At the gate of the Promised Land, when the people of Israel refused to enter Caanan and wanted to go back to Egypt, Lord says - These people who have seen my Glory and miraculous signs have Disobeyed and Tested Me 10 times!!! (Numbers 14:22)
Let us look what are the 10 ways in which people of Israel tested God and in which occassions.
(1) You have brought us from Egypt to kill in this wilderness? - Exodus 14:11
People redeemed from the slavery of egypt by passover and the shedding of the blood of the lamb now when faced with Pharoah's army behind them and the Red Sea before them says!!
Do people redeemed by the blood of Jesus when faced with such situations also say so - You brought me to this faith to kill?
(2) What shall we drink? - Exodus 15:25
At mara they expected sweet water, but the water is bitter!
After drinking all the waters of the Blue River Nile in Egypt, they expect sweet water in wilderness!
Do you complain for lack of sweet things of this world?
(3) What will we eat? - Exodus 16:3
You have brought us to this wilderness to starve and kill.
We would have preferred to be killed before the flesh pots and after eating full!
Some people wants a full stomach even when they die.
Are you hungry for the worldly things?
(4) Can God provide for tomorrow? - Exodus 16:19
God's promise is for provision for each day. Jesus taught "Give us this day our daily bread"
But people wants to pile up and hoard for tomorrow.
Even God's people have a lot of savings and invetsments planned for tomorrow.
But it will all rot and stink.
(5) Give us Water - Exodus 17:1-
Most serious rebellion against God. They rebelled and was about to stome moses.
Psalm 95 and Hebrews Ch 3 further elaborates how serious the rebellion of Israel was.
Will God be able to provided us with water in this rocky wilderness?
At Mara there were atleast some water.
The quarrel of the people led to the striking of the Rock at Horeb which symbolizes the future suffering & death of Jesus on behalf of rebellious mankind.
(6) Idolatory (and Immorality) Exodus 32
The moment the law (Ten Commandments) was given, they broke it and made a Golden calf to be their god. They were is sexual immorality and revelry.
Have you any idols in your life, more important than Jesus?
(7) Murmuring - Numbers 11:1-3
For no specific reason, they murmur.
A group of discontended people. They wont be contended at any time.
Do you murmur and are you discontended?
Paul says - I have learned to be contended even with and without
(8) Who will give us flesh? - Numbers 11:4-
They have contempt for the heavenly food manna and crave for flesh?
Does the spiritual matters bore you and you crave for wordly things?
(9) Let us send Spies and see whether the land is fit? (Numbers 13;1-, Duet 1:20-25)
God said - Behold the Promised Land which flows Honey & Milk is before you, you enter and posses.
But people said, Let us test the land through spies!
Do you want to test God's promise and then possess? You willnever possess!!
(10) We donot want the promised land, Let us go back to Egypt! - Numbers 14:1
A rebellious nation who rebell consistently against God and His promises
So they wandered for 40 years and their bodies were strewn in the wilderness.
Hebrew Chapter 3 advises us
Let us look what are the 10 ways in which people of Israel tested God and in which occassions.
(1) You have brought us from Egypt to kill in this wilderness? - Exodus 14:11
People redeemed from the slavery of egypt by passover and the shedding of the blood of the lamb now when faced with Pharoah's army behind them and the Red Sea before them says!!
Do people redeemed by the blood of Jesus when faced with such situations also say so - You brought me to this faith to kill?
(2) What shall we drink? - Exodus 15:25
At mara they expected sweet water, but the water is bitter!
After drinking all the waters of the Blue River Nile in Egypt, they expect sweet water in wilderness!
Do you complain for lack of sweet things of this world?
(3) What will we eat? - Exodus 16:3
You have brought us to this wilderness to starve and kill.
We would have preferred to be killed before the flesh pots and after eating full!
Some people wants a full stomach even when they die.
Are you hungry for the worldly things?
(4) Can God provide for tomorrow? - Exodus 16:19
God's promise is for provision for each day. Jesus taught "Give us this day our daily bread"
But people wants to pile up and hoard for tomorrow.
Even God's people have a lot of savings and invetsments planned for tomorrow.
But it will all rot and stink.
(5) Give us Water - Exodus 17:1-
Most serious rebellion against God. They rebelled and was about to stome moses.
Psalm 95 and Hebrews Ch 3 further elaborates how serious the rebellion of Israel was.
Will God be able to provided us with water in this rocky wilderness?
At Mara there were atleast some water.
The quarrel of the people led to the striking of the Rock at Horeb which symbolizes the future suffering & death of Jesus on behalf of rebellious mankind.
(6) Idolatory (and Immorality) Exodus 32
The moment the law (Ten Commandments) was given, they broke it and made a Golden calf to be their god. They were is sexual immorality and revelry.
Have you any idols in your life, more important than Jesus?
(7) Murmuring - Numbers 11:1-3
For no specific reason, they murmur.
A group of discontended people. They wont be contended at any time.
Do you murmur and are you discontended?
Paul says - I have learned to be contended even with and without
(8) Who will give us flesh? - Numbers 11:4-
They have contempt for the heavenly food manna and crave for flesh?
Does the spiritual matters bore you and you crave for wordly things?
(9) Let us send Spies and see whether the land is fit? (Numbers 13;1-, Duet 1:20-25)
God said - Behold the Promised Land which flows Honey & Milk is before you, you enter and posses.
But people said, Let us test the land through spies!
Do you want to test God's promise and then possess? You willnever possess!!
(10) We donot want the promised land, Let us go back to Egypt! - Numbers 14:1
A rebellious nation who rebell consistently against God and His promises
So they wandered for 40 years and their bodies were strewn in the wilderness.
Hebrew Chapter 3 advises us
| Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Psa 95:7 | |
| | Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: Psa 95:8 |
| | When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Psa 95:9 |
| | Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. Psa 95:10 |
| | So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) Psa 95:11 |
| | Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. |
| | But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. |
| | For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; May God Bless You |
