Ungrateful Brethren Who Died in the Wilderness / August 2008

Backstabbers, Backbiters, Bullies, Cowards, Critics, Defamers, Gripers, Grumblers, Faultfinders, Hypocrites, Idolaters, Liars, Malcontents, Perverts, Rabble-Rousers, Scorners, Slanderers, Sourpusses, Complainers, and Other Ungrateful Brethren Who Died in the Wilderness

Contents

• Backstabbers, Backbiters, Bullies, Cowards, Critics, Defamers, Gripers, Grumblers, Faultfinders, Hypocrites, Idolaters, Liars, Malcontents, Perverts, Rabble-Rousers, Scorners, Slanderers, Sourpusses, Complainers, and Other Ungrateful Brethren Who Died in the Wilderness
• Craving the Wrong Things
• Idolatry and Immorality
• Testing the Lord
• Grumbling

At the Passover Seder, it is traditional to sing a song entitled Dayeinu. It means “It is enough!” We sing it because we are trying to remember our ancestors who left Egypt after the Passover, who were not thankful despite the many actions of God for their (and our) benefit. The song verses actually say, “It is enough that the Lord …” It is actually a song that teaches us not to complain about each other or against God.

The book of Numbers (Bamidbar - In the Wilderness) is the primary text that tells us how the children of Israel did not transition well from slaves to free men. Instead of rejoicing in their freedom and deliverance, they complained. Their complaints resulted in rebellion and contempt for the Lord. The Apostle Paul tells us the lessons from the wilderness are instructions for us, particularly at the end of the ages (the last generation).

Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness. Now these things happened as examples for us, that we should not crave evil things, as they also craved. And do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play.” Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

I Corinthians 10:5-12

Before we examine the lesson Paul is referring to, we need to address a reality about us. You are going to discover that all of their mistakes began with something common among us all – it started with complaints. So, let us define what complaining really is so the lesson of our ancestors sinks into our reality.

A complaint is a question that is not asked. A complaint is an expression of contempt for the situation you are in, others around you, and the God you serve. A complaint is the voice of a coward who is afraid of the solution. A complaint is verbal poison given to your friends to make them as sick as you are. A complaint has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit. Therefore, when a believer is complaining, he is not speaking by the Holy Spirit but from his or her own fleshly lusts. With this definition in mind, let us now examine the examples of our ancestors.

Craving the Wrong Things

The children of Israel were in the wilderness. By simple definition, the wilderness is not a place where water or food is easily accessible. It is not a comfortable place to camp. The real benefit here was it was no longer Egypt. At least they were free and not in Egypt. There is an important principle here. If you are leaving Egypt, you must go through some wilderness to get to the Promised Land. There is no plan of God to go directly from Egypt to the Promised Land. The plan is to go through some wilderness first.

You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.

Deuteronomy 8:2

As a side bar for a moment, there is no imminent rapture of the saints where you go from mortal to the kingdom. The plan of God is the same as He did for Israel leaving Egypt. We do not take the shortcut–the rapture–by way of the Philistines (see Exodus 13:17); instead, we escape through the wilderness (the Great Tribulation) before entering the kingdom.

Just as our ancestors should not have complained about the wilderness–it was the path to freedom–so believers should not be afraid nor complain of the Great Tribulation–it is our path to freedom.

God was providing the needs of the people. They had manna, the bread of heaven, and an adequate supply of water for themselves and their flocks. However, their greedy desires rose up to cause trouble for the whole camp.

And the rabble who were among them had greedy desires; and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna.”

Numbers 11:4-6

Some Bible commentators have tried to identify who the rabble were among the camp. Jewish commentators has suggested that the aliens and sojourners–the non-natives–were the rabble who swept the “sons of Israel” away with them in their mistake. I mention this because one of the surest signs of true complainers is their ability to find fault with others and not take responsibility for themselves. I believe the rabble (who were both native and alien) were people who liked to complain. And one of the first things that a true complainer likes to complain about is the food he or she eats.

