Folks criticize the HEBREW children for their lack of faith after the their Exodus from Egypt and their crossing the Red Sea.
But then those same critics live in doubt and defeat after the Passover (Jesus death on the cross) and Pentecost (the coming of the Holy Spirit and birth of the Church).
The constant murmuring, complaining, doubting among the Hebrews who were led out of Egypt by Moses was not because God had failed them or because Moses misled them. They struggled in their escape from bondage because they never made complete surrender, because they never trusted God fully, and God was not happy with them.
The complaining and fault finding not only polluted their own minds and hearts, making their own journey more difficult, but it also made life harder for those around them, and it created barriers with other sojourners, and it eventually resulted in idolatry for some of them, and it caused great numbers of them to be cut off from God ultimately, and it kept all but a few of the remaining multitude from entering the Promised Land. Crying, whining, doubting are acts of bondage rather than signs of faith and victory.
There were times when it was so difficult that some of those that were being rescued from Egyptian slavery and oppression longed for the old life and regretted the new life. They should have been singing praises all along the way, but they took greater pleasure crying in misery. Sometimes God required them to repeat the hard steps in the journey because they did not learn the glorious reality of victory through praise. God calls it rebellion when we don't live by faith.
The same thing happens today. There are few who mix faith with their testing, and as a result the moans of oppression rise where there should be shouts of victory.
Hebrews 3:14-19
14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
The constant murmuring, complaining, doubting among the Hebrews who were led out of Egypt by Moses was not because God had failed them or because Moses misled them. They struggled in their escape from bondage because they never made complete surrender, because they never trusted God fully, and God was not happy with them.
The complaining and fault finding not only polluted their own minds and hearts, making their own journey more difficult, but it also made life harder for those around them, and it created barriers with other sojourners, and it eventually resulted in idolatry for some of them, and it caused great numbers of them to be cut off from God ultimately, and it kept all but a few of the remaining multitude from entering the Promised Land. Crying, whining, doubting are acts of bondage rather than signs of faith and victory.
There were times when it was so difficult that some of those that were being rescued from Egyptian slavery and oppression longed for the old life and regretted the new life. They should have been singing praises all along the way, but they took greater pleasure crying in misery. Sometimes God required them to repeat the hard steps in the journey because they did not learn the glorious reality of victory through praise. God calls it rebellion when we don't live by faith.
The same thing happens today. There are few who mix faith with their testing, and as a result the moans of oppression rise where there should be shouts of victory.
Hebrews 3:14-19
14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
