I know, this isn't much good after we've already had the lesson, but it has been a busy week. I missed last week all-together, so I figure this is better than nothing.
The lesson covered Exodus 15-20, 32-34, but we only got through chapters 15-18 in class. There are a couple of recurring themes in these chapters. One, the Israelites sure liked to murmur, a lot. Two, everything points to Christ as the Savior and Deliverer. The beauty of symbolism is that it will mean different things to different people. I'll just share a few things which stood out to me and let you draw your own conclusions.
Moses and the Israelites get to Marah, and the water is bitter, so the people start to murmur. Moses prays and was shown a tree which, when cast into the water, would make it sweet. Moses then put the children of Israel under a covenant to keep the Lord's commandments.
This brought to mind a couple of things. First, when we take the sacrament, we renew our covenant to keep the Lord's commandments. Second, without the effects of the atonement (can't help but think of the cross when the tree is mentioned), the Gospel would be bitter. We would be unable to return to our Father, so there would be no sweetness in the Gospel.
Israel travels further and murmurs about not having anything to eat. They cry out "Would to God we had died ... in Egypt, ... when we did eat bread to the full..." (Exodus 16:3). In other words, 'God can't provide for us as well as the Egyptians could.'
God provided Israel with manna, to "prove them, whether they will walk in [God's] law, or no" (Exodus 16:4).
It turns out that many of the Israelites couldn't handle the complex rules around the gathering of manna. Let's review:
-Don't store it overnight (Exodus 16:19). When they did, the manna was spoiled and had worms.
-Gather twice as much on day six because there won't be any on the Sabbath (Exodus 16:22). Sure enough, people are wandering around on the Sabbath, looking for manna.
I start to point my finger at the Israelites, wondering why they just couldn't grasp the little things. Why can't they go two minutes without complaining about something. Then I think about my own life and how often I don't seem to be able to handle the simple instructions:
-Daily prayer and scripture study. How many promises have we been given if we will spend a little time each day in prayer and study? Good grief, if this isn't one of the hardest habits to develop. I can read books for hours at a time, but can't seem to make a habit of reading the scriptures daily.
-You can't live today on yesterday's spiritual experiences. Without nourishment, yesterday's testimony gets weak and may spoil.
How can I make sure I don't fall into the murmur mire like the Israelites did? One of the best ways seems to be the scriptural admonition to "always remember":
-Christ (sacrament prayers, found in Doctrine & Covenants 20:77, 79)
-the greatness of God, His goodness and long-suffering towards us (Mosiah 4:11)
-the captivity of our fathers and their deliverance at God's hand. (Alma 29:12)
Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said that "those with the shortest memories have the longest lists of demands" (Neal A. Maxwell, "'Murmur Not'," Ensign, Nov 1989, 82). This was especially true with the Israelites. They were soon out of water again, and murmuring against Moses, "Is the Lord among us, or not?" (Exodus 17:7).
Something clicked for me while I was teaching the lesson this afternoon. These same people who complained to Moses would have risen in the morning, gone out of their tents and gathered their omer of manna. They would have to know that this stuff doesn't grow naturally in the desert. It hadn't been that long since the Lord first provided them with manna, maybe a couple of weeks? A month? They have food provided for them miraculously on a daily basis, and they start complaining as soon as they get thirsty.
Moses smote the rock with his staff as instructed by the Lord, and water came out. I thought of the Roman soldiers breaking the legs of the thieves on the cross, then piercing the side of Christ's (the Rock of Israel) lifeless body to make sure he was dead, and water came out.
It's so easy to look down on the Israelites, but I hope when things get tough my first instinct will be to look to God rather than murmur and complain. It's going to be a bit of an uphill climb, because sometimes I'm pretty quick to complain...
The lesson covered Exodus 15-20, 32-34, but we only got through chapters 15-18 in class. There are a couple of recurring themes in these chapters. One, the Israelites sure liked to murmur, a lot. Two, everything points to Christ as the Savior and Deliverer. The beauty of symbolism is that it will mean different things to different people. I'll just share a few things which stood out to me and let you draw your own conclusions.
Moses and the Israelites get to Marah, and the water is bitter, so the people start to murmur. Moses prays and was shown a tree which, when cast into the water, would make it sweet. Moses then put the children of Israel under a covenant to keep the Lord's commandments.