In my youth, before I left home to join the Navy, my family didn’t have an abundance of food. We didn’t starve but we sometimes did not have enough. A simple hamburger and french fries from a restaurant was a delightful feast. There was nothing common nor daily about eating from any restaurant in my family. Instead, my daily food source was bread, hamburger, potatoes, and beans. Milk was for the babies. Fresh vegetables came from a garden that we grew and fruit was canned from other family members. Because we were hungry, all foods we ate were good and we ate them thankfully. Thanksgiving was the only meal where we could expect a second or third helping of food at the same meal. I only remember once that I complained about the food we ate. It was during one summer that was particularly difficult, and we had only potato soup or pancakes to eat for every meal for several months. I remember my mother crying to herself when I asked why we couldn’t eat something different. I thought I had hurt her somehow and apologized. Therefore, it was shock to me when I went to Navy boot camp and saw all of the food I could eat, but heard many complaining about the food. Quite honestly, I could not understand what they were complaining about. There was a complete variety of foods, and they let you take all you wanted if you would only eat it. I was happy to eat it and I did eat it. When I left home to join the Navy I was 5'-7" and weighed 141 lbs. Two years later, eating Navy chow, I was 5' - 11" and weighed 215 lbs (and I was in shape).

I share this personal story to contrast a person’s circumstances to the nature of the complaint. There was nothing wrong with the food; the complaint originated strictly within the heart of the complainer. The food was the excuse for the complaint. This was the problem with the rabble in the wilderness. There was nothing wrong with the manna; the complaint was in the greedy desires of the rabble. God knew this as well and judged the people accordingly.

Now Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, each man at the doorway of his tent; and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly, and Moses was displeased.

Numbers 11:10

How, then, do we handle complaints? The only way a complaint can be addressed and resolved is to get the complainer to transform his complaint into a question. When you ask a question, you have something to work with – a request. A complaint can never be satisfied; a question can be. The answer to the question (the supply to the request) becomes the solution to the problem. What was the question that the rabble should have asked instead of complaining? Moses asked it for them.

Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, “Give us meat that we may eat!”

Numbers 11:13

Apparently, the people wanted an additional menu item with the manna. They recounted the foods they used to have in Egypt, such as fish, melons, leeks, and garlic. They didn’t want the manna necessarily to go away. They just wanted it all – what they had in the past and what they could also get from God. But there was a subtle twist in their reference to the food of Egypt.

“We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt,…” This is a false statement!

They paid for the free fish with their slavery. The cost of their free fish was more than they could bear. That is the reason they wanted to go to the promised land, a land flowing with milk and honey. Had they not cried out to God for deliverance? So, what is really being said here? What is this really about?

Complainers distort the circumstances of their situation. Sometimes, they forget or ignore key facts altogether. They slant their complaint by overstating or understating the key facts. In this case, the fish was free (an overstatement) and the manna depressed their appetites (an understatement). Just for the record, an appetite is increased by lack of food, not by the faithful supply of it, so the manna did not cause the lack of appetite other than it wasn’t satisfying their taste. This distortion of the facts is what usually produces arguments with the complainer. Therefore, one of the keys to dealing with complainers is to not get sucked into an argument because of their overstatements or understatements. Complainers start arguments by distorting the facts.

What was the real question? It had something to do with wanting meat. But wait, they already had meat, didn’t they? They had brought their flocks with them. Besides that, they were traveling near the shore of the Red Sea, which is full of fish. If they really wanted the fish again, they could have put together a fishing party. And as for the meat, they could have taken some of their flock and slaughtered them for a meal of meat.

It turns out that their hearts truly were greedy. They just wanted more and they were going to force God and Moses to give it to them by exerting pressure through their complaints. This is why complainers like to involve other people. They know that their simple preference for something is not enough to change a situation. But if you can get enough people to complain, to the point that it becomes a problem, then something has to be done about it. Is that how serving God works? Is that how the Holy Spirit leads us and guides us to the truth, by complaining until there is a real problem? No, that is not how God leads us by His Spirit, but the people play this game to get what they want. This is nothing more than simple tactics. Sometimes, it works with men, but God was not, and is not, moved by these tactics. So, the Lord instructed Moses accordingly.

And say to the people, “Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the ears of the Lord, saying, ‘Oh that someone would give us meat to eat! For we were well-off in Egypt.’ Therefore the Lord will give you meat and you shall eat. You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you; because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before Him, saying, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’” But Moses said, “The people, among whom I am, are 600,000 on foot; yet Thou hast said, ‘I will give them meat in order that they may eat for a whole month.’ Should flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to be sufficient for them? Or should all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be sufficient for them?” And the Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord's power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not.”

