Amen. So Numbers chapter 14. Keep something there. We'll be coming back later in the sermon
to Numbers chapter 14. But if you would, turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 10.
What I want to preach about this morning is the subject of murmuring and complaining.
Murmuring and complaining. The title actually is neither murmuring. There's a lot of things
that we are admonished to do and not do in the Word of God and one of those things is to not murmur.
And if you're there in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, look at verse 1, it says,
Moreover, brethren, I would not that you should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under
the cloud and all passed through the sea, and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and
in the dark and in the sea, and did all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same
spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual rock which followed them, that was Christ. But
with many of them God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Now what we're reading about this morning in Numbers 14, that's what this is referring to
in 1 Corinthians 10, where God was displeased with these people because they did not believe
God, they were not willing to go into the promised land. It goes on there in verse 6, it says,
Now these things were our examples to the intent that we should not lust after evil things, as they
also lusted. Neither be it adulterous as some of them, as it is written that people sat down to eat
and to drink and to rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed
and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also
tempted and were destroyed of the serpents. And it goes on there, it says, verse 10,
Neither murmuring, as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer.
Now we're going to see this morning that this subject of murmuring is something that they were
very guilty of, it's something they did often, and we read a lot of these other sins that they
were guilty of there. You know, the fornication, the idolatry, the rising up to drink and to play,
tempting Christ, all these things, to the point where they were destroyed of the serpent,
they were destroyed of the destroyer. We read there in Numbers 14 how they were held back from
going into the Promised Land, and one of those things that are mentioned here that was a
grievance to God, that God was displeased with them over, was the fact that they murmured.
So we might kind of overlook that a little bit, say, well, you know, murmuring might not really
be as bad as some of these other sins that these guys were guilty of, but it's listed here. And
it's something that we see that God takes note of in the scripture. And it says here that God
recorded these things happening, all these things that happened to the children of Israel. Numbers
14 is there. Why? Because verse 11 where it says, now all these things happened unto them for in
samples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come.
So we read about these things in Numbers 14 and elsewhere in the Old Testament because they're
there for our admonition, they're there to remind us, to admonish us, to encourage us, to warn us.
These things are written for us today. And one of those things that we are to take note of in the
Old Testament is that we are not to be murmurers. We are not to murmur. As I said, there are many
things that we're commanded to do and not to do in scripture, isn't there? And the text tells us
here to not murmur, neither murmur. And why is it? Why is it that we should not murmur? Why should we
sit up this morning and pay attention and listen to the sermon and take note of the fact that we
are not to be murmurers today? It's because murmuring has serious consequences. I mean,
very serious consequences, and that's what we're going to see this morning. It's important that we
understand what murmuring is and what it isn't so that we're not guilty of it. We all have an
idea of what we might think it is, but it's actually a little bit more specific. A lot of
people would lump it in with complaining, and I do believe it's a form of complaining, but I believe
there's also a difference between murmuring and complaining. And if you would, just turn over to
Job chapter 7, Job chapter 7. You see, complaining is something that we're probably, that's a word
we're probably a little bit more familiar with this morning, you know, some of us more than
others maybe, right? We know what complaining is. When somebody's, you know, making objections,
we might even call it whining a little bit. That's something that we would kind of call complaining.
And here's the thing though, complaining, when I read the scriptures, I see that sometimes
complaining is legitimate. That there are times when a person can express their own grief,
they can lament their circumstances in a way that the Bible would call complaining.
So what we call complaining today, where we might consider complaining, where someone's just,
you know, being whiny and just objecting and just, you know, boo-booing about not getting their way,
we would say that person is complaining. And that's not an attitude that we really want,
but really what that is, what we would call complaining today, I believe the Bible would
refer more to as murmuring. Because a complaint often is something that can be very legitimate.
I mean, you think about it, sometimes you go into, you know, a restaurant, they want to know
if you have any compliments or complaints. You know, there might be some places they have the
complaint box, right? And you would get the manager, why? So if you had bad service somewhere,
you would complain to them. Why? They want to hear those complaints because they're legitimate.
Because there really is a problem here that needs to be addressed. So complaining in the scripture
is a little different than murmuring in the sense that complaining often is something that's
legitimate. And you see that with Job there. Look, Job had reason to complain, didn't he?
I mean, Job lost all of his wealth. Job lost all of his children. He was afflicted in his flesh.
I mean, he went through a lot. And it says there in Job chapter seven, verse one,
Is there not an appointed time to man upon the earth? Are not his days also like the days of
an hireling? And as a servant earnestly desired the shadow, and as an hireling looking for the
reward of his work, so I am made to possess months of vanity and wearisome nights are appointed unto
me. When I lay down, I say, When shall I rise and the night be gone? I am full of tossings to and
fro in the dawning of the day. So Job in his affliction was complaining even of being alive.
I mean, in other forces we would read where he says, you know, he wouldn't want to be born. He
wanted the knees to prevent him, you know, and he didn't even want to be born. That's how serious
and bitter his complaint was. Look there in verse five, it says, My flesh is clothed with worms
and clods of dust. My skin is broken and become loathsome. I mean, this guy is not in a good way.
