1.We read in Numbers 11 where the people complained about their situation to the point of suggesting Egypt would be better than where they were. We also see in the Torah portion what G-d’s attitude was on complaining. What happens to us when we complain and criticize? Does it change how we see the world, people, even G-d? Can you think of verses that speak to us about this habit?
They had fish to eat, cucumbers, melons, leeks and garlic but they were forgetting the fact they were slaves! How easy it is to forget what G-d has done for us.
We also see in this Torah portion G-d’s attitude about complaining. He dealt swiftly with the complainers by striking them with a plague. As humans, we are prone to complain and if we are not careful that can be how we live and look at our world. However, as people of faith, we must rise above the natural human response to complain and criticize. Every day our lives are filled with both good things and things that try us. The choice is ours on which we major. If we choose to see each day as filled with bad things and even bad people we end up living in an ugly world where everything goes wrong all the time and everyone we know is less than us. This outlook can cause us a number of problems, both physically and spiritually. In the Messianic writings we see many verses that speak to us about how we live.
Phil 2:14, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing.”
Scripture gives us a list of things we should meditate on.
Phil 4:8, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Complaining is a form of evil speech. (lashon hara) It has evil results in our lives and in the lives of others.
Romans 8:28, “ And we know that in all things G-d works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
If we truly believe we know G-d is in charge and is working all things out for good. We look at each day as a day G-d has made.
Psalms 118:24, “This is the day the L-RD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
We can focus on G-d’s goodness, mercy and grace. Focus on what G-d has done for us and how much He loves us, even when our flesh is tempted to complain and grumble or gossip. Strive to be as the men who missed Passover but did not give up. They looked to G-d who comforted them and provided a way.
2.When Moses heard of the people continuing to complain in Numbers 11:10-15 what was his reaction? Later, in Numbers 12:13 what was Moses’ reaction when his brother and sister were talking badly about him? This was a personal attack by family members. Why do you think Moses reacted differently in this instance?
Up util now, we have seen Moses as a strong, great man of G-d. He was the one who stood up to Pharaoh and even in Exodus 32:32 challenged G-d. This is the public Moses. Like us, it was that external picture that the world saw every day.
However, in Numbers 11:4-5 and again in Numbers 11:10 we see one complaint too many for Moses. Then in Numbers 11:16-17 we find G-d’s answer to Moses. He is able to see that he is not along but he has men to help him. He no longer was carrying the entire burden of leadership alone. Even more importantly he was reminded that G-d was still with him and had not left him.
But what happened the next time he was confronted with disappointment? Did he fall back into despair? In Numbers 12:1-3 we see the cruelest blow of all. Moses’ own brother and sister talked about him, no, the gossiped about his wife. Those closest to us can hurt us the most and here we see Moses rise above the hurt of his sibling’s gossip. In fact, in verse 12:3 we read, “Now Moses was very humble, more so than any other man on the face of the earth.” Numbers 12:13 gives us Moses’ response. “So Moses cried out to the L-rd saying Please heal her, O G-d I pray.”
How did this change happen? He went from, “Kill me now” to the quiet confidence that G-d was with him. He did not need to defend himself. If we look back to his rant to the Father he used all the personal pronouns, I, me, and myself. He saw the Israelites behavior as a challenge to him instead a challenge to G-d. G-d had to remind him. “Is the L-rd’s are too short?” Then his view was changed. He was reminded it was the Father who would carry him. It was the Father who would solve the problems.
G-d allows those things into our life that challenges us so that we might learn to turn to Him, to lean on Him and to trust Him so we may become. Oved Elohim or servants of G-d.
3.This week we read about the men who missed Passover because they were unclean at that appointed time. In the first two verses of Numbers 9, we read where G-d spoke to Moses telling him to prepare the people to keep the appointed time on its proper day. Immediately after these verses we read where a group of men, who were ritually unclean from being in contact with a dead body, came to Moshe and asked if there was not some way they could participate in the celebration of Passover. So why would they make this request when they knew what Torah said about it? Who in the Messianic Scripture could have taken advantage of the second Passover because they were unclean at the first Passover?
Let us look at this situation and examine it closely. First, we understand that these men would have been well aware of the commandments governing Passover. One stipulation was no unclean person could bring a sacrifice into G-d’s presence. These men had been in contact with a dead person and that carried the highest form of uncleanness.
