Friday, April 11, 2014

Slow: Numbers 14:1-24


Numbers 14:1-24

*Why are the Israelites grumbling and complaining?

*Discouragement and fear has a way of crippling our view. What were the people fixated on? {see verse 3}

*They were so discouraged, they were willing and even wanting to go where? {see vs. 3-4}

*Take a minute to remember where they came from and where they say they want to return. Recall every detail you can about what their lives were like there.

*After this temper tantrum, God's presence comes to the Tent of Meeting. What is His response? {see vs. 10-12}

*Moses' heart knows the true nature of God and is concerned for hos this will affect his reputation - see vs. 13-19.

*Moses lists four things in verse 14 that the Egyptions have observed about God.

*What response does Moses fear? {see vs. 15-16}

*Moses quotes Exodus 34:6 which we've already looked at and studied. Write Numbers 14:18a below.

*What is Moses asking God for? {see vs. 17-19}

*I love verse 20 - God says, "I have ______________   _______________."

*It doesn't mean there are no consequences though. The Israelites were not content with any form of slow - they were not surrendered to God, they did not seek less of their agenda and more of His, they were not obeying, they did not have hearts of worship. However, they were about to be physically slowed for many years.

*Let's look at some of their consequences:
vs. 23
vs. 28
vs. 29
vs. 30
vs. 33
vs. 34
vs. 35

*There was one beautiful exception, look at vs. 24. Who does God single out? Why? How does his ending to this story look different?


This all reminds me of something that happened recently. The floor has been getting redone at the church where we have CC and was supposed to be done when we walked in a couple of weeks ago.

It was dry and you could walk on it but it looked awful. It was a very dark terra cotta color that was uneven in lots of places. The scoring lines were not straight and worst - it was so rough it was like super grit sandpaper.

I'll admit it did make the former faded maroon carpet seem appealing.

As I look back at those moments of seeing the floor - I realize I am like the Israelites. Quick to grumble, quick to forget how God has provided this place for us to meet and how I respond impacts and affects the responses of those around me.

I was concerned about safety of course, so we stayed off of it and it will be fixed as this was not the desired outcome of the church either.

Thank You, Lord, for being slow to anger with me this day. I will choose surrender, less of me, obedience and worship. I want to be like Caleb and serve you wholeheartedly.

Can you relate? Can you think of a time you responded or were caught up in the grumbling of others? How can you apply slow and the lessons learned here?