He didn't just stub his toe, you know, he's not just complaining because he's in heavy traffic
or something like that. He's really going through something in life and he's got a reason to
complain. That's why it says there in verse 11, Therefore I will not refrain my mouth. I will
speak in the anguish of my spirit. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. And the Bible says
of Job that all the things he spoke concerning the Lord were right and he wasn't rebuked for
complaining. So there is a time when complaining is legitimate but often it's when we're expressing
our own troubles, things that we're going through. You know, someone might ask you how it's going and
if you're just brutally honest with them sometimes you would probably be complaining. You know, if
we're really going through something in life we would say like, hey, it's not going well.
And I believe that's what we could call complaining in the scripture. Now today,
we call complaining what I believe the Bible would describe as murmuring and that's where
what would be the difference is that, you know, complaining is kind of bemoaning one's own
circumstances. That's what we saw with Job, right? He's complaining in the bitterness of his spirit.
Why? He says therefore I will complain in the bitterness of my spirit. Why? Because as it says
there, his flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust. His skin is broken and he's really going
through it. So there are times when complaining is legitimate where it's something that's,
you know, to be expected at least. Where it's not something that God is going to come down on.
But the Bible does say that we are not to be murmurers and murmuring, I believe,
is different than complaining in the fact that it's not legitimate. It's illegitimate
complaining, I guess you could call it. It's illegitimate and it's dangerous for several
reasons and murmuring, you know, often it'll take on the form as an attack on another and that's
what we're going to see in the scriptures alive is when the children of Israel were murmuring,
what they were doing is they were laying blame on somebody else. They were pointing the finger
and saying it's your fault that we're in this position and they were attacking somebody else.
We read there where they wanted to take them and stone them with stones. They didn't even,
they wanted to express how upset they were about things to the point that they were willing to kill
somebody else. So murmuring is illegitimate and dangerous and murmuring is something that often
takes on the form as an attack on another person or a group of people. And really where murmuring
comes from is from an ungrateful attitude. It's somebody who is not grateful, they're not thankful,
they don't understand what's been done for them often, they don't appreciate the things that they
have and they can take those things for granted and they can get to this place in their life where
they begin to murmur. And that's what we see with these children of Israel. And murmuring,
what's dangerous about murmuring is that not only will it get you in hot water with the Lord
and maybe even other authorities in your life, but murmuring is something that it is an attitude that
can spread to others. And really that's what we see in the scriptures, especially with the
children of Israel, is that they're murmuring and complaining, they're illegitimate complaining,
their murmuring is something that spread to the rest of the congregation. Now if you would,
turn over to Exodus chapter 16. Actually go to Exodus 15. I'll read you from Exodus 16 where
we see this. It's all three of these attributes in murmuring. It says, And the whole congregation
of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And you know,
this is where they're coming out from Egypt at first, they're going into, they haven't even
gotten to Jordan yet, and they're running into places where there is no water, and then they
get to desire to leave some onions in Egypt, they're complaining against Moses and against
Aaron. And it says there in Exodus 16 verse 2, the whole congregation. So murmuring is an attitude
that spreads to other people. When one person has a bad attitude, a bad spirit, and they start to
vocalize that, sometimes a lot of people will say, you know, you're right, we should be upset
about that. The next thing you know, that person is repeating that same complaint. That person is
now murmuring. And then it spreads to the next person, to the point where you can have an entire
congregation, as we saw here in Exodus, that are murmuring against Moses and Aaron. So much so
that they're murmuring against the very men that brought them out of Egypt, that delivered them
from bondage. The very men that are to be their leaders, the men of God in their lives, they're
even murmuring against them. And what murmuring does to us, this attitude, is that it blinds us
to the blessings. It blinds us to the blessings that we have in our life, it blinds us to the
things that God has done in our life, and the working that He's done in our life. If you're
there in Exodus chapter 15, look at verse 20, it says, and of course this is the song, they sing
this song in Exodus 15, they talk about the great works that God has done, how He split the Red Sea,
and it says there in Exodus chapter 15 verse 20, and Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron,
took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and dances.
And Miriam answered saying, sing ye to the Lord, for ye have triumphed gloriously, the horse and
his rider hath he thrown into the sea. So we see some people have the right attitude, we see some
people here are, you know, they're glad about the things that have happened. I mean this just took
place. I mean they're excited about the fact that God has defeated their enemy, that He brought in
the waters upon them and cast down the rider, He's delivered them from that land of bondage,
and you know really at this point in the story of Israel, they've just experienced one of, if not,
you know, this could be debatable, if not the greatest miracle in the Old Testament. I mean
we're going to sit here and start blaming off some of the great miracles that we see in the
Old Testament. I mean splitting the Red Sea has got to be up there. I mean we're talking top five,
top three, if not number one. That was a big deal. I mean not to mention all the miracles that He did
in their sight in Egypt when He delivered them with all the plagues and all the different things
He brought upon them there, and then He brings them out of Egypt and they even spoil the Egyptians.