Amazingly, we see Moshe go before G-d with their request and as a result, G-d granted it. These men apparently had been involved in a noble cause, possibly burying someone that had died even though they knew this would exclude them from the celebration of Passover, one of the most holy days of the year. Even more interesting, why would they make this request instead of just missing the celebration for one year. They had a perfectly legitimate reason to be exempt from all the preparations of Passover. They could have gone home, kicked back and taken it easy for a few days.
However, that is not the course they chose. Their response was, “why should we be left out?” I think if we consider this story it should speak to our hearts. Rather than being satisfied with doing the minimum, they wanted to serve G-d to the utmost and that involved being a part of the Passover celebration. They show us that the truly appropriate way to serve G-d is to do so because of Who He is and who He has called us to be. The joy of being His child and serving Him over-rides everything else. To carry out the will of the Creator should be the driving force in our daily life, not to just try and get by. Our love of G-d should cause us to see the day as another opportunity to serve Him and to do His will. We should not settle for the easy way out, for whatever takes the least effort. Our portion is filled with examples of taking the easy way out.
John 19:38-42, “38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Yeshua. Now Joseph was a disciple of Yeshua, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away.39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Yeshua at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.[a]40 Taking Yeshua’s body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41 At the place where Yeshua was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Yeshua there.”
So Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, by caring for the body of the Messiah were rendered unclean. Neither would have been able to partake in the Passover that evening.
Both Joseph and Nicodemus were wealthy men of prestige and influence. They both could have sent servants to take care of the burial of Yeshua so as not to forfeit their own Passover Seder that evening. Instead, they showed their love and devotion by attending to His body personally.
One month later, somewhere in Jerusalem, on the fifteenth day of the second month, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus probably sat down to make their seders. Perhaps they reclined at a table together, lifting cups in remembrance of the Resurrected One.
4.In Numbers 9:8 Moses told the men who had to miss Passover because they were unclean to “stand still, that I may hear what the L-rd will command concerning you.” The verse says “Amdu” which means stand, endure or wait. How hard is this for you – waiting on the L-rd for direction? How hard is it to “stand still” until G-d provides direction? Do you have a personal example of when you waited on the L-rd and He answered? What examples do we have in scripture of “standing or waiting on the L-rd?
Have you ever been told to wait on the L-rd, wait and hear what G-d’s will is for you before acting on some important question or decision you may have before you. Is this easy? We are in an instant gratification world. Everything is going at fast forward. Who has time to wait?
So these men had to “amdu” or wait for as long as it took with no time limit. Most of the examples we read in scripture were met quickly. Here Moshe went to inquire of G-d and in verse 9 G-d answered immediately.
G-d does not always answer according to our time table. In Jeremiah 42 we see a delayed response in G-d’s answer.
Jeremiah 42:1-7 “Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah[a] son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached2 Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray to the L-rd your G-d for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. 3 Pray that the L-rd your G-d will tell us where we should go and what we should do.”
4 “I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will certainly pray to the L-rd your G-d as you have requested; I will tell you everything the L-rd says and will keep nothing back from you.”
5 Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the L-rd be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the L-rd your G-d sends you to tell us. 6 Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the L-rd our G-d, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the L-rd our G-d.” 7 Ten days later the word of the L-rd came to Jeremiah.
Exodus 14:13-14 13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the L-rd will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The L-rd will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
The people waited. They did not act until they knew G-d’s will.
Psalms 27:14, “Wait for the L-rd, Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the L-rd.”
Micah 7:7, “But as for me, I watch in hope for the L-rd, I wait for G-d my Savior; my G-d will hear me.
In the Messianic scriptures we see this principle expressed in
Luke 2:25-26 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the L-rd’s Messiah.
Acts 1:4-6 Yeshua also told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for what G-d had promised.
How does this impact us today? It should call us to wait on the L-rd. When we face uncertainty it is so important to be patient. Even in the small things of life we must be able to say with confidence, as Moses said, “Wait until I hear from the L-rd.”
The encouraging promise for those who wait on the L-rd is found in Isaiah 40:31. “They that wait upon the L-rd shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings of eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.”