THIRD QUARTER 2021
SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #2
JULY 10, 2021
“RESTLESS AND REBELLIOUS”

 

 

Memory Text: “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” 1 Corinthians 10:11

 

Our lesson this week deals with the basic issue of human nature, and its fruits when it is expressed, instead of resting in Christ by faith, and experiencing His grace in our lives. Were the Israelites able to be saved by grace through faith or was the “old covenant” a covenant of salvation by works, by keeping the law, and thus “bondage” as Galatians 4 discusses? We must answer this question, for much of the confusion in the Evangelical community exists due to a “straw man” stating that the Old Covenant people were saved by the law, but the New Covenant people were “saved by grace”, and the verse is used to justify the position, “we are not under law, we are under grace.”

 

Hebrews 4:2. “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” The verse is clear that the Israelites, in the wilderness experience had the same Gospel we have, and the opportunity to respond by faith. What did they choose to do instead?

 

Romans 9:30 “What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.

 

Romans 9:31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.

Romans 9:32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone;”

 

Romans 10:3 “For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”

 

Thus, the root of the rebellion was the lack of surrender, trust, faith, and love for God, and recognition of their utter dependence upon His righteousness for their spiritual life.  John 17:3. Salvation is to know God.

 

Thus, to receive the word of God; to yield the heart to it that thus it may work in the life; this is genuine belief, this is true faith. This is the faith by which men can be justified, made righteous indeed. For by it the very will of God, as expressed in His own word, is accomplished in the life by the creative word of Him Who has spoken. This is the work of faith. This is the righteousness—the right doing—of God which is by faith. Thus “It is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Thus, the character, the righteousness of God is manifested in the life, delivering from the power of sin, to the saving of the soul in righteousness.

 

“This is justification by faith alone. This is justification by faith, without works. For the faith being the gift of God, coming by the word of God, and itself working in man the works of God, needs none of the work of sinful man to make it good and acceptable to God. The faith itself works in man that which is good and is sufficient of itself to fill all the life with the goodness of God and needs not the imperfect effort of sinful man to make it meritorious. This faith gives to man good works, instead of being itself dependent upon man for “good works.” It is not expressed by “faith and works;” but by “faith which works,” “for in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love” (Galatians 5:6). “Seest thou how faith wrought?” (James 2:22). “Remembering without ceasing, your work of faith;” “and the work of faith with power” (1 Thessalonians. 1:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:11). And “This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him Whom He hath sent” (John 6:29). This is “the faith of God” which Jesus exhorts us to have (Mark 11:22, margin); which was manifested in Him; and which by His grace is a free gift to every soul on earth.”  Justification by Faith - A. T. Jones - The Present Truth | June 21, 1894

 

Romans 8:7 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

 

Romans 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” The restlessness and rebelliousness of Israel was thus a symptom of the deep problem of avoiding righteousness by faith because they did not know God or the power of His Word, Spirit, and promises. True faith works by love and purifies the soul. The people of Israel, as well as us today, have the promises of God to guide us into a faithful relationship, trusting His faithfulness.

 

 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” As our memory text points out, the past stories are examples also to us, to learn and to come to God in living faith and surrender.

 

We see this history of rebellion evident from the time of the deliverance from Egypt at the Red Sea. Three days later the people are murmuring and complaining. Exodus 15:23 “And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore, the name of it was called Marah.

 

Exodus 15:24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?” Then, in Chapter 16.

 

Exodus 16:2 “And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:

 

Exodus 16:3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. “In times of deprivation or suffering, they began to question the character, and thus the goodness of God. Yet, we often state “God is good, all of the time.” If we believed that, we would accept trials as God’s method of forming faith and character, for we would trust Him, and His knowledge of us, and what we need to truly reckon ourselves dead to the flesh, and crucified with Christ.“

 

In Sunday’s lesson, we see a similar situation. In Numbers 11:1-15, we see that the spirit of rebellion remained, during their departing from Sinai, in part complaining about their diet and the manna, resulting in God providing flesh food, but proving to be a curse. Even Moses began to complain about having to deal with all the people. It is important to remember the principle of the influence of mind upon mind.

 

Deuteronomy 8:2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or no.

 

Deuteronomy 8:3 And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

 

Our knowledge of God, His goodness, His love is largely revealed through our faith and obedience, particularly in trial. We live by every word of God when we trust the Word Giver, and the goal that God has in the redemption of the human soul from selfishness.

 

Self-seeking is always eventually manifested in rebellion against God’s leadership and Lordship, as well as against His human leaders.

 

This occurred in Numbers 12:1-3, where Aaron and Miriam began to grumble about Moses’ wife, and began to question His leadership, and began to desire the gifts and calling that Moses had. Self began to crave power, whereas true faith is humble and surrendered to God’s leadership, out of faith. To sell out the Kingdom of Heaven for power is the devil’s bargain. This is the agreement that the self-lover makes. Exercising self, craving power, reveals the character of Satan, clearly manifested in Isaiah 14 which of course resulted in the rebellion in heaven. Miriam experienced a judgment, and then both began to demonstrate more intercession, concern for God and others, and Moses interceded for her. This was God’s desire and He then healed her.

 

The spirit of unbelief, rebellion, and selfishness was very manifest in the story of Numbers 13-14 and is so applicable to today’s environment and issues in the church. The spies were sent to spy out the land, and most brought back a report that demonstrated no faith in God at all.

 

Numbers 13:30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

 

Numbers 13:31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.

 

Numbers 13:32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.

 

“Now the scene changed. Hope and courage gave place to cowardly despair, as the spies uttered the sentiments of their unbelieving hearts, which were filled with discouragement prompted by Satan. Their unbelief cast a gloomy shadow over the congregation, and the mighty power of God, so often manifested in behalf of the chosen nation, was forgotten. The people did not wait to reflect; they did not reason that He Who had brought them thus far would certainly give them the land; they did not call to mind how wonderfully God had delivered them from their oppressors, cutting a path through the sea and destroying the pursuing hosts of Pharaoh. They left God out of the question and acted as though they must depend solely on the power of arms.”  PP, 388.

 

When we look at the problem, as when Israel looked at the strength of Pharoah’s chariots it leads to fear and unbelief. When we keep our eyes on the truth of God, through faith in His power and promises, we “overcome the world” through that faith. In the discussion that exists today regarding victory over sin, I have often heard that our human nature is too great for us. But the Bible is clear that God is more powerful than Satan, and greater than our fallen human nature. We need to be like Caleb and speak faith in God, for “with God all things are possible.”

 

Numbers 14:9 Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

 

The people threaten to stone their leaders, and God uses the situation to test the faith of Moses, who had previously been murmuring a bit himself, but then interceded for Miriam. Moses intercedes for all the people, as their leader, praying to God to forgive them, and to be patient longer with them. We need to remember that the rebellion really was against God’s leadership, and therefore, we all need to examine our hearts, in our relationship to leadership, divine or human, for it is very telling as to our spiritual condition.

 

God was merciful in response to Moses, but that generation did not enter the promised land. The reason is not the occasional sin of a people who were growing, but the degree of rebellion against God that the character of the people demonstrated, and God read the heart, that they, in general, would never overcome. Tragic is the story of a people who saw the power of God in Egypt and at the Red Sea.

 

In verses 39-45, they expressed remorse, but it was shallow, and presumptuous, and not deeply felt. They eventually launched an attack against the Ark of the Covenant ad Moses’ leadership.

 

The judgments visited upon the Israelites served for a time to restrain their murmuring and insubordination, but the spirit of rebellion was still in the heