05.01.2013 Views

A Journey Through The Old Testament - Elmer Towns

A Journey Through The Old Testament - Elmer Towns

A Journey Through The Old Testament - Elmer Towns

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

gathered least gathered ten homers” or ten times the prescribed daily allotment of manna (v. 32).<br />

But even as the people ate the quail, “the Lord struck the people with a very great plague” (v.<br />

33). Those who died were buried and the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah meaning “graves<br />

of lust.”<br />

<strong>The</strong>n it was Moses’ own family that began to lead the murmuring. After his wife died,<br />

Moses decided to marry a black Cushite woman and was opposed in his decision by both his<br />

brother Aaron and sister Miriam. This was apparently the first case of interracial marriage in<br />

Scripture and the reaction of others to this couple’s decision to marry was not too unlike the<br />

present-day opposition. But in this case, Aaron and Miriam were speaking against Moses as a<br />

prophet of God without cause.<br />

God responded to this rebellion in leadership by calling the three siblings to the<br />

tabernacle. God apparently has a sense of humor. Because Miriam had complained about Moses<br />

marrying a black woman, God plagued Miriam with leprosy, making her “white as snow”<br />

(12:10). Even when Moses prayed for her healing, God ordered she “be shut out of the camp<br />

seven days, and after that she may be received again” (v. 14).<br />

When the people finally arrived at Kadesh Barnea, it was clearly established that the<br />

people were in a rebellious mood. Moses selected twelve men, one from each of the tribes of<br />

Israel, to spy out the land to confirm the promise of God concerning the quality of their new<br />

homeland. And when they returned, they agreed, “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly<br />

flows with milk and honey” (13:27). But there were other inhabitants in the land including the<br />

children of Anak, a family of giants, and the present residents of the land lived in walled cities,<br />

something none of them had seen before. Ten of the twelve spies focused on the problem rather<br />

than the power of God, and could not see past the giants to the God who was bigger than all the<br />

giants of Canaan or anywhere else. Only Joshua and Caleb seemed to think God could overcome<br />

the giants.<br />

But the people did not want to fight giants, and rather than celebrate the quality of their<br />

new homeland, they mourned the fact it could never be theirs to enjoy. When Joshua and Caleb<br />

tried to persuade the people not to rebel but to trust God and march in to claim the Promised<br />

Land, the people wanted to stone the only two faithful men among the spies. And God decided to<br />

draw the line. If Israel did not want the land, He did not want Israel. He prepared to destroy and<br />

disinherit them.<br />

As he had on so many other occasions, Moses preserved the life of the nation by praying<br />

on their behalf. In something of a compromise solution to the situation, God agreed not to<br />

destroy them, but also not to let them into the Promised Land. <strong>The</strong>y would wander in the<br />

wilderness another thirty-eight years until the rebellious generation which so often stirred up the<br />

wrath of God had completely died off. When Israel finally realized their great sin, they<br />

determined the next day to go in and fight for the land. But the open gate at Kadesh Barnea had<br />

been closed and God had withdrawn His offer to that generation.<br />

But the rebellions of Israel in the wilderness were still not over. A conspiracy led by<br />

Korah of the tribe of Levi and Dathan and Abiram of the tribe of Reuben rose up to challenge the<br />

authority of Moses and Aaron. <strong>The</strong> movement attracted some 250 princes of Israel including<br />

many of the most popular men of that day. At its peak, Korah was able to convince most of the<br />

nation to oppose Moses at the entrance of the tabernacle.<br />

But the size of Korah’s rebellion did not cause God any undue concern. He can deal with<br />

a rebellion of a thousand as easily as a rebellion of one. Moses warned the people to separate<br />

themselves from the leaders of the rebellion, because God was going to judge who should lead

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!