I mean they take their jewels with them and God delivers them with a mighty hand and He does this
great miracle in their sight. But what happens is they get their eyes on the circumstances that
they find themselves in and they begin to murmur and they begin to forget about everything that
just took place and this is something that plagues them throughout the rest of their existence. So
murmuring has this tendency to blind people. Why is it that people even get this attitude? Why is
it that people even get to the place in their life where they start to murmur, where they start to
complain and blame others for their circumstances? It's because they don't take the time to be
grateful and understand the blessings that they have in their life. You know Israel just
experiences the Red Sea crossing but I'll look at verse 22 of the same chapter just a few verses
later. It means a few verses after we see Miriam dancing with the timbrel, with the women and just
praising and rejoicing and giving glory to God. Then you see in verse 22, so Moses brought Israel
from the Red Sea and they went in the wilderness of Shur and they went three days into the
wilderness and found no water. And when they came to Mara they could not drink the waters of Mara
for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Mara and the people murmured against
Moses saying, what shall we drink? Now humanly speaking we could look at this and say, well I
mean this is millions of people, they have women, children there, they got families even, you know
yeah what are they going to drink? That sounds like a legitimate complaint. But you have to remember
what they just saw, everything they just went through. I mean would you really be that surprised?
I mean God can split the Red Sea and deliver you but He can't furnish a table in the wilderness in
the presence of your enemies. I mean they should have known better, they really should have known
better. What do they do? They're blinded to the blessings that they just had, they're blinded to
the miracles because they have an attitude that's quick to murmur, an attitude that's just quick to
look at the circumstances they're in and forget God and just to complain and to murmur. So they
have quickly forgotten the Lord's miracles and they're instantly, you know it's not just that
they're complaining, it's that they're murmuring in the sense that they're murmuring against Moses.
You know their complaint is being directed at somebody, there's a blame being involved.
They're saying it's your fault, you know you brought us out into the wilderness to die,
it would be better that we had stayed in Egypt. And they actually say that at one point in their
journey, they said it would have been better for them to stay in Egypt. It's like they forget how
bad they had it in Egypt. And this attitude of murmuring is something that will
blind us to the blessings that God has given us. And these people, they quickly forget the miracles
and they begin attacking, they begin murmuring. Look at verse 25, and he cried on the Lord and the
Lord showed him a tree and when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet.
There he made them for them a statute and an ordinance and there he proved them. So it's not
like God didn't know where he was going. It's not like God was like, oh whoops I forgot you guys
need to drink water, you're not like me. You know it's not like he forgot that. It says he did that
because he was proving them. To see what their attitude would be like, to see what kind of people
they were, to kind of, and really he already knew that, I mean God knows all these things,
and I think when God proves people like that, he really is trying to show them what they're like.
He's really trying to show them that they're stiff neck. He's trying to show them that they
murmur, that they're the ones who have a bad attitude. So we see here that Israel, they
murmured and they failed to learn the lesson that God was trying to teach them. That God has got
them. That God will provide for them. That God can give them water out of dry grounds. That God
can open up the fountains of heaven. So we see this going on and really what we can apply this
in our own life and understand from this is that, you know, difficult circumstances that we might
find ourselves in our life, whether they be, you know, financial or physical or spiritual or all
the different difficulties that we can run into in life, those just might be engineered by God.
I'm not saying they always are. I'm not saying every time you come into something in your life
that, you know, it's God trying to work something in your life, but never rule that out. Maybe we
should always step back and say, well, what is God trying to teach me here? What is it that I'm
supposed to be learning? What is it, you know, it might just be that, you know, you're reaping what
you sow and you just need to learn that lesson. You know, that if you go into debt, you're going
to have a hard time getting out of debt. And these kind of simple lessons in life, but we should be
always careful that when we run into difficult circumstances in life, that we don't discount the
fact that perhaps those circumstances were engineered by God. I mean, that's what we see
here. When they go to the waters of Mara, God led them there. He knew the waters were better.
He led them there to prove them. And all it took was Moses throwing in the tree and making the
water sweet again. But often when we go into those places, we find ourselves in bitter waters, when
we find ourselves in Mara, God has led us there into these difficult circumstances. We need to
ask ourselves, is God trying to teach us something? Is He trying to teach us something that will
benefit us? And what He's probably trying to teach the children of Israel is that they should
murmur. Because we see that this attitude escalates, and it leads to the point where God
has to punish them severely. It says there in verse 26,
And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which
is right into sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will
put none of these diseases upon him which I have bought upon the Egyptians. For I am the Lord that
healeth thee. God is trying to teach them something. God is trying to show them something.
Like, I can provide for you, and if you will simply obey and listen and do my commandments,
I am going to protect you. I am not going to let the same things happen to you that happen
to the Egyptians. But what murmuring does is it blinds us to the past blessings, it blinds us to
the fact that God delivered us from Egypt, it blinds us to the fact that God miraculously
helped us cross the Red Sea, and it blinds us to the present. It blinds us to the present blessings
that God is able to make those bitter waters sweet right in our very presence. And it will
also blind us to the fact that God has even future blessings for us. As he says there,
If you can obey me, if you do what I say, I will put none of these diseases upon you.