Numbers 11:18-23

It turns out that the Lord transformed their complaint into a simple request for meat. This gave the Lord the latitude to brings birds (quail) to them, so they could eat meat. They don’t have to go fishing, they don’t have to eat any of their flocks, they get to eat meat brought by God right to their camps. There was a problem though. God knew who the complainers were and He knew they would be the first to eat. The end result of their greedy lusts was judgment from the meat.

While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very severe plague.

Numbers 11:33

This is what God thinks of people who complain about food from heaven. By the way, Yeshua is compared to a bread that, if you eat it you will not be hungry again. He is called the True Bread from Heaven. If we complain about Him and say we are dissatisfied with Him, what will be our outcome?

Idolatry and Immorality

Complaints also lead to even bigger sins than just ungratefulness, such as idolatry and immorality. The first time this happened in the camp was while Moses was on the mountain for forty days receiving the first set of tablets and the Torah.

Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”

Exodus 32:1

This has always sounded bizarre to me. Our ancestors saw the ten judgments upon Egypt. They crossed the Red Sea and saw Pharaoh’s armies drowned. They went to the mountain and heard God’s voice. They committed to the Lord that whatever the Lord said they would do. Moses goes up the same mountain. It has been a little more than a month. The people forget and fall into IDOLATRY at the first complaint of having to be patient.

Complainers are not patient people. They have short attention spans and even shorter memories.

According to the traditional teaching, it was only about 3,000 persons that complained and led 3,000,000 people to sin. When the complaint was first issued and they called for the making of an idol, one man stood against them without hesitation. That man’s name was Hur. He used to work with Aaron and Moses. Hur, according to the tradition, was summarily murdered before Aaron causing him to yield immediately to the demands of the 3,000. Aaron formed the golden calf from their gold earrings and jewelry, announcing a festival for the worship of the golden calf.

So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it, and have sacrificed to it, and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’” And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people.”

Exodus 32:6-9

Bizarre just doesn’t seem to explain how the 3,000 could make such a mistake. There is no way how you can justify that a golden calf made the day before could get them out of Egypt more than three months before. You will note that the idolatry immediately led to sexual immorality. They rose up to play. This incident happened early in the journey through the wilderness. The children of Israel repeated a similar sin toward the end of the wilderness experience when they faced off against Balaam, Balak, and the Midianite kings. Despite Balak’s offer of money, Balaam was unable to curse the children of Israel, but he did give counsel how to really hurt them. He encouraged Balak to send his people’s daughters down to the edge of the camp and invite Israel to their feasts and seduce them into comingling.

While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry against Israel.

Numbers 25:1-3

Now, it doesn’t directly express any complaints on the part of the children of Israel, but it clearly explains that idolatry and immorality were present. It is later that we hear about someone in Israel who had a complaint against Moses and the leadership.

Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting. When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand; and he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked.

Numbers 25:6-8

The word had gone out from Moses and the leadership that Israel was to not participate with the Midianites in their activities. But a certain man, someone in leadership, came with a Midianite woman into the camp, defiantly before Moses and his own family. Not only was he defiant, but he was also perverse by boldly taking the woman into his tent to have sexual relations with her with everyone’s knowledge. This is when Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, acted boldly and took a spear and impaled both them together in the act.

This is a difficult passage for some. Phinehas’ decisive action is specifically cited and rewarded by God. The Bible does not go into the details but we must conclude that the man was so over the top in his disdain of God and the leadership of Moses that he decided that he had the right in and of himself to counter the whole nation of Israel. This illustrates that disobedience is acting out a complaint.

Complainers think they are right in and of themselves. They have their own definition for the truth. Complainers do not care about others when it comes to the consequences of their complaining. Their right is their might. This is when they cloak their complaints with their own self-righteousness and personal selfishness. At the extreme level, their defiance is offensive to everything and everyone.

Now the name of the slain man of Israel who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father's household among the Simeonites. And the name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was head of the people of a father's household in Midian.

Numbers 25:14-15

The Bible doesn’t mention everyone’s names in every situation. In this one, the names are specfically given so there will be a clear record of the misbehavior. Obviously, Zimri not only fell into Balaam’s deception, being short-sighted as to the consequences, he then coupled it with his own complaints against the Lord and Moses, serving as a leader among those who fraternized with the Midianite women.

Some complainers will cite their personal resumé, in this case their fathers’ reputations, believing that it makes their complaint have more substance or their behavior have more credibility.

