The danger of murmuring and complaining 505 - 4 - 5

Complaining – Strong’s H6682, From H6681; a screech, of anguish, crying. H6681, to screech, exultingly, shout. Murmuring – Strong’s H8519, From H3885 in the sense of obstinacy; a grumbling: - murmuring. H3885, includes to stop; to stay permanently. “To stay permanently” certainly applied to all but two of the Israeli.  

Before the Israelite’s were to enter the Promised Land Moses sent in twelve spies, Caleb of the tribe of Judah, Joshua of the tribe of Ephraim and men from the other ten tribes. Upon their return Celeb and Joshua brought their good report, however, the other 10 spies were very fearful and murmured greatly.

Numbers 14:11-12, “And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them? I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.”

 Moses connived God not to destroy the people. Rather God decreed that only those 20 years of age and younger and Celeb and Joshua would enter the Promised Land, as for the rest of the Israeli, Number 14:32, “But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.”

Later the Israeli decided to do it their way and enter the Promise Land against the advice of Moses, “Go not up, for the Lord is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.” And smitten they were.

Fast forward hundreds of years; Jude 1:5, “I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.”

Hebrews 3:15-18, "While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?"

If we place our truth in God we can rest in the presence of the Comforter. Or like the Israeli we can chose to continue in disbelief by murmuring, not trusting God and being fearful and come to a less than desirable end. Revelation 21:8, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”