This brought to mind a couple of things. First, when we take the sacrament, we renew our covenant to keep the Lord's commandments. Second, without the effects of the atonement (can't help but think of the cross when the tree is mentioned), the Gospel would be bitter. We would be unable to return to our Father, so there would be no sweetness in the Gospel.
Israel travels further and murmurs about not having anything to eat. They cry out "Would to God we had died ... in Egypt, ... when we did eat bread to the full..." (Exodus 16:3). In other words, 'God can't provide for us as well as the Egyptians could.'
God provided Israel with manna, to "prove them, whether they will walk in [God's] law, or no" (Exodus 16:4).
It turns out that many of the Israelites couldn't handle the complex rules around the gathering of manna. Let's review:
-Don't store it overnight (Exodus 16:19). When they did, the manna was spoiled and had worms.
-Gather twice as much on day six because there won't be any on the Sabbath (Exodus 16:22). Sure enough, people are wandering around on the Sabbath, looking for manna.
I start to point my finger at the Israelites, wondering why they just couldn't grasp the little things. Why can't they go two minutes without complaining about something. Then I think about my own life and how often I don't seem to be able to handle the simple instructions:
-Daily prayer and scripture study. How many promises have we been given if we will spend a little time each day in prayer and study? Good grief, if this isn't one of the hardest habits to develop. I can read books for hours at a time, but can't seem to make a habit of reading the scriptures daily.
-You can't live today on yesterday's spiritual experiences. Without nourishment, yesterday's testimony gets weak and may spoil.
How can I make sure I don't fall into the murmur mire like the Israelites did? One of the best ways seems to be the scriptural admonition to "always remember":
-Christ (sacrament prayers, found in Doctrine & Covenants 20:77, 79)
-the greatness of God, His goodness and long-suffering towards us (Mosiah 4:11)
-the captivity of our fathers and their deliverance at God's hand. (Alma 29:12)
Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said that "those with the shortest memories have the longest lists of demands" (Neal A. Maxwell, "'Murmur Not'," Ensign, Nov 1989, 82). This was especially true with the Israelites. They were soon out of water again, and murmuring against Moses, "Is the Lord among us, or not?" (Exodus 17:7).
Something clicked for me while I was teaching the lesson this afternoon. These same people who complained to Moses would have risen in the morning, gone out of their tents and gathered their omer of manna. They would have to know that this stuff doesn't grow naturally in the desert. It hadn't been that long since the Lord first provided them with manna, maybe a couple of weeks? A month? They have food provided for them miraculously on a daily basis, and they start complaining as soon as they get thirsty.
Moses smote the rock with his staff as instructed by the Lord, and water came out. I thought of the Roman soldiers breaking the legs of the thieves on the cross, then piercing the side of Christ's (the Rock of Israel) lifeless body to make sure he was dead, and water came out.
It's so easy to look down on the Israelites, but I hope when things get tough my first instinct will be to look to God rather than murmur and complain. It's going to be a bit of an uphill climb, because sometimes I'm pretty quick to complain...
1 comment:
"when I was a child, I spake as a child ..."! Thanks for sharing this. I heard you cover most of these points in your lesson in class. I realized as I was drifting off to sleep last night that I slept thru part of your class - how wrong is that - to doze off while your son is giving the lesson! I will repent and change my ways.
With a father's pride I have been watching you grow, even in the year or so that we've been in your class. I have seen quiet outward changes.
I have also seen inner changes.
Your writings are inspirational. You write as one who writes with authority, knowing that of which you write because the Spirit is teaching you. You are not afraid to share in your writings what you learn nor afraid to share what your feelings.
When you write it is as if you are riding a powerful horse and you are not afraid to let go of the reins, to let it run, and to let it take you where it may.
When you speak people hear what you say and know that your knowledge of these things runs very deep.
Young riders when they mount a powerful horse pull back tightly on the reins, wanting to control the horse, afraid to let it run.
As scary as it may be to those of us who like to be in control, Faith is letting loose the reins and allowing the Spirit to run, running freely like the wind, unseen but with power flowing where ever it goes. When we 'hold back tightly on the reins' we are holding back the Spirit that touches the spirits of those who hear us speak.
"He expounded unto them ..." on the road to Emmaus. It will yet be said of you too "did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures". Well Done Son!
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