I will bless you, he's saying there. I'm not going to curse you, I'm going to bless you.
But we have to do that with foresight in mind. We have to do that thinking ahead, looking ahead and
understanding that when we come into difficult circumstances, the answer is not to murmur.
The answer is not to say, well it's so-and-so's fault, it's somebody else's fault,
and start to have this bad attitude of murmuring. It says there in verse 27,
And when they came to Elam, there were twelve walls of water, and three score and ten palm trees,
and they encamped by the waters. So God leads them to these palm trees, and they're out there,
they're thirsty, they can't get a drink. God teaches them this lesson, and then he leads them
to this future blessing. He says, look, if you have the right attitude, I've taken care of you
so far, so we don't want to get blind to the well of water that's waiting for us as wells,
we don't want to be blind to the twelve palm trees, right? We want to see that ahead in our
life and understand that God will lead us to, you know, there might be difficult circumstances along
the way in our lives, but let's not get an attitude of murmuring and forget about what God
has done for us, what God can do for us, and what God will do for us. So that is one of the dangers
of murmuring, is that it blinds you to the fact that God can, has, and will bless us.
Now the other danger that we have to look out for, what's so dangerous about murmuring,
is that murmuring can become habitual. It's something that people just fall into,
and I think we're all so prone to this. This is something that we all have to be on guard about.
We will start to complain about some of the dumbest things. I mean, we'll start to complain
about just the littlest things. I mean, we'll be, sometimes if we get the wrong attitude,
I mean, we could be in the midst of blessings and something just doesn't go just the way we want it,
and we got to let somebody know about it. You know, and I'm not trying to pick on people or
anything like that, but I deal with people a lot, well especially lately with these with these
res trips and things like that, and we're always trying to accommodate people, and it's just funny
to me sometimes how people, and I'm not down on them for it, I have the same problem at times too,
even even on the same res trips, you know, go figure. They'll say, well why, why, why this?
You know, why do we have to eat a hotel breakfast? You know, I say, you know, did you, you know,
have you so soon forgotten the factory pizza? You know, don't you not, the Panera that waits for
you, you know, but you got to just endure this one meal of Belgian waffles and syrup, you know,
but people have these little, and I don't think we even realize we're doing it,
that it's, and I wouldn't say that's like a terrible, you know, bitter complaint,
that, that's just, we tend to murmur a little bit. We say, well why couldn't this just be a
little bit better? Right. You know, why couldn't we get the queen size bed instead of the standard?
Now I would agree with that complaint, that was a little bit rough, but anyway, that's my
murmuring, right? I had a little memory when I woke up that morning, I'm all stiff, but murmuring
can become habitual to the point where we just, just a knee-jerk reaction, we just murmur at the
drop of a hat. One little thing doesn't go right, we think things can be a little bit better here,
and we're just quick to remind somebody else of, hey why this, or did you ever consider
can't this be better, or why do we have to do this, or why do we have to do that?
And that's the problem with murmuring, is that it becomes habitual, to the point where we do it
without even thinking about it. And if you would, turn over to Exodus chapter 16, Exodus chapter 16,
we'll see a little bit of this. That's what happened to the children of Israel.
God leads them out, blesses them, has every intent of blessing them every step along the way,
he's going to protect them, care for them, but they fall into murmuring, you know,
right out of the gate, and it just, from there on out, they just murmur, murmur, murmur,
all the way through. And it escalates, it becomes worse. And then God has to deal with it.
So murmuring can become habitual, that's one of its dangers. Look at Exodus chapter 16 verse 1,
and they took their journey for Elam, and all the congregation of the children of Israel
came under the wilderness of sin, which is between Elam and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second
month, after departing on the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel
murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. So, as soon as they're away, you know, they just
left this nice place where there's the water and the palm trees, and they're out in the wilderness
again, the same situation that they found themselves in before, and they begin to murmur
against Moses and against Aaron. And the children of Israel said unto them, would to God that we
had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt. I mean, talk about getting a bad attitude.
Talk about, you know, just not being grateful that God has delivered them from such bondage
that they were in in Egypt, and now they're saying it would be better for them to have died?
After God has already proven to them in the wilderness, not to mention everything He's
already done for them in the land of Egypt and coming out of Egypt, that they are so quick to
just murmur and to complain. And why is it that they're complaining? It says, and when we did
eat bread to the full, for He had brought us forth into the wilderness to kill this whole
assembly of hunger. They say, you brought us out here to kill us. That was what this whole thing
was about. That's why you did all those miracles and killed all those Egyptians and spoiled them
and split the Red Sea and provide, you know, and miraculously deliver us so you just brought us
out here to kill us. What a stupid complaint. What a bad attitude they have. But this is where
murmuring leads. You know, first it's, oh, I'm thirsty. So you give them water. Now it's like,
oh, I'm hungry. You know, it's like the kids on the road trip, right? I'm thirsty, I'm thirsty.
