Okay, so I know I said we'd just do chapter 11 today, but as it turns out, there was too much in just that chapter to absorb in one sitting, so I cut it down even more. You'll see why as we get into it. God has shown me something big that I am very excited to share with you. So read on!
Verse 1 The people are complaining. This is obviously something different than praying. They are not complaining to God. They are complaining about God. But He still heard it. And when He reigned down angry fire outside the camp, it was Moses who they called for help. This shows how distant they still are from God at this point, regardless of the trials He has brought them through. I think that we need to be careful in our own lives that we know the difference between prayer and complaining or grumbling. And there is only One to go to with that.
In verses 5-6, the people are complaining. They are beginning to think that life was better before they left Egypt. If it seems hard to imagine wanting to go back into bondage, let me put this into a more modern perspective.
Have you ever had those days when you thought it would just be easier to NOT be a Christian? I know I have. They have it great, right? They can talk to anyone any way that they want. The more crude the joke, the bigger the laugh. And if they react to someone in a harsh way, they don't have anyone saying, "Woa, is that what Jesus would say?" They can wear whatever they want. They can show off their curves in whatever low-cut, short-hemmed outfit they want, and people love them for it. They get to use their money however they want, too. They don't have to worry about the offering check--they can use that money to buy some new shoes. They can sing a song in front of a crowd, and take all the credit for their talent themselves. (Uh, was that last one too personal?)
Sometimes, the lives of unbelievers look pretty appealing. Or, maybe it's your own life that you miss. The one you knew before God came into the picture. That's where the Israelites where. But they had forgotten one huge thing. In Egypt, they were SLAVES!! They had no rights, no freedoms, no identity, no worth, no future, no life. The Egyptians were just using them.
But, of course, that's a lot different from our situation. We weren't slaves before we were saved. Or were we?
The life of a non-Christian has no security. Their very sense of worth is wrapped up in how they look, how much money they have, where they went to college, how smart they are, how beautiful they are, or how much good they do in the world. But that worth isn't secure. They could slip to the bottom of that ladder by the end of next week. So their lives are spent trying to keep that from happening. Those at the top of the ladder are wary of those trying to pass them up. Constantly trying to climb higher and higher, or keeping the others down. Those farther down the ladder (you know, in the upper-middle area...) are forever striving to gain just one more rung.
If we move to the better school district, our kids can go to the better school. (One rung) If we make them study their free time away, they can get into the better college. (One rung) We can put their new school clothes on the credit card, so they fit in with the other kids at the good school. (One rung) We can buy a bigger house with one of those interest-only loans and then we can buy a newer car so the kids aren't embarrassed when we pick them up at school in the great school district. (One rung) We can start living a double-income, over-time lifestyle so we can save up for the really good college that our kids will go to because we were diligent in making them study so hard. (One rung) And on Thanksgiving, we'll all work in the soup kitchen so that our children will be grateful for all that we have done for them. (One rung)
Looking at the current financial state of America, who could argue that this is reality? These people think that they are making a life for themselves, but what they don't realize is that they are SLAVES. The world is using them, just as much as the Egyptians were using the Hebrews. They were using their slaves to become one of the richest, most civilized, most powerful nations in the world. Even if one of the Hebrews had become the most popular, most famous, most favored in all of Egypt, he was still a slave, with no true worth, no identity, and no security.
Back in verse 4 it says that the "rabble among them had greedy desires." You have people like this in our own life. Maybe it's a friend who seems to have everything (but with no real identity of her own) or that celebrity that you look up to just a little too much. Step back and label those people as what they are. They are slaves. Why would you want that for yourself?
The spiritual world is playing a big part in this, too. Satan knows that the Christian's soul is lost to him, but that her life on earth is still up for grabs. If he can use this "rabble" to make her forget her true identity in Christ, then he can make her virtually ineffective for the Kingdom of God. The Enemy has no power over the Christian, only what she gives him. It's like she is clapping those irons down over her own wrists. Stop living like a slave! You are free!
I am going to stop here and resume tomorrow. I think this might be plenty to absorb in one day, even though we only got through six verses! Take the rest of the day to think about this:
1. What does God say is my identity as a Christian? What about my worth? Remember, this is a ladder from which you can never fall. Christ's sacrifice sent you straight to the top, and that's where you will stay.
2. Who is acting as "rabble" in my life? And how can I be more aware of it? I'm not saying you have to break off friendships, but just see these people for how they are affecting you.
We'll pick up tomorrow in verse 7.
--Anna
