If only we had died

“They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord!” (Numbers 20:3)

 

You’ve probably heard of this, “What words can’t be said when we’re angry?” It sounds like, “We can say anything when we are angry.” But there’s another saying, “Sometimes there are things we have to say and things we shouldn’t.” Depending on who the listeners are, and what is the situation, you must speak carefully. We need to be careful in what we say, for everything in our life is so much affected by the use of tongue. The Israelite suffered heavy losses by misusing their mouths to speak. Even the leaders, Moses and Aaron, made mistakes and paid dearly for not entering the land of Canaan.

 

From what is written in the Bible, we know the disbelief of Israelite and their subsequent complaints and crimes were their bad habits, like regular menu. So when I read the Bible and I see them complaining, “Oops, their psychosis has broken out again!” I think, and “Is the bad disease just their problem?” And soon I blame myself, “Isn’t their problem my problem?” After all, I realize complaints and grudges are a common problem for all of us. People are living in miracles of everything from one to ten, but they wouldn’t admit it as a fact. Yet that’s never strange, because almost everyone live like that without feeling it. Our common reality is that the person who talks about the problem has no choice but to be told that it is strange.

Those who complain and resent were subject to physical punishment, at that time in the desert. By Miriam the sister of Moses and Aaron, Moses was accused of being married to a woman of Cush. on account of that, she had leprosy and died in Kadesh Barnea without entering Canaan, in Numbers 12:1~16. And Moses and Aaron also did not enter Canaan, for they did not express the holiness of God before the people, when there was a water shortage in the wilderness. People tend to look at their faces and overlook them. But God never makes anyone so unfair like people do. If we have done anything wrong, we must pay for it, whether it is large or small. That is what God’s righteousness says. Therefore, if you know the righteousness of God, you shouldn’t talk in a careless way, even if it’s just a simple word.

They came to Moses and Aaron and expressed their resentment because they did not get any water from the desert. We could understand a water-free situation in the wilderness without having to go into it. Anyone else is going to be thirsty right now, who’s got a good song to sing? Nevertheless it’s not just that. Don’t you know this saying? “Each of the two words ‘Oh’ and ‘Ah’ in Korean gives us a different sense.” Even if they were in a situation that anyone could complain about, a man of good faith will try to be patient and patient with even that difficulty. Haven’t the people of Israel had many experiences in the past? They were freed from slavery and crossed the Red Sea of death. And they had a miracle of eating Manna and quail, when they were hungry in the desolate wilderness. If so, couldn’t they wait for the word of God though they’re having a hard time because there was no water right now?

Even though we say something that we complain about, we should not use extreme curse words if we can. “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead.” Is that what they have to say? I just think that is what they said because they had no faith and no humanity at all. In addition, they said these by intimidation, “You kill us in the desert.” or “It was better when we were in the land of Egypt.” Bad words are bound to arouse bad feelings. That’s one of the strategies that Satan is using to shake a human soul. And the germs of distrust and resentment among the people were also transmitted to Moses and Aaron. Satan hunts the human soul with really high skill. The growth and sanctity of faith is to discern Satan’s mischief and overcome it by the Holy Spirit.

 

We have to rely on the Holy Spirit to pray and read a lot of the Bible. Just memorizing the Bible can’t make sense for righteousness. Those, who know the Scriptures but do not follow the Holy Spirit, are like the people who live by the hand of God but amid complaints and complaints. Instead of paying the price of error and living in a hurry, it would be better for you to follow the Spirit’s guide and enjoy the holy joy, wouldn’t you think?

 

(Written by Koonoh, Pastor of JDO Presbyterian Church in Korea, on Feb 9th 2020)