red Sea for them to cross on dry land. It wasn’t long ago that God had fed them with manna from heaven and provided them water from a rock. Such short memory!
Another thought that come to mind is that Israel’s constant whining and complaining to Moses about things no doubt had pushed Moses to the limits, but this was no excuse for Moses and Aaron to disobey God’s instructions. Moses’ sister Miriam, who was a spiritual leader (a prophetess) and her actions resulted in her dying in Zin (v1). Miriam had given in to the people’s grumbling and she too rebelled against God and this prevented her from entering the Promise Land. This may have played an important role in Moses’ disobedience for his own sister to side with the people. Who knows? Is our grumbling keeping us from entering our Promised Land?
Another thought is that regardless how God blessed and provided for them they found everything little thing to complain about. This shows a lack of gratitude on the people’s part for what God had done for them. Also, this was an indictment against God and His love, care and provision for them.
Nevertheless, Moses was God’s chosen leader and regardless of how much or often they grumbled Moses’ job was to remain steadfast in God and follow His directions. Moses had trusted God and His instructions up to this point so why stop now as this lesson points out that partial obedience is equal to disobedience as Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to the rock as instructed by God. His disobedience prevented him from entering the Promised Land. What a price to pay for partial obedience?
The lessons learned are:
a. God is too wise to make a mistake and His provisional care surrounds us. If God brings you to a situation He surely will bring you through the situation. Stop complaining and begin to praise God. “As praises go up blessings come down.”
b. Always have a heart of thankfulness for what God has already done and continues to do in the life of all humanity and especially His children. Are you thankful for what God has done in your life?
c. Obey God and His leaders in spite of what we as laity think or feel how things should be or go.
d. Disobedience carries negative results.
e. Leaders are to obey all of God’s instructions regardless of how loud or frequent complaints get. Trust God at all times as it give rise to His sovereignty for He is trustworthy.
f. God speaks to His leaders and His leaders are held to a higher standard of accountability.
Obedience carries positive results---disobedience carries negative results. Which do you chose?
In this week’s blog I felt the need to discuss last Sunday’s Sunday School’s lesson taken from the SSPB Sunday School Commentary as it relates to Moses and the children of Israel’s disobedience.
In reflecting on this lesson study, several thoughts came to mind, which are: (1) the children of Israel wondered forty years in the wilderness due to their constant disobedience and complaining about what they didn’t have or the way God was handling things. Israel wondered forty years in a fifty mile radius. (2) They repeatedly made the statement “God brought us here to die and how they were better off in Egypt (partial paraphrase). Had they forgotten their suffering in Egypt and their cry to God for deliverance? He opened up the Red Sea for them to cross on dry land. It wasn’t long ago that God had fed them with manna from heaven and provided them water from a rock. Such short memory!
Another thought that come to mind is that Israel’s constant whining and complaining to Moses about things no doubt had pushed Moses to the limits, but this was no excuse for Moses and Aaron to disobey God’s instructions. Moses’ sister Miriam, who was a spiritual leader (a prophetess) and her actions resulted in her dying in Zin (v1). Miriam had given in to the people’s grumbling and she too rebelled against God and this prevented her from entering the Promise Land. This may have played an important role in Moses’ disobedience for his own sister to side with the people. Who knows? Is our grumbling keeping us from entering our Promised Land?
Another thought is that regardless how God blessed and provided for them they found everything little thing to complain about. This shows a lack of gratitude on the people’s part for what God had done for them. Also, this was an indictment against God and His love, care and provision for them.
Nevertheless, Moses was God’s chosen leader and regardless of how much or often they grumbled Moses’ job was to remain steadfast in God and follow His directions. Moses had trusted God and His instructions up to this point so why stop now as this lesson points out that partial obedience is equal to disobedience as Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to the rock as instructed by God. His disobedience prevented him from entering the Promised Land. What a price to pay for partial obedience?
The lessons learned are:
a. God is too wise to make a mistake and His provisional care surrounds us. If God brings you to a situation He surely will bring you through the situation. Stop complaining and begin to praise God. “As praises go up blessings come down.”
b. Always have a heart of thankfulness for what God has already done and continues to do in the life of all humanity and especially His children. Are you thankful for what God has done in your life?
c. Obey God and His leaders in spite of what we as laity think or feel how things should be or go.
d. Disobedience carries negative results.
e. Leaders are to obey all of God’s instructions regardless of how loud or frequent complaints get. Trust God at all times as it give rise to His sovereignty for He is trustworthy.
f. God speaks to His leaders and His leaders are held to a higher standard of accountability.
Obedience carries positive results---disobedience carries negative results. Which do you chose?
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