January 23, 2012
The Good With The Badlands: Wk 3
Posted by Michael
Learn:
Numbers 20:1-13
1 In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried. 2 Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. 3 They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the LORD! 4 Why did you bring the LORD’s community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here? 5 Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!” 6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them. 7 The LORD said to Moses, 8 “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.” 9 So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence, just as he commanded him. 10 He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. 12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” 13 These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD and where he showed himself holy among them.
Main Idea:
We’ve been examining the Israelites’ 40-year transition period from Egypt to the Promised Land. During this time, God wanted to build their character through their circumstances. One of those circumstances was a lack of water. While their concern was legitimate, they once again complained about the wrong thing. They were still wishing to be back in Egypt – a place where they were slaves. Moses went to God with this problem, because he knew that apart from Him he could do nothing. God was more than willing to provide for the people’s need. He tells Moses to speak to a rock and water will pour out of it. Moses is angry and frustrated with the people, and strikes the rock instead. Moses had been angry with the people before, but in this instance his anger was not a reflection of God’s righteous anger. Despite Moses’ disobedience, water still came from the rock. God still uses broken people to build His kingdom. The 40-year journey that the Israelites had in the badlands can teach us a great lesson. God is faithful to us during our own time in the badlands, and the way we respond to challenges will matter more than the challenges themselves.
Know What: A change in circumstance doesn’t always mean a change in character.
So What: God will provide for us during the dry seasons of our lives. We may want our circumstances to change, but the work being done in us during these times will be of great significance.
Now What: Go and do the work God has called you to, even if you feel broken and inadequate.
Discuss…
1. Is there any circumstance you are going through right now that you wish God would remove from your life? What is God teaching you through this circumstance?
2. Have you ever met people who are in great circumstances, but are miserable? Have you ever met people who are in terrible circumstances, but are filled with joy? Why do you think our circumstances do not affect our character?
3. The Israelites had a chance to enter the Promised Land early on in their journey, but they chose to not take that chance. Has a past regret in your life left you bitter? How can God redeem this bitterness?
4. Why did acknowledging his own inadequacies make Moses a great leader? What can you learn from his humility?
5. Why do you think God chose a rock to produce water from?
6. God first appeared to Moses as a burning bush. The bush was on fire, but it was not consumed by it. Why is a burning bush a great image of what our anger should be?
7. What are some things that make you angry? Do you believe your anger is righteous? If so, how can you use your anger to bring about positive change rather than destruction?
8. What is the most significant thing you learned in this series? How can you use what you learned as you move forward this year?
Next Steps…
Moses’ anger was an issue his whole life, and it led him to make unwise decisions. Anger can be a good thing, but only if it leads to restoration, not destruction. This week, think about the way Jesus used His anger for good (Mark 3, John 2:12-16, and Mark 10:13-16 are some examples). As you go through your week, think about the times you get angry. Is your anger righteous? Is it being used for good, or tearing people down? Pray that God would use the anger you experience in hard situations to do good rather than harm.
