In Hebrews chapter 10, believers are warned that it is a fearful thing,
or they're warned about deliberately continuing to sin
and going back to their old life after experiencing God's truth.
And the only thing which is really left for us if we do that is to expect God's judgment.
And in very strong language he says,
How much more severely do you think a person deserves to be punished
who has trampled the Son of God underfoot,
who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that made him holy,
and who has insulted the spirit of grace?
And he concludes chapter 10 of Hebrews by saying,
It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
To deliberately reject the grace of God is to put yourself in a place
where there is nothing else but to expect judgment.
God is no fool.
He knows our hearts.
He knows the deep attitudes that we have towards him and towards his purposes.
We have been shown immense grace in Christ.
He has powerfully overcome our sin.
He has graciously brought us to faith.
He has saved us.
And God has done all that is required to make us safe from his judgment.
So one of the messages of the Bible is very clear.
If you reject salvation in Christ, you must expect his judgment.
And in the words of Hebrews,
It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
When you come to Numbers chapter 11, you read about trouble for the first time.
And God is very angry.
The first 10 chapters flow really smoothly.
Israel's life is built around God.
His presence is in their midst physically, in the center of their camp.
God is with them.
Life revolves around the Lord.
It revolves around his purposes.
The nation moved when the pillar of cloud moved.
The nation camped when the pillar of cloud stopped.
Their desert journey was a journey which was led by God.
And last week, if you were here, you would have seen that his presence was with them.
He led them.
He protected them.
The Israelites were actually set free from having to run their own lives and figure out their careers.
Their lives, present and future, were caught up in the life of God and of his people.
Life was very straightforward.
But in Numbers 11, the problems begin.
And the people of God begin to learn that it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
And there's three complaints.
And two of these complaints come from the people and one of the complaints comes from Moses himself.
So verses 1 and 2, if you're following with me, Numbers 11, where Leslie's just read to us from.
The people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord.
And when he heard them, his anger was aroused.
And then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.
And when the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the Lord and the fire died down.
So they're having a whinge.
They've just gone the first three days of their 40-year journey.
And they're already complaining about it.
We're not told the details.
We know that they haven't got homes.
They're living in tents.
They have to walk a lot.
They eat the same food all the time.
It's almost like, you know, you take the kids on holidays to Queensland.
And they're already asking, how much longer?
Is there anything else to eat?
Haven't you got something else except tiny teddies?
I don't like tiny teddies.
And it's all happened before you've crossed the Hawkesbury River.
Very human.
It happens with adults as well.
I've been in small groups.
Not in this church, of course.
People top one another with stories of difficulty.
So the first dad in his small group, being Father's Day, because we couldn't pick on mums,
you wouldn't believe what last night was like.
Up for two hours with a crying baby.
Second dad, he tops that.
Three hours and a couple of changes of wet bedding and then off to work with the insufferable boss.
So we're really good at whinging and complaining and it gets us going and we relate to one another through it.
But the problem is in verse 1, it says,
The Lord heard and his anger was aroused.
And do you know why?
Because in the end, they are complaining about the circumstances that he is leading them through.
And their perspectives skewed and as they enjoy their little grumble, God gets very angry.
And in three days, they've had 400 years of suffering erased from their memory as though it never happened.
And discontent and dissatisfaction reign supreme.
And God's judgment flares.
Fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.
And again, not a lot of detail,
But fire on the outskirts of a tense city with a million people is a threat to the whole camp.
They thought their problems were bad.
They now know that God's judgment is even worse.
And there's a really interesting response to God's judgment.
Verse 2,
People speak to Moses.
Moses speaks to the Lord.
The judgment passes.
And you see this pattern.
The pattern is the people complain.
They sinned.
God judged.
Moses intercedes.
God saves.
And so the people are saved from God's judgment by the intercessor that God appoints.
And you see something similar throughout the Bible,
But especially perhaps in the book of Judges.
The people forget God.
They sin.
God sends an enemy who oppresses them for a time.
And when the people have suffered enough,
God sends a judge to rescue them and to make them safe.
When believers sin,
When people like us sin,
Sometimes we have to experience a level of pain before we humble ourselves
And ask for our Heavenly Father's mercy.
We try to tough it out.
We persevere in disobedience before yielding to the Lord
And doing what he invites us to do,
Like if we confess our sins.
God is faithful.
And God is just.
And he will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Or Hebrews chapter 8,
Which reminds us that we do have such a high priest
Who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in heaven.
The one that we pray to.
The one who intercedes for our sins in heaven.
Is Jesus himself.
And so I think when you look at this first grumble and how God deals with it,
It's more like parental discipline.
He's a father.
He brings punishment which doesn't harm their persons.
But it does frighten them back to repentance and faith.
The second complaint is much more serious and it's about food.
If you can believe it.
If only we had meat to eat.
Verse 5.
We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt.
No cost.
And also the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, the garlic.
Now we've lost our appetite and we never see anything but this manna.
They've been watching MasterChef on the Arabian Peninsula.
We're sick of this manna.
We want meat.
And it's a grumble against God's miraculous provision of manna.
And worse, this is the worst part.
