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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
NUMBERS 11
LESSON #12
THE NATURE OF THE GRUMBLE-ERS AND THE TAG-ERS
v MEMORY VERSE: PHIL 4:6
v THIS CHAPTER BEGINS THE MARCH FROM SINAI TO KADESH.WE WILL SEE THAT AS SOON AS THERE WERE PROBLEMS, THE PEOPLE BEGAN TO MURMER AND COMPLAIN.HUMANLY SPEAKING, WE THINK THAT COMPLAINING IS NOT A BIG DEAL. EVERYBODY DOES IT. HOWEVER,IT IS A SERIOUS THING TO GOD. WE WILL LEARN THAT THERE ARE VERY SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES TO ANEGATIVE ATTITUDE AND TO COMPLAINING.
v READ NUM 11:1-6
Ø WHY WAS GOD SO ANGRY WITH THE PEOPLE?
§ A FAILURE TO THANK GOD FORWHAT HE HAS DONE LEADS TO A NEGATIVE ATTITUDE.
· WE MUST THANK GOD WITH A GRATEFULHEART TO MAINTAIN OUR FAITH IN HIM AND OUR DEPENDENCE UPON HIM. (2COR 2:14 1THES 5:18 HEB13:15-16)
§ A NEGATIVE ATTITUDE LEADSTO PRIDE.
· THE ATTITUDE IS:
¨ WE CAN SURVIVE ALONE WITHOUT GOD!
¨ WE KNOW WHAT IS BEST FOR US!
§ PRIDE LEADS PEOPLE BACKINTO WORLDLINESS, SLAVERY, AND BONDAGE.
· WHO WERE THE COMPLAINERS? (4)
¨ THE MIXED MULTITUDE THAT FOLLOWED THEISREALITES FROM EGYPT.
Ø THESE WERE PEOPLE FROM MIXED MARRIAGESBETWEEN EGYPTIANS AND ISRAELITES FOR SEVERAL GENERATIONS. THEY DID NOT KEEP THEIRGENEALOGIES AND DID NOT KNOW TO WHICH TRIBE THEY BELONGED. THEY HAD SOME RELATIVES BACK INEGYPT AND SOME AMONG THE ISREALITES.
§ IN OTHER WORDS THEY ARELIKE MANY PEOPLE TODAY WHO TRY TO HAVE ONE FOOT IN THE CHURCH AND ONE FOOT IN THE WORLD.THEY ARE NOT COMMITTED CHRISTIANS, BUT THEY WANT SOME OF THE BENEFITS BEING ASSOCIATEDWITH A CHURCH.
· SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY THISMIXED MULTITUDE WANTED TO LEAVE EGYPT, BUTTHEY DID NOT BELIEVE IN GOD OR IN MOSES LEADERSHIP.
Ø REMEMBER AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR STUDY INNUMBERS, I TOLD YOU WE WOULD SEE VARIOUS TYPES OF PEOPLE THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY IN CHURCHESTODAY.
§ THE MOVE-ERS
§ THE TAG-ERS
§ THE FRINGE-ERS
§ THE GRUMBLE-ERS
· FROM NUMBERS CHAPTERS 1-10 WEHAVE TALKED ABOUT THE MOVE-ERS IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HOW TO BE ONE. THESEARE THE PEOPLE WHO MOVE THINGS TOWARD PROGRESS IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. THEY ARE THEFAITHFUL WHO TRUST GOD AND FOLLOW HIS LEADING.
· NOW WE WILL SEE SOME OF THESEOTHER TYPES OF PEOPLE AMONGTHE PEOPLE OF GOD.
¨ IN THIS CHAPTER IT TALKS ABOUT THE FRINGE-ERS(THE MIXED MULTITUDE). THESE ARE THE PEOPLE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE GROUP WHO COME AND GO.THEY NEVER WANT TO COMMIT THEMSELVES. THEY ARE CONTENT WITH GETTING A FEW BENEFITS, BUTTHEY DO NOT WANT TO GIVE UP ANYTHING. THEY HAVE NO PERSONAL IDENTIFYING RELATIONSHIP WITHGOD.
Ø AMONG THIS GROUP OF FRINGE-ERS(THE MIXED MULTITUDE) WAS A SMALL GROUP OF GRUMBLE-ERS. THEY HAD NO AUTHORITY.THEY HAD NO IDENTITY WITH GOD, BUT THEY WANTED TO CONTROL THE DECISIONS OF THE GROUP. IFTHEIR IDEAS AND DECISIONS WERE WRONG, THEY WOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE THEY HAD NOAUTHORITY. BECAUSE THEY HAD NO IDENTITY WITH GOD, THEIR WISDOM CAME MOSTLY FROM WORLDLYEXPERIENCE AND FLESHLY DESIRES AND NOT FROM GODS DIRECTION.
§ MOST OF THE COMPLAINERS INCHURCHES TODAY ARE OF THIS TYPE OF PEOPLE. SOMETIMES THEY ARE NEW IN THE CHURCH AND WANTTO SUDDENLY CHANGE EVERYTHING. IF THE GROUP FOLLOWS THEM, AND THINGS DONT WORK OUTSUCCESSFULLY, THEY ARE THE FIRST TO LEAVE FOR ANOTHER CHURCH. THEY LIKE THE SOCIAL CHURCHDINNERS, BUT THEY DO NOT LIKE THE BIBLE STUDIES. THEY DONT WANT TO MARCH THROUGHLIFE CLOSE TO THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN THE FRONT LINES. HOWEVER, THEY ARE CONTENT TO BE ASFAR FROM GOD AS POSSIBLE AND STILL BE CONSIDERED A CHRISTIAN.
