numbers 11-13

--personal thoughts--
when i saw the subtitle in my bible "the people complain," i really dreaded reading chapter 11. but i read it.... :) stomached it/haha...no pun intended regarding their complaints about food. :) but i've just been praying as i read....for conviction...for His voice in my heart and mind through His Word. and He is close as i think about this and pray.

--old testament understanding--
we see in chapter 11 that the people were tired (and greedy!). and they remembered times when they had other choices. and...moses was tired as we see in verses 10-15. we see that moses was provided seventy elders to assist him. and we see in chapter 11 that God responded to the people's complaints with meat...LOTS of it.

these passages are telling of God's just character and judgment. not only did God provide quail until it became "loathsome" to them (v 20)...but He struck them with a plague. and His justice was evident once again in chapter 12 as He interacted with miriam and aaron and responded to their words against moses...and miriam ended up with leprosy.

chapter 13 is important as it records the spies' obedience to "check out" the land that they would be going into.... moses' instruction was to see what it was like/what the people were like/what the cities were like/what the fruit was like. and they reported back...that the land was wonderful (they brought back enormous fruit as instructed)...and they said it "certainly does flow with milk and honey"...but that the people were strong and the cities well-fortified. caleb spoke out, however, and said that they should take possession of it (he wasn't afraid of the challenge).

--personal thoughts--
quick thoughts as we wrap up this reading...
i am comforted in God's justice. i think we would've scratched our heads and wondered why God allowed the people to get away with greed if He hadn't punished them. of course we would have. His character is just.

i am also comforted in His mercy. miriam's leprosy healed as moses pleaded (12:13)....

i am also filled with hope in caleb's courage. it is possible to be like caleb (and joshua) and not like the other fearful ten. it is possible to be like moses...very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth (12:3) and not like those filled with discontent and greed.

thank You, Father, for comfort and hope today. please move me to contentment and courage.