5. Discuss the testing’s in the wilderness, covering the main crisis', and the differences between the consequences of the crises' in Exodus and the crises' in Numbers Flashcards
What are the testings of the wilderness in Exodus
- bitter water
- manna and quail
- lack of water
- battle with the amalekites
what are the crises’ in numbers
- murmuring against the lord
- murmuring about the food
- murmuring of muriam and aaron against moses
- spies and report
- unbelief of the people
- korahs rebellion
- blaming korahs death on moses and aaron. budding of aarons staff.
- lack of water
disuss the bitter water in exodus
-After 3 days the people began to “murmur”
-They find water, and they murmur
-Moses followed the instructions from God and the water turned to sweet water
-God’s people are to listen to him carefully
Here the sweet water is paralleled with the Torah (God’s Law), it will be sweet and satisfy their thirst
discuss the manna and quail in exodus
- The Lord again tests the people to see if they will obey His instructions with regards to the collecting of manna.
- God here is saying he will supply bread to Israel.
discuss the lack of water in exodus
- The first time the water was bitter, now there was NO water.
- God tells Moses to strike the Rock.
- This was a public act, in front of all the people, it was also a test for Moses – obedience
- Israel is credited with “testing” the Lord, or trying his patience.
discuss the battle of the amalakites in exodus
- This is the first time we come across the man Joshua, who is picked to lead the army
- The Amalekites are the descendants of Amalek, Esau’s grandson
- They battle, Moses with his hands in the air, as long as they are there it means victory
discuss the murmuring against the lord in numbers
- We are not told what sparked Israel’s murmuring..but this will set the tone for the rest of the chapter
- Two Enemies that affect our Christian walk are murmuring and disputing ANYTHING
discuss the murmurings against the food in numbers
- It begins with the people’s complaint about manna in the wilderness
- Moses tells God he can’t handle the people’s problems
- He gives Moses help, sends his spirit on 70 elders
- Thus the community will be led by the Spirit of God
- He gives Moses help, sends his spirit on 70 elders
- So God sends quail “until it comes out of their noses”
- strikes them with a plague before they could swallow it.
discuss the murmuring of muriam and aaron in numbers
- Miriam challenges Moses in the choice of a wife and the credibility of Moses’ unique relationship with God
- The Hebrew is “and she spoke, Miriam, and Aaron, against Moses”
- Perhaps this is why she becomes leprous and not Aaron
- It is interesting that Aaron can only ask for mercy from Moses, not God
- The Hebrew is “and she spoke, Miriam, and Aaron, against Moses”
- The formal establishment of a prophet occurred in the connection with the events at Sinai
- At that time the people themselves requested a mediator
- Because they were terrified by the manifestations of God’s presenve on the mountain,, they asked for Moses to go up to the Lord on their behalf.
WHY WOULD THEY OPPOSE MOSES?
- Was he not the instrument used by God to bring Israel out of Egypt?
- The self-centeredness of the human heart explain the oppostiiong to Moses.
- Both pretence and pride play a role in this opposition
- Attitude of “I’m just as good or better than you!”
discuss the spies and report in numbers
- God said; “send men to spy out the land of Canaan”
- 12 men went out and they spent 40 days spying out the land
- they returned and said: “The land was good and fruitful, flowing with milk and honey”
- However, 10 said the land was inhabited by strong people, fortified cities and giants, and that they could not conquer it.
discuss the unbelief of the people in numbers
- murmuring broke out into open rebellion against Moses and Aaron (14:4)
- they opted fro new leadership to take them back to Egypt
- scripture states that they failed to believe in God (Num 14:11)
- Moses interceded for the people (Moses has reasons. We should make sure we have reasons why God should be gracious before we ask)
- God didn’t destroy the people, but He closed off the land. Until the 1st generation dies.
- they missed God’s high destiny and settled for second best
- the ten spies were killed by plague and died before the Lord (14:37)
- the people now decided they would now go in and take the land (Num 14:44)
- This is another sign of their disobedience
- God said you will not go into the land. They went and tried to go into the land, but they all died.
discuss korahs rebellion in numbers
Korah is a levite who was part of the tribe who was put in charge of caring the most sacred parts of the tabernacle. He wanted more power, and rose up with many other leaders against Moses and Aaron. Thought that all the people should have more power. They didn’t want to follow all the laws anymore.
God wants to destroy them, Moses intercedes. Korah and the other 2 main leaders stand in front of their tents and Moses says that they would get swallowed up by the earth if they were stepping out of line from God’s leaders that He put in place. They did.
discuss the blaming of korahs death on aaron and moses and the budding of aarons staff in numbers
The people rebel again. They blame Aaron and Moses for Korah’s destruction. They go after the priesthood. Moses gets them to all come together and put their staffs together. The one that buds is the person God picks to be the priesthood. Aarons’ staff buds. The other people are consumed by the flames.
discuss the lack of water in numbers
-people murmur against God. God tells Moses to speak to the rock. Moses strikes the rock instead and speaks to the people saying must we, instead of must God deal with you people, providing for your needs all the time, you always complain. Moses is not allowed to go into the promised land anymore. He has disobeyed too many times. God was testing Moses again. God claims Moses did not trust him.
Lack of water and complaining about mana again.
God sends serpents into the camp that are poisonous. God does not take them away when they repent, but tells Moses to make a bronze snake at to set it on a pole in the middle of the camp. When they are bitten they are to look at it to not die from the snake bites.
Nobody died from the Exodus Crisis’. No consequences for murmuring. In Numbers there is. More or less just when they came against the leadership that God put into place. Wanted to control their own lives, not let God control their lives.