They remember Egypt.
Their hearts are turned to Egypt and not to God.
They're focused on what they haven't got rather than grateful for what they do have.
And it's a really skewed remembrance.
We had great food and it didn't cost us anything, they say.
It's almost like, you know, you're in the middle of an election campaign
where a whole lot of facts are suddenly erased from collective memory.
They were slaves for 400 years.
They were terribly oppressed.
They were crying out for deliverance.
And verse 10.
Just awful.
This grumble has spread.
Every family is wailing.
And God this time, not just is his anger aroused, he is hot with anger.
And Moses is troubled.
He's discouraged.
He's leading a nation where everybody's attention's on their stomach
and what they're not getting for dinner.
They are totally discontent.
And Moses is standing there and he's feeling the pressure as though this problem is his to fix and it's not.
And God fixes it with this ironic judgment.
You want meat?
I'll give you meat.
Verse 19.
You will eat it not just for one day or two days or five or ten or twenty,
but for a whole month until it comes out your nostrils and you loathe it
because you have rejected the Lord who is among you
and have wailed before him saying,
Why did we ever leave Egypt?
They're hankering back into their old life with all its agonies and distortions.
We do that.
God brings us to new life in Christ and we look back and we see the fun that everybody else seems to be having
and we make a grab for it.
I remember the drug addict on the northern beaches wonderfully converted to Christ
and came into our church and into our small group.
And he had a background in using women
and it was quite thrilling to see the changes God was working in his life
until he began using women again in our church.
He loved Egypt too much and he turned his back on the grace and mercy
that he had come to know in Christ.
And as far as I know, he has never come back.
It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
You jump to verse 32.
All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail.
No one gathered less than ten homers.
That's donkey loads.
And they spread them out all around the camp.
But while the meat was still between their teeth
and before it could be consumed,
the anger of the Lord burned against the people
and he struck them with a severe plague.
And therefore the place was named Kibroth Hatava.
Leslie did that much better than me.
Because they buried the people who had craved other food.
This time people die for their sin.
They reject the Lord
and they experience his judgment.
It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Third complaint from Moses.
And most of the passage is about God's response to it.
Verse 11, he asks the Lord,
Why have you brought this trouble on your servant?
What have I done to displease you
that you put the burden of all these people on me?
Did I conceive all these people?
Did I give them birth?
Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms
as a nurse carries an infant
to the land that you promised on oath to our forefathers?
Where can I get meat for all these people?
They keep wailing to me,
Give us meat to eat.
I can't carry all these people by myself.
The burden is too heavy for me.
If this is how you're going to treat me,
put me to death right now.
If I have found favour in your eyes,
do not let me face my own ruin.
Let me die.
It's pathetic.
I'm not saying I would have done any better,
but it's pathetic.
He has a sort of a meltdown or even burnout.
Verse 11,
he is right to say that God has brought the trouble on him.
God has called him,
he's appointed him to lead,
and leadership does mean bearing the sinful responses
of people who think they know better.
And you get a huge insight
into what it's like to be in Moses' shoes
when he says,
in verse 11,
what have I done to displease you
that you put the burden of these people on me?
He's very quick to presume
that his difficulties are some sort of divine chastisement
or punishment,
like his heavenly father is dishing out on him
in some way.
It's like in John 9,
when the Pharisees asked Jesus
about the man who had been born blind
and their presumption,
you know,
who sinned?
This man or his parents
that he was born blind?
And in John 9,
Jesus shows
that it's a completely wrong assumption.
It's got nothing to do
with their weakness or sin.
His blindness
is part of the purpose of God
that he will be glorified.
It is always a very cruel thing
and a wrong thing
to be quick
to link poverty
or sickness
or difficulties
in families
to sin.
You see,
it's in how we respond
to difficulty
that we can glorify Christ.
Glad we've got the Fitzroys with us this morning
because the Fitzroys family
has been
on an exceedingly difficult journey
the last few months.
And watching them respond
in faith
in very testing circumstances
is an enormous encouragement
to see their God-given joy
even as they grapple
with difficulty
that is immense
as they journey in faith.
We saw last week
that God is in the midst
of his people.
God is with his people.
It's why we can be confident
with Romans 8
that in every circumstance
God is working
his purposes out
for good
in the lives
of his people.
Moses feels like
it is all too hard.
The whole nation
is bleeding.
He's feeling the pressure.
The pressure
is almost unbearable
unbearable
and the future
seems
very dim.
I ran ahead of God
on Thursday.
I was in a low hole
wondering
why I had ever said yes
to the trip
to South Africa
in five weeks time
with all the problems
that have arisen.
And last week
God encouraged me
with perfect timing
and I was on top
of the world
feeling like
he's in control.
and this week
it was quiet
and I didn't hear
anything
and I went low
and I began
to pray
for God's timing
and God's working
things out
and I rang
Darian in South
Africa
and I said
I'm feeling low
what's happening
and he was
a great comfort
and he told me
lots of good things
that are happening
in the background.
But I was
disappointed in myself.
I wished
I had waited
patiently
a little longer.