You give them water. I'm hungry, I'm hungry. Then you feed them. Now it's, I have to go to
the bathroom. You know, this kind of reminds you of that road trip a little bit. That's
to a greater degree. Of course, they're never going to be like, you brought us out here to kill us.
We're going to an amusement park. But that's where murmuring leads, is where it just becomes
habitual. If it's not one thing, it's another. Oh, you gave us water, but now we're hungry.
You know, and you brought us out here to kill us. See, they'd already forgotten the 12 wells of
water. You know, just as they had forgotten the miracles of Egypt and the Red Sea. And the
murmuring becomes so severe to the point where they're desiring to die, or they're saying it
would be better for us to have died in Egypt. And here's the thing, though, we've got to understand,
is that God lets us go through smaller struggles sometimes to prepare us for bigger ones.
I mean, sometimes He'll let us go through this, you know, we might have to go through Mara,
because maybe we're going to find ourselves a little bit farther out the wilderness,
where we're going to really need to lean on God and really look for Him to provide for us and
trust us. But we have to learn those little lessons along the way to where we won't have
this habitual, just instinctive nature of just instantly complaining, just instantly murmuring
against God, just instantly, you know, pointing the finger and trying to blame somebody else,
when our actions should be, let's pray, let's ask God to help us. I mean, what if they had just
stopped where they were and said, well, you know, God's got this, God can take care of us. I mean,
isn't that what we saw where we read Numbers 14 this morning with Caleb and Joshua, where they
came back and said, you know, God is for us, you know, don't be afraid of the Amorites. God's going
to deliver us from these people. There was only two that came back with the good report, but they
understood that they had learned this lesson back here. They learned all these lessons that God can
give water where it's, the water's better, that God can lead you to the wells in the wilderness,
that God can feed you with manna from heaven. They had already learned the lessons to trust the
water. Now they're ready to go to Jordan. That's a big task ahead of them, but they've learned all
these little lessons along the way, and they're not going to be quick to murmur, you know,
they're going to be quick to pray and look for God to help them. So God will often lead us through
smaller struggles to prepare us for bigger ones. And, you know, Israel one day would face,
not just facing hunger and thirst, but they were going to face nations that were bigger and
mightier than them. They were going to go defeat entire kingdoms. They were going to go out and
wipe out kings and all the inhabitants of that land. I mean, they had a big task ahead of them,
and God is trying to prove them and prepare them along the way to develop an attitude of
not murmuring, but of trust. Not of complaining, but of looking to God for provision and protection.
So God's trying to teach them along the way, but what do they do? They murmur. They don't get the
lesson. They don't learn it. And here's the thing, you know, murmuring doesn't fall on deaf ears.
Murmuring, God hears murmuring, and God takes note of murmuring, and God deals with murmuring,
and that's really what makes it especially dangerous, is that we should be afraid to
murmur because God will hear it, and God will deal with it. And if you would, look at verse
seven there, it says, and in the morning, then shall you see the glory of the Lord,
for he heared your murmurings against the Lord, and what are we that you murmur against us?
So they're murmuring against Moses, and they say, well you know what, God hears you, and you're not
murmuring against us. You might think you are. You know, that's something we ought to be careful
about when we start to say it's so-and-so's fault. We might not even realize who it is we're really
complaining against, you know, and we could all probably apply that in our lives. You know,
sometimes we might complain about something, you know, that we don't like what's going on
in the church, and the pastor could do this, the pastor could do that. Well, are you really
murmuring against the pastor? Why do we have to have this standard? Why do we have to, you know,
believe that about the Bible? Are you sure that's who you're complaining about, that you're murmuring
against the pastor because you might be murmuring against God? And then that's hot water, and you
know, the pastor will say, well who am I? You know, I'm just preaching the book. I'm just telling you
what it says. You do what you will, but if you're going to get a bad attitude about it, you need to
understand that it's not me that you're complaining against, but it's against God himself.
Children have the same problem with parents. You know, kids now have to understand that, you know,
if they're going to say, well I love God, I'm going to obey God, I'm going to do what God says,
well then you're going to obey your parents, because that's the authority in your life.
And then they start to complain about their parents, and whine and complain about their
parents, and murmur against them, and say it's their fault, or why do we have to do that?
They don't know what they're doing. You are murmur against God. So we have to be careful about this
in our lives, because murmur is dangerous, because ultimately when you're murmur against
authority in your life, you're murmuring against God, and he hears it. And if you want,
keep something there, but turn over to Deuteronomy chapter one. Deuteronomy chapter one.
