Have you ever missed an off-ramp on a highway and then realized it will be many miles before you can exit, turn around, and head back in the right direction? Driving all those unavoidable miles in the wrong direction feels frustrating, disappointing, and wasteful.
The people of Israel were traveling a relatively short distance after their deliverance from Egypt on the way to the Promised Land. With a small group it should have taken a matter of weeks. With more than a million people, it should have taken a month or two.
It ended up taking forty years!
Think about it. The trip should have taken a couple of months at the most! The people of God took two hundred and forty times longer to get to their destination than they needed to. That is a lot of wandering, a lot of wrong turns, a “we're running late” story of epic proportions.
This portion of The Story, this season of wanderings, contains some of the saddest and most painful accounts in all of the biblical narrative. It is a heart-wrenching read. But, it wakes us up to the reality that God continues to be with his people; even then they are running the other direction and walking in circles…in a desert.
Think of ways in your life where your life seems to have become off course. How have you relied on God to help you find the road and be driven on course? Reflect on some of the values of being disciplined by one who loves us and wants the best for us.
The above is taken from The Story: Getting to the Heart of God’s Story, pages 43 and 45.
1. How have you seen the sins of one generation poison and damage those who came after them? And conversely, how have you seen good choices and spiritual maturity be passed on as a blessing to the next generation?
2. The manna and quail episode ended in severe plague (pgs. 56 – 58). What Upper Story lesson was God trying to teach? How do these lessons apply to us today?
3. Moses is described as a “very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.” (pg. 59). What examples from his life illustrate this?
4. Despite his years of service, Moses’ disobedience kept him from entering the Promised Land. What did Moses do wrong? Do you agree with the punishment? What does this teach you about God’s expectations for leadership?
"Are we there yet?" The cry of every child on a road trip. Time in the back of the car...bordom...squabbling. "I'm hungry; when are we going to eat?" "I have to go to the bathroom." The endless "are we there yet?" As parents we've all heard it. We, as parents, know that at the end of the road will be a great, wonderful time for the family. Will we EVER get there? A modern day scenario for a story from so long ago.
I love the faithfulness of God. He is always there for us. He always keeps his promises. He is always faithful. Yet, we as humans, like the Israelites are always complaining. Global warming ... not my fault! Moral decay in our society ... not me! Greed - power... that's the others, not me! As the world becomes more attractive to us we tend to push God and His goodness, forgiveness and faithfulness to the side. We believe He is just there to help us out when we get in trouble - then He is there for us. So like the Israelites we are.
Then there are the Calebs' and Joshuas' in our lives. Our churches, our pastors, our Sunday School teachers and most of all our faithful parents. Our parents who shared with us the stories of Jesus and His love, His forgiveness and His promises. Stories of old, how God provided for His people in the desert when they were hungry and thirsty, directing their way for forty years. How faithful God always is. How forgiving He always is.
There are many things in this lesson that can be compared to life today. It is easy to take for granted that our needs and wants should be met and that the wait should not be too long. The people of Israel were provided with enough to eat by God, but their desire for meat caused them to grumble. God gave them what they asked for, but not without consequences. It’s difficult to imagine what life was like for the Israelites and the hardships that they had to endure. They certainly didn’t have the comforts and conveniences that we enjoy today.
Moses was a truly humble man, obeying God and serving the Israelites as their leader. When he became frustrated and disappointed with the people, he turned to God and implored Him for help. He knew God face to face and put his whole trust in Him. The one time he disobeyed God by striking the rock with his staff, he was deprived of the privilege of setting foot on the Promised Land. This seems like a harsh consequence, but Moses’ humility probably helped him to understand God’s action.
It is our responsibility to keep the Christian Faith alive and strong. It can so easily be lost to future generations. We can pray that God uses us to keep His message of love, hope, comfort and strength alive.
ReplyDeletePoint to Ponder…
Have you ever missed an off-ramp on a highway and then realized it will be many miles before you can exit, turn around, and head back in the right direction? Driving all those unavoidable miles in the wrong direction feels frustrating, disappointing, and wasteful.
The people of Israel were traveling a relatively short distance after their deliverance from Egypt on the way to the Promised Land. With a small group it should have taken a matter of weeks. With more than a million people, it should have taken a month or two.
It ended up taking forty years!
Think about it. The trip should have taken a couple of months at the most! The people of God took two hundred and forty times longer to get to their destination than they needed to. That is a lot of wandering, a lot of wrong turns, a “we're running late” story of epic proportions.
This portion of The Story, this season of wanderings, contains some of the saddest and most painful accounts in all of the biblical narrative. It is a heart-wrenching read. But, it wakes us up to the reality that God continues to be with his people; even then they are running the other direction and walking in circles…in a desert.
Think of ways in your life where your life seems to have become off course. How have you relied on God to help you find the road and be driven on course? Reflect on some of the values of being disciplined by one who loves us and wants the best for us.
The above is taken from The Story: Getting to the Heart of God’s Story, pages 43 and 45.
ReplyDeleteQuestions to consider…
1. How have you seen the sins of one generation poison and damage those who came after them? And conversely, how have you seen good choices and spiritual maturity be passed on as a blessing to the next generation?
2. The manna and quail episode ended in severe plague (pgs. 56 – 58). What Upper Story lesson was God trying to teach? How do these lessons apply to us today?
3. Moses is described as a “very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.” (pg. 59). What examples from his life illustrate this?
4. Despite his years of service, Moses’ disobedience kept him from entering the Promised Land. What did Moses do wrong? Do you agree with the punishment? What does this teach you about God’s expectations for leadership?
"Are we there yet?" The cry of every child on a road trip. Time in the back of the car...bordom...squabbling. "I'm hungry; when are we going to eat?" "I have to go to the bathroom." The endless "are we there yet?" As parents we've all heard it. We, as parents, know that at the end of the road will be a great, wonderful time for the family. Will we EVER get there? A modern day scenario for a story from so long ago.
ReplyDeleteI love the faithfulness of God. He is always there for us. He always keeps his promises. He is always faithful. Yet, we as humans, like the Israelites are always complaining. Global warming ... not my fault! Moral decay in our society ... not me! Greed - power... that's the others, not me! As the world becomes more attractive to us we tend to push God and His goodness, forgiveness and faithfulness to the side. We believe He is just there to help us out when we get in trouble - then He is there for us. So like the Israelites we are.
Then there are the Calebs' and Joshuas' in our lives. Our churches, our pastors, our Sunday School teachers and most of all our faithful parents. Our parents who shared with us the stories of Jesus and His love, His forgiveness and His promises. Stories of old, how God provided for His people in the desert when they were hungry and thirsty, directing their way for forty years. How faithful God always is. How forgiving He always is.
There are many things in this lesson that can be compared to life today. It is easy to take for granted that our needs and wants should be met and that the wait should not be too long. The people of Israel were provided with enough to eat by God, but their desire for meat caused them to grumble. God gave them what they asked for, but not without consequences. It’s difficult to imagine what life was like for the Israelites and the hardships that they had to endure. They certainly didn’t have the comforts and conveniences that we enjoy today.
ReplyDeleteMoses was a truly humble man, obeying God and serving the Israelites as their leader. When he became frustrated and disappointed with the people, he turned to God and implored Him for help. He knew God face to face and put his whole trust in Him. The one time he disobeyed God by striking the rock with his staff, he was deprived of the privilege of setting foot on the Promised Land. This seems like a harsh consequence, but Moses’ humility probably helped him to understand God’s action.
It is our responsibility to keep the Christian Faith alive and strong. It can so easily be lost to future generations. We can pray that God uses us to keep His message of love, hope, comfort and strength alive.