§ WHAT DID THE GRUMBLE-ERSWANT?
· FISH, CUCUMBERS, MELONS, LEEKS,ONIONS, GARLIC.
¨ THESE ARE ALL GOOD FOODS, WHICH ARE PART OF ANORMAL DIET. WHAT IS IT THAT IS SO IMPORTANT ABOUT THESE THINGS?
¨ NOTICE THAT EVERYTHING THEY MISSED, EXCEPTFISH, IS AN INCIDENTAL SIDE DISH. NONE OF THESE THINGS IS A BASIC ESSENTIAL TO ANY DIET.THE FISH IS MENTIONED BECAUSE THEY ARE IN A PLACE WHERE THERE ARE NO RIVERS OR LAKES.THEREFORE, THEY ARE DISCONTENT WITH THEIR LOCATION. WHEN THEY WERE IN EGYPT, THEY PROBABLYCOMPLAINED ABOUT THE OVER ABUNDANCE OF FISH.
§ WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MIXEDMULTITUDE GRUMBLE-ERS?
· GOD SENT A FIRE TO CONSUME SOMEOF THEM. (NUM 11:1-2)
¨ HEB 12:29 SAYS THAT OUR GOD IS A CONSUMINGFIRE. THIS IS THE JUDGMENT THAT WILL COME ON THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPWITH JESUS CHRIST. REMEMBER THE MIXED MULTITUDE FRINGE-ERS HAD NO IDENTIFYINGRELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
v READ NUM 11:7-9
Ø WHAT EFFECT DID THE COMPLAINING HAVE ON THETRIBES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL?
§ GRUMBLE-ERS AREINFECTIOUS. THEY INFECT A GROUP CALLED THE TAG-ERS. REMEMBER THAT THE TAG-ERSARE THOSE ISRAELITES IN THE 12 TRIBES THAT JUST FOLLOWED THE CROWD AND WHAT WAS HAPPENINGAT THE MOMENT. THEY HAD AN INDENTIFYING RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, BUT THEY WERE NOTPERSONALLY SEEKING GODS GUIDANCE.
· WHEN YOU DO NOT SEEK GODSGUIDANCE PERSONALLY, YOU ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO SPIRITUAL INFECTION FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES.
¨ THESE TAG-ERS GRADUALLY BECAMEDISSATISFIED WITH THE MANNA GOD PROVIDED FOR THEM.
Ø WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE MANNA?
§ IT WAS PERSONALLY SUPPLIEDBY GOD 6 DAYS OF EVERY WEEK FOR 40 YEARS.
§ IT WOULD SPOIL IF NOT EATENIN ONE DAY DURING THE WEEK AND IN 2 DAYS OVER THE SABBATH.
§ IT HAD A SWEET, FRESH TASTEAND A PALE YELLOW COLOR.
§ IT WAS NUTRITIOUS ENOUGH TOPROVIDE EVERYTHING MAN NEEDED TO SURVIVE.
§ IT WAS VERY ADAPTABLE TOVARIOUS METHODS OF COOKING. (NUM 11:7-9)
· NOTICE THAT THEY BECAME SODISSATISFIED WITH THE MANNA THAT THEY TRIED TO CHANGE IT BY COOKING IT IN DIFFERENT WAYS.IT REMINDS ME OF A COOK BOOK I HAD CALLED, 101 WAYS TO COOK HAMBURGER AND THENTHE COMMERCIAL CAME OUT THAT SAID, ARE YOU TIRED OF HAMBURER? TRY HAMBURGERHELPER!
¨ HOWEVER, THERE WAS ONE THING I NOTICED INTRYING THE 101 WAYS TO COOK HAMBURGER. IT WAS STILL HAMBURGER! THESE PEOPLE DISCOVERDTHAT, TOO. NO MATTER HOW HARD THEY TRIED TO CHANGE AND DISGUISE THE MANNA, IT WAS STILLMANNA.
¨ READ PSA 78:21-41
Ø THE MANNA REPRESENTS JESUS CHRIST AND THEWORD OF GOD.
§ READ JOH 6:30-35
§ READ MAT 4:4 REV 19:13
§ JOHN 1:1,14
· THESE VERSES TELLS US THAT THEETERNAL NAME OF JESUS CHRIST IS THEWORD OF GOD AND WE CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT HIM.
§ WHILE THE WORD OF GOD ISPRIMARILY JESUS CHRIST, HIS TRUTH IS EMBODIED IN THE SCRIPTURES OF THE BIBLE THAT WE CALL,THE WORD OF GOD.
· THE BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRISTCANNOT LIVE WITHOUT THE SCRIPTURES.
¨ JUST LIKE THE TAG-ERS WHO TRIED TO CHANGE THEMANNA, THERE ARE THOSE WHO DO THE SAME TO THE SCRIPTURES. THEY CHOP IT UP, CHANGE IT, ANDAVOID CERTAIN PARTS, BUT GOD SAYS THAT HIS WORD WILL NOT GO OUT VOID BUT WILL ACCOMPLISHALL THAT IT IS MEANT TO DO. (ISA 55:11)
v DISCUSSION:
Ø WHAT ARE SOME SPECIFIC WAYS IN WHICHCHRISTIANS SHOW THE SAME ATTITUDES ABOUT CHRIST AND HIS WORD THAT THE ISRAELITES HAD ABOUTTHE MANNA?
Ø WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE REMEDY FOR SUCH ANATTITUDE?
Ø HOW CAN THE FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN AVOID BEINGINFECTED BY THE GRUMBLE-ERS?
v HOMEWORK
v NUMBERS11 — continued
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY.PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER.
v READ NUMBERS 11 AGAIN.
v MEMORY VERSE: 1COR 10:10