I put it
in God's hands
in the morning
and I was taking it
back into my own hands
in the afternoon.
There is joy
in faith.
There is great joy
and peace
to be found
in trusting God
and being patient
in difficulty.
It is hugely
reassuring
to later see
that God
is in control.
Moses is wrong
to think
that God
is punishing him
and you see
that by the way
that God
treats him
over the other
part
of this complaint.
It's a two-fold
complaint.
What have I done?
Verse 11.
What have I done
to displease you
that you have
put the burden
of all these
people on me?
Second part.
You have put
the burden
of all these
people on me.
Did I conceive
them?
Where can I
get meat?
I can't carry
this burden
by myself.
Again,
it's echoes
of the New Testament.
Jesus feeding
the 5,000.
He turned
to his disciples.
5,000 people
out there
and not a
McDonald's
in sight
and he turns
to his disciples
and said,
you guys
give them
something to eat.
And their
response is
incredulous.
Where can we
get food
for all these
people?
They express
their own
limitation.
They can't
do it
and Moses
can't do it
either
and God
knows that
he can't
do it.
But Moses
can't imagine
how God
could do
such a
thing.
Here I
am,
I'm among
600,000
men on
foot and
you say
I will
give them
meat to
eat for
a whole
month.
Verse 22,
would they
have enough
if flocks
and herds
were slaughtered
for them?
Would they
have enough
if all
the fish
in the
sea were
caught
for them?
And
verse 23,
the Lord
answered
Moses,
is the
Lord's
arm
too
short?
You
will see
now
whether or
not
what I
say
will
come
true
for
you.
This
is a
great
statement
question.
Is the
Lord's
arm
too
short?
Ever
felt like
you're
standing
in an
impossible
situation
with no
way
out?
Huge
problems
surrounding
you
every way
you look?
thinking
God is
asking you
to do
something
which is
beyond
your
means
or your
capacity
and God
speaks
very gently
to Moses
and says
is the
Lord's
arm
too
short?
See
Moses is
learning about
himself,
what God
expects of
him.
He's not
the saviour,
God is.
There are
limits to
his ability
to lead
God's
people.
Moses
has an
incredibly
important
role.
He speaks
to the
people on
behalf of
God and
he also
speaks to
God on
behalf of
the people
but he
isn't
God.
Only
God can
do what
God will
do and
God makes
provision for
Moses in a
very practical
way.
Verse 16,
the Lord
said to
Moses,
bring me
70 of
Israel's
leaders who
are known
to you as
leaders and
officials among
the people.
Have them
come to the
tent of
meeting that
they may
stand there
with you
and I
will come
down and
speak with
you there
and I
will take
the spirit
that is on
you and
put the
spirit on
them and
they will
help you to
carry the
burden of
the people so
that you
will not have
to carry it
alone.
And then
in verse 25,
he took of
the spirit
that was on
him and
put the
spirit on
the 70
elders and
when the
spirit rested
on them they
prophesied but
they did not
do it again.
See God
raises up
people to
help him,
men with
God's spirit
chosen by
God.
Huge
parallels to
the early
chapters of
Acts of the
Apostles in
the New
Testament when
Christ was
building his
church.
In Acts
chapter 2,
the spirit
of God
poured out
on all
believers at
Pentecost and
they prophesied.
They preached
the gospel of
the Lord Jesus
Christ in the
languages of
the nations
who were
present.
In Acts
chapter 6,
the believers
appointed seven
men from
among you who
are known to
be full of
the spirit
and of
wisdom.
The load
of ministry
leadership was
authenticated by
God.
And it was
expanded and
it was
shared.
God was
very kind to
Moses.
He provided
others to
help him.
So the
work of
ministry is
shared by a
body of
believers united
in submission to
God and
empowered by
God.
It's a
brilliant picture
of what a
well-functioning
growing church
might look
like.
For Moses
and for us
it is quite a
wonderful thing
to fall into
the hands of
the living God.
So Numbers 11
is an amazing
chapter.
There's a lot
more that could
be said and
especially about
the operation of
the spirit in
this chapter and
you can tackle me
at morning tea if
you want to go
there.
But there are
three complaints
and God deals
with them in
three ways.
He's angry with
their grumbling.
He disciplines
them as
children.
He leads them
back in repentance
and faith when
they cry out to
Moses who intercedes
on their behalf.
God is
exceedingly angry
when they turn
their backs on
God's salvation.
They turn their
backs on the one
way of salvation
that God gives
them and they
experience judgment
and death.
And when Moses
complains he is
wrong to think
that God is
punishing him.
And he was also
wrong to think
that the burden
of ministry was
his to bear
alone.
God provided
tenderly for
him.
So friends
there are safe
ways and there
are unsafe ways
to fall into
the hands of
the living God.
Safe ways
see us
disciplined,
corrected,
cared for
as children
by a loving
heavenly father.
Unsafe ways
lead to judgment
and death
at the hands
of the sovereign
king over all
creation.
Life
versus
death.
Jesus
says in
John 3
36
whoever
believes in
the son
has eternal
life.
But whoever
rejects the
son will not
see life
for God's
wrath remains
on him.
Amen.