Testing the Lord

The goal of the exodus was for Israel to leave Egypt, go to the mountain to meet the Lord, and ultimately go to the promised land. Everyone knew this. There was no one in the camp who didn’t understand these goals. How, then, could it be possible that the children of Israel left Egypt, went to the mountain, and yet balked and refused to go into the Promised Land?

The story of the ten spies is a good example of trying to be smarter than God. Moses and the leadership thought it was a good idea to send twelve spies into the Promised Land. What will they be facing? Where are the roads and routes to various things? How good is the land? These are natural questions to ask and some maps would have been helpful. However, ten of the spies returned and were fearful, and they complained by giving a bad report. This caused the people to lose faith in God and reject the very promised land they had hoped for.

But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.” So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size. There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

Numbers 13:31-33

One of the most common reasons why a person or people will complain is because of their personal fear of something. Rather than addressing that fear openly and just stating the facts, they hide their fear and turn on others to put the fear on them. In this way, they are not alone in their fear; everyone else is afraid as well. This is the case of the ten spies. Look at the results.

Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! And why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”

Numbers 14:1-4

Complainers are not afraid to complain even about good things, especially when they are afraid. In this case, cowards and complainers go hand in hand. Cowards are so cowardly that they even pronounce judgments upon themselves. Cowards are dangerous. They demoralize the rest, even better than the enemy can do.

It is at this point that God questions the wisdom of giving signs to people who will not believe.

And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst?”

Numbers 14:11

Complainers are not believers and they are not afraid to even offend God. God has His limit to how much complaining He will tolerate. This is called Testing the Lord.

Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs, which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it.

Numbers 14:22-23

Testing the Lord can cost you your ticket to the Promised Land. Let’s examine another type of testing the Lord. The story of Korah’s rebellion is actually a combination of conflicts. First, Korah, of the tribe of Levi, thought that he was more qualified than Aaron to be High Priest. Secondly, Dathan and Abiram, men of the tribe of Reuben, thought they should have a more significant role in leadership since Reuben was the first-born of Jacob. These complainers share their contempt for Moses, God’s anointed. When you are contemptuous of God’s leadership, you are in fact, contemptuous toward God.

Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took action, and they rose up before Moses, together with some of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, chosen in the assembly, men of renown. And they assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?”

Numbers 16:1-3

Complainers love to join force with other complainers, even though they don’t share the same complaints. They think that if others are complaining that it somehow validates their complaint as well. Moses was wise enough to discern the difference in their complaints, first addressing Korah.

Then Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi, is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them; and that He has brought you near, Korah, and all your brothers, sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking for the priesthood also? Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the Lord; but as for Aaron, who is he that you grumble against him?”

Numbers 16:8-9

Korah was really seeking Aaron’s job as High Priest. He probably thought that his 250 princes with him would make a good priesthood, serving him as well. He was convinced that he could do a better job, so he came challenging Moses for the job.

Most complainers who complain about leaders are not prepared to take on the job. I have had the experience of being complained to by some brethren, giving them increased responsibility, and watching them fail miserably. Maybe they shouldn’t have complained to begin with. Moses put these men to the test as well. He instructed them to bring their firepans and their staffs before the altar. The idea was to let the Lord show whom He would choose as leaders of the people. However, the men from Reuben would not even cooperate with this.

Then Moses sent a summons to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; but they said, “We will not come up. Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, but you would also Lord it over us? Indeed, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor have you given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Would you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!”

Numbers 16:12-14

Have you ever had someone complain about you but wouldn’t even meet with you or talk with you? This was the case with Moses; Moses was forced to go to their tents. God’s judgment then fell upon all of these men. They were buried alive.

You would think that the matter would be closed. But it wasn’t. Korah and the others who rebelled were judged, but complaints that are mixed with contempt do not die so quickly. They are contagious, moving at the speed of rumors. They turn into false accusations and many are caught up in it. The Scripture account continues.

But on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You are the ones who have caused the death of the Lord's people.” It came about, however, when the congregation had assembled against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tent of meeting, and behold, the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared.

Numbers 16:41-42

God had already warned the people that if they ever approach Him in a contemptuous manner they would die. In their zeal to accuse Moses for the deaths of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, they accused him of somehow causing God to judge them.

Moses immediately instructed Aaron to quickly fill his censor with incense, ignite it with the fire from the altar and get between God’s judgment and the people.

Then Aaron took it as Moses had spoken, and ran into the midst of the assembly, for behold, the plague had begun among the people. So he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. And he took his stand between the dead and the living, so that the plague was checked. But those who died by the plague were 14,700, besides those who died on account of Korah.