You see, a lot of times people murmur to one another. They'll find somebody else who they
think will listen to their their bitter complaint, you know, they'll find somebody who will give them
an ear and let them fill it with their murmuring. It'll spread, it'll become a visual, but a lot of
times people kind of murmur in their own heart, or they'll just murmur with their own family,
or maybe just a real close friend. It won't be something that they try to spread, it'll just be
something that they keep a little bit more private. But mark it down when God hears that. It's not
just the murmuring that you do in public, it's just not the murmuring that you're willing to
just voice whenever to whoever. You know, the murmur that you do in your own heart,
even God hears these things. It says in Deuteronomy chapter one, look at verse 20,
And I said unto you, You are coming to the mouth of the Amorites, which the Lord God did give unto
us. Behold, the Lord thy God hath set the land before thee to go up and possess it, as the Lord
thy God of thy fathers has said unto thee, Fear not, neither be discouraged. And he came near
unto me, every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and we will search out the land,
and bring us word again, by what way we must go up, and to what cities we shall come.
And the saying, Please be well. And I took twelve of you, and one of a tribe,
and he turned and went up into the mountain, and he came unto the valley of Eschol, and searched
it out, and took up the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down unto us, and brought us
word again, and said, It is a good land, which the Lord God doth give us. Notwithstanding, you would
not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the Lord your God. And he murmured in your tents,
and said, Because the Lord hated us, and brought us forth out of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand
of the Amorites, to destroy us. So here it is, the story, where Moses is kind of rehearsing
everything that's taken place thus far, and he's reminding them of what had happened, how the spies
went in, and then they come back, and then they have the evil report, and they influence the
people to go into their tents, and what do they do? They murmur. They're murmuring privately,
they're doing it just themselves, and it's that same stupid complaint they had earlier,
that God's trying to destroy them, that God's doing all this, God's going to all this trouble,
and dealing with them, and putting up with them, just so that he could do evil to them,
which makes no sense at all, but notice where they're doing it. They're doing it in their tents,
and they're doing it privately. So God hears murmuring, whether it's private, whether it's
public, God hears it, and God deals with it, because God understands how bad murmuring can get.
I mean, it can get completely out of hand. Turn back to Exodus chapter 16, if you kept something
there. Exodus chapter 16, look at verse 8. And Moses said, This shall be when the Lord God
gives you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full,
for that the Lord heareth your murmurings, which you murmur against him. And what are we?
Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord. So God understands that people, they
start thinking they're just murmuring about a situation, they're just murmuring about some
kind of difficulty in their life. Now they're murmuring against an individual, they're murmuring
against an authority, and what it means is that they end up murmuring against God. And what do
they end up doing when a person can get to the point where the murmuring just gets so habitual,
so out of hand, so uncorrected, they begin to charge God foolishly. And they say, because the
Lord God hated us. That's why he brought us up, because God hates us. And that doesn't just happen
overnight, when the people get to the point where they're just bitter against God, and they just
are angry against God. That's a progression. That's, oh I'm thirsty, oh I'm hungry, oh God's
here to kill us. You know, we're not going into the land, and we're in our tents, and we're going
to complain about it. Go to Exodus chapter 17 verse 3. It says in Exodus chapter 17 verse 3,
And the people thirsted there for water, and the people murmured against Moses, and said,
Wherefore is it that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle
with thirst? I mean, this murmuring is just getting completely out of hand, to the point
where they're charging God foolishly. They're charging the men of God foolishly, saying,
you're just trying to kill us. But here's the thing, this is why murmuring is so dangerous,
because it escalates to a point where God keeps hearing it, he's putting up with it,
he's giving you opportunity to correct it, to change your attitude, until it gets to the point
where God has to deal with it. Where God has to come down, and he has to deal with people who
murmur. And that's where we saw it in Numbers chapter 14. And if we would go back there to
Numbers chapter 14. God deals with murmuring, God hears it, and God only puts up with it for so long.
And God deals with it here in Numbers chapter 14, look at verse 1, it says,
And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried, and the people wept that night,
and all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. And the whole congregation
said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt, or would God that we had
died in this wilderness, wherefore hath the Lord brought us into this land, to fall by the sword,
and our wives and our children should be afraid. Were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return in Egypt. Look at verse
11. And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people devote me? How long will it be here
they believe me for all the signs which I have showed among them? I will smite them with pestilence
and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation, and mightier than they.
And Moses said unto the Lord, Then the Egyptians will hear it, for thou broughtest up this people
in thy might from among them. God gets so sick of their murmuring, he's ready to just wipe them out.
God gets, I mean, murmuring is dangerous. I mean, murmuring can take you to a place in your life
where God's ready to just destroy you. See how I've had enough? And he's just going to end your
life, or just bring such severe chastisement that's going to affect you for the rest of your life,
and it's never going to be the same. That's where God was with these people.
I mean, they end up, you know, to so much is given, so much also be required.
When they started to learn to see God work in their lives and understand who it is that
they're dealing with, you know, God, you know, his temper probably got a little shorter with him.
You know, that wick on that explosive got a little shorter. That fuse got a little shorter
with them to a point where he's ready to just wipe them out. But, of course, we know the story.
Moses talks them down. He says, no, no, don't do that unless they're heathen here. And it wasn't
because Moses felt so bad for them. It wasn't because Moses was like, they're not that bad.