Numbers 16:47-49

Many believers, sadly, have experienced the splitting of brethren in an assembly before. One time is too much. It begins with complaints, it is mixed with contempt, and accusations follow. Then hardness of the heart comes and the people suffer because of the separation. Some even die because of the separation. I have personally experienced too much of this kind of behavior and we, the brethren of the Lord, can never seem to learn the lessons of rebellion and what it does in the fellowship. God instructed Moses to keep the staff of Aaron with the temple furnishings to remind every generation not to test the Lord.

But the Lord said to Moses, “Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put an end to their grumblings against Me, so that they should not die.”

Numbers 17:10

There came a time when even Moses and Aaron, the leaders, made mistakes at the waters of Meribah.

And there was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves against Moses and Aaron. The people thus contended with Moses and spoke, saying, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord! Why then have you brought the Lord's assembly into this wilderness, for us and our beasts to die here? And why have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us in to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink.” Then Moses and Aaron came in from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting, and fell on their faces. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to them;

Numbers 20:2-6

Although this sounds similar to past complaints, this is another incident that happened in the wilderness. Another complaint against Moses, more contempt, more dissatisfaction, and frustration. By the way, God says that we are not permitted to test Him, but He has the right to test us. God purposely tested the people with the lack of water to teach them a very important lesson. This lesson is so important that it is a central teaching about the Messiah. God wanted Moses to show the people how they can ask for the living waters themselves. So, He instructed Moses accordingly.

“Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink.” So Moses took the rod from before the Lord, just as He had commanded him; and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, “Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?” Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank.

Numbers 17:8-11

What went wrong? Moses was told to speak to the rock; instead, he struck the rock. This was a huge mistake. To this day, many men are confused about God’s free gift of life, believing that they need the staff of Moses to get it. Moses and Aaron were not permitted to enter the promised land as a result. They didn’t believe the Lord because their judgment was clouded by their frustrations with the people.

But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” Those were the waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel contended with the Lord, and He proved Himself holy among them.

Numbers 17:12-13

Grumbling

Grumbling is low-grade complaining. Grumbling is not necessarily audible words nor complete sentences. Grumbling is like gaseous indigestion. Other people notice it even though the grumbler was not purposely intending it to be heard. Not only do other people notice, but the Lord hears and understands it as well. Here are other specific examples of grumbling that became complaints that others had to deal with.

Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the Lord; and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.

Numbers 11:1

This was the first cited incidence of grumbling and complaining that turned into heartburn. The key phrase is became like those who complain of adversity. There was no real adversity. They started complaining like those who complain about their perceived difficulties. The vast majority of complaints by brethren have no basis in fact for a real complaint. Leaders waste the majority of their time trying to solve “non-problems,” but people think that they have problems, so leaders look busy trying to solve problems that really don’t exist. By the way, there is no solution to non-problems. Grumbling and complaining cannot be solved. It just wastes everyone’s time and energy.

Sometimes grumbling and complaining gets personal. This was the instance within Moses’ family.

Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); and they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And the Lord heard it.

Numbers 12:1-2

During the exodus in the wilderness, Moses married again, to a Cushite woman. The Cushite woman was believed to be black. Racial bigotry was back then too. Apparently, Miriam was very outspoken on this matter. Despite her objections, Moses married the woman. So Miriam decided to make the conflict personal. She tried to devalue the relationship between God and Moses. “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?”

I have had the experience of many men disagreeing with my theological and eschatological teachings. Many of them don’t deal with it well so they tend to make it personal. I have been called everything in the book by fellow believers. Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes I want to say something back – something just as personal. But the Lord says that bondservants get their justice from their masters, they don’t seek their own justice. Moses had to do this as well, and the Lord did take Miriam to task for her complaints and misbehavior. God described His relationship with Moses, explaining that she did not have the same relationship as him. My critics don’t know how the Lord knows me either. Here is what God said to Miriam.

He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household; with him I speak mouth to mouth, even openly, and not in dark sayings, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant, against Moses?”

Numbers 12:6-8

Complainers love to devalue other good and honorable people. They complain about people they don’t even know or know anything about.

One of the first promises that God gave Abraham was this simple promise. “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.” That promise was given to Abraham’s descendants as well. Whenever, a believer decides to get personal and curse another believer, this promise kicks in. Descendants of Abraham can brings curses on themselves by cursing fellow believers.

Do you remember in the rebellion of Korah how Moses asked them to bring their firepans before the Lord? The firepan is a excellent word picture of fellowship and how complaints travel about the brethren.

And Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company be present before the Lord tomorrow, both you and they along with Aaron. And each of you take his firepan and put incense on it, and each of you bring his censer before the Lord, two hundred and fifty firepans; also you and Aaron shall each bring his firepan.” So they each took his own censer and put fire on it, and laid incense on it; and they stood at the doorway of the tent of meeting, with Moses and Aaron.

Numbers 16:16-18

In ancient days, having fire in your camp and maintaining your fire was a constant task. If you fire went out, you didn’t rub sticks together to get one going. Instead, you got your firepan, a metal container that could hold hot coals in it to transport some fire back to your camp. While you are doing that you would give a daily greeting and pass on any news traveling through the camp. This is how complaints travel as well. Everyone has a perfectly justifiable reason to visit others if you have your firepan with you. You are either there to get some fire or to spread some fire. No one ever goes looking for complaints. Complaints come looking for you. This is what happened with Korah. Korah went about with his firepan spreading his complaints. We call this “firepan fellowship.”

God used these firepans as a reminder of how complaints move about the camp of the brethren. The lesson here is that we should not be spreading complaints.

As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered sheets for a plating of the altar, since they did present them before the Lord and they are holy; and they shall be for a sign to the sons of Israel. So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which the men who were burned had offered; and they hammered them out as a plating for the altar, as a reminder to the sons of Israel that no layman who is not of the descendants of Aaron should come near to burn incense before the Lord; that he might not become like Korah and his company— just as the Lord had spoken to him through Moses.

Numbers 16:38-40

One of the final instances of complaining in the wilderness is also one of the most powerful prophecies of the Messiah.

And the people spoke against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.” And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. So the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and you; intercede with the Lord, that He may remove the serpents from us.” And Moses interceded for the people. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he shall live.” And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.

Numbers 21:5-9

This incident came late in the wilderness experience. Personally, I hate snakes. How people handle snakes is beyond me. There is nothing about snakes that I like. I don’t likes belts or boots made out of snake skins. Complainers are like snakes. They slither around and bite you in the most inopportune ways and times. When God put the judgment of fiery serpents on the people they experienced the effects of lots of complainers. They got a dose of what they do to one another.

Yeshua, as the Messiah, was lifted up like Moses’ staff in the wilderness. By looking on Him, we can be healed and live from the effects of complainers. By the way, did you know that the Devil is the first complainer of God. He has been spreading his complaints like a serpent among us for a long time.

What are we to say about our ancestors in the wilderness? What are the lessons that we should learn? Let’s review:

1. Complainers don’t ask questions that can be answered or solved.
2. Complainers express contempt for everything and everyone around them.
3. Complainers poison others.
4. Complainers are not speaking by the aid of the Holy Spirit.
5. Complainers complain about simple things like food that gives them life.
6. Complainers make people cry.
7. Complainers are a very short distance from idolatry and immoral behavior.
8. Complainers are afraid and afraid to face their fears (they are really cowards).
9. Complainers are envious and spread strife.
10. Complainers are rebellious (they speak against leaders).
11. Complainers overstate and understate the facts (and leave out important information).
12. Complainers spread their complaints through firepan fellowship.
13. Complainers get judged by God.

I think that this generation should take counsel from the ancient teaching of the Passover. We should say, “Enough already! Enough complaining.”

I think we should also remember that those who made it out of Egypt and who received the Torah died in the wilderness and did not make it to the promised land because of their complaining.

Therefore, it is reasonable for us to conclude that when the Great Tribulation begins those who complain about the food, the water, the leadership, the discomfort, the waiting, and whatever else you can think of to complain about will probably die in the Great Tribulation. They will not outlive the tribulation and walk into the kingdom like Joshua and Caleb did.

If you believe that you are an end-time believer and hope to see the coming of the Messiah in power and great glory, then you had better stop complaining. You might consider being grateful, and if you have needs, learn to ask a question. Dayeinu!

YAVOH - He is Coming is a monthly newsletter published as an outreach ministry of Lion and Lamb Ministries.
The ministry is a non-profit organization with an end time prophetic message in a Messianic Jewish context.
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Editor - Monte Judah
Electronic Editor - Ephraim Judah

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