Moses knew how bad they were, and he even complained about them and said, you know,
they're stiff-necked people, you know, and then carried them as a nursemaid, you know, and he
kind of complains a little bit to God and says, you know, why have you vexed me with these people?
Why have you given me this burden to bear these people and their murmurings and their complainings?
But Moses talks them down, but it's not for because he loves them so much. It's because
he cares about the name of God. He didn't want God's name to be blasphemed among the heathen.
And he says in verse 17, and now I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great,
according as thou has spoken, saying, the Lord is long suffering and of great mercy,
forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clear and guilty of visiting iniquity of the
fathers upon the children under the third and fourth generation. Pardon I beseech the iniquity
of this people, according to the greatness of thy mercy. And as thou has forgiven this people
from Egypt, even until now, the Lord has said, I have pardoned according to thy word. Verse 26,
and the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, how long shall I bear with this evil
congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel,
which they murmur against me. And say unto them, as truly as I live, saith the Lord,
as he hath spoken in my ear, so will I do to you. Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness.
They're saying, oh, it would be better if we were better off dead. God says, so be it.
And that's where the murmuring can take you. Oh, it's so bad in my life, this and that. Okay,
you can have it then. If you can't see where God's trying to take you or what lesson God's
trying to teach you and all you can do is murmur and complain, God just might give you that.
And they're saying, well, you brought us out here to kill us. That's the complaint,
that's the false charge they're bringing against God. He says, all right, well,
fine, well, we'll just, since you're so convinced of that, so be it. And he says there, verse 29,
your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness, and all that were numbered of you, according to the
whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me. Doubtless,
you shall not come into the land, which I swear to make you dwell therein, saith Caleb the son of
Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones which you said should not be afraid,
then will I bring it, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. But as for you,
your carcasses, they shall fall in this wilderness, and your children shall wander in the
wilderness forty years and bury your whoredoms until your carcasses be waste in the wilderness.
After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year,
and ye shall ye bury your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.
I the Lord have said, and I will surely do it, unto this evil congregation that are gathered
together against me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there shall they die,
verse 36, and the men which Moses sent to search the land who returned and made all the congregation
to murmur against him. So again, you see, it was something that was taught them. Certain men came
back, that murmuring spread into a whole congregation. Those evil men that did bring
up the evil report upon the land died by the plague before the Lord. Now, I wonder when they
were all the way back in Marah, when they first complained about that water, first complained that
there was nothing to drink, if they would have ever understood the severity of such an attitude,
of where it was going to lead them in their lives, of this attitude of just murmuring,
and just, it's never good enough. What's God doing? Why do I have to do this?
The world court led them? Do you think they would have murmured like that if they'd known
where it would have led them? If they could have seen their carcasses being wasted in the
wilderness having wandered forty years until they were all dead? You know, those men that
went over and brought over an evil report, I wonder if they had known, hey, if we do this,
and we come back, God, we're going to die of the plague. I mean, we're going to be the first ones
that get offed by the Lord. I wonder if they would have gone into that land with a bit of
a different attitude. But it doesn't work that way in life. You can't say, well, I'm going to behave
because I already know the outcome. We need to have an attitude that says, I'm not going to
murmur because God hates it, because God hears it, because it spreads, because it's dangerous,
because it's something that shows a heart and a spirit of ingratitude, and it will blind me to
the blessings that God has given you. And these people here, they are our example. They are our
word of warning. That's what we read in 1 Corinthians chapter 10. And if you would,
turn over to Philippians chapter 2. See, God doesn't take murmuring lightly
because He knows what it leads to, and that's why He deals with it severely.
He knows that maybe today you're just murmuring about the waters of Mara, but when you get to the
real battle, when things are really tough in life, when you get into real difficult circumstances,
you've already developed a habit of being a murmurer, it's going to cost you. And God deals
with murmuring because, one, it attacks others. That's one thing we saw. Murmuring is not just,
I'm just going to express my own personal dissatisfaction about something. I'm actually
going to blame my difficult circumstances or whatever it is I disapprove of. I'm going to
say it's so-and-so's fault, just like the children of Israel. They murmured against Moses, they
murmured against Aaron, and they've even went so far as to murmur against God Himself. It attacks
others. It shows ungratefulness. It spreads. That's why God doesn't take it lightly.
And if you're in Philippians, say, well, what's the application this morning? Well, what do we do?
How do we avoid this? Well, Philippians chapter 2 gives us some preventative measures that we
can take to make sure that we don't turn into murmuring people who are just so quick at the
drop of a hat to just complain about things. It says there in Philippians chapter 2 verse 1,
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the
Spirit, if any bowels of mercies, fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like mine, and having the same
love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory,
but in lowliness of mind. Let each esteem other better themselves. Look not every man on his own
things, but every man also on the things of others. So there's this idea of starting out
these first few verses of being of one mind, of one accord, of esteeming the other better than
yourself. You see, if we all share the same purpose and we work together and we all have
that in mind, if we all have the same goal, we're going to look out for one another. We're not going
to be like the 10 that come back and say, well, we're scared of that land. So let's turn everybody
else against Moses and against Caleb and Jacob, or Caleb and the two good spies, Joshua. I can't
remember that one. But he's saying be of one mind. You'll have the same goal. That's a good
preventative measure to not turn into a murmur when you're more concerned about other people's
well-being. Maybe you're in some difficult situation, but you're more concerned about
what's going on with somebody else. You take your mind off your own problems.
If you're not so focused on yourself and you're more concerned about other people,
maybe you won't be so quick to murmur. It says there in verse 5,
Let this mind be in you, which also was in Christ, who being in the form of God,
thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and took
upon in the form of a servant. And he was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion
as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross.
So there's another tip to not become a murmur. It's just to be obedient.
You know, he says there, he took upon in the form of a servant,
somebody who's under the authority of another, someone who's there to serve other people,
who has somebody else in mind. That took obedience, didn't it? And if we'd have that
same attitude, I mean, think about it at work. Or if you, or maybe you're somebody who employs
others. Are you really going to put up with murmuring and complaining? And it's the guy
that's complaining all the time. You know, we work too much. Why don't we get more days off?
I don't get paid enough. We're just always complaining. Those are the guys that end up
getting let go. Those are the guys that end up getting cut loose. If things get tight,
you know, the company's got to downsize. And the guys that are always complaining, the ones that
are always just, you know, murmuring against the boss and just complaining about the way things
are, they're the ones that, you know, get the ax first. But if we were servants, if we were
somebody who was being obedient, somebody who was just trying to be a blessing to others,
those are the people that get kept around. So being obedient, you know, being of one mind,
these are things, if we had these attitudes, and we're esteeming others better than ourselves,
we're not going to be so quick to murmur and complain about our own difficult circumstances.
You know, I hate to use this cliche statement, but it's kind of been something I've said several
times so far this year. It could be worse, right? That's kind of the theme so far, you know,
everything that's gone on with this year, it's like, been pretty rough, you know, in some
instances. We've gone through some things, but we always have to remind ourselves, well,
it could be worse. You know, if we had that attitude of, man, I, you know, I gotta do this,
or I gotta do that. I'm not really looking forward to it. Well, it could be worse. You know,
you could be in a lot worse situation. And so if you had that attitude, you know, you'd be less
likely to complain. Look at verse nine, wherefore God also at the highly exalted him, and given him
a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things
in heaven and things on earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, with the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as you have
always obeyed, not in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling. And so, look, you need to have this attitude, not when I'm
present, but when I'm absent. And it just reminds me of the fact that, you know, God hears the
murmuring in the public, but he hears it just as much in private. And when we think we're alone,
and no one's going to hear our complaining, and no one's going to hear our murmuring in our hearts,
when we're in private, God hears that too. You know, just because you're absent from some other
person, you still need to have that right attitude, because that attitude, I mean,
it all stems from within. It all comes in from within. Just, it starts in the heart,
and then it works its way out. He says there in verse 13, for it is God which work within you,
both to do and to will with his good pleasure, do all things without murmurings and disputings.
They may be blameless, to harmless, to sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked
and perverse nation, among whom he shined his lights in the world. So there's a purpose in
having the right attitude, and he's admonishing them to, you know, be of one mind, to be obedient,
to be his servants, to look on not only on his own things, but on the things of others,
and to fear, not only in his presence, but in his absence, and to do all these things,
but there's a purpose behind it. It's not just because it's the right thing to do,
but God has a purpose. There's a reason why God doesn't want us being murmurous today.
Why? So that we can be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst
of a crooked and perverse nation. He wants us to shine as lights in the world. And, you know,
if we have that right attitude, that's what we're going to do. People will be different.
Because people today, they complain about everything. I mean, complaining is just
something that just goes on all the time. I mean, just go on YouTube and look up
public freak-out compilation. People are just like a Taco Bell, he ain't took three minutes longer
than last time. They'll get up on the counter and start throwing drinks. I mean, people go out of
control today. They lose their minds over the stupidest things. You think they're shining
lights in the world as the sons of God without rebuke in the world? No, of course not. I mean,
and then God doesn't want his people being like that. Just walking around having a bad attitude,
just the first person that they can just let have it, they're going to do it. And just tell
them why everything's wrong, why everything isn't good enough, and just have this murmuring attitude.
There is a purpose in having a right attitude. It's to shine as lights in the world. He says
there in verse 16, hold forth the word of life that I may rejoice in the day of Christ,
that I have not run in vain, that I have labored in vain. We don't hold on to the Bible.
You don't want to be a murmurer this morning. You don't want to have God have to come down on you
and deal with your murmuring. You want to have a right attitude. You want to shine his lights in
the world today? Well, then you need to hold forth the word of life. You need to get in your Bible
and stay in it. And not only that, you need to live it. And if we would just start obeying God,
keeping his commandments, doing the things that he wants us to do with the right attitude,
we're not going to be murmurers, but we're going to be people that God
can bless. And I trust that's what we all want this morning. Let's go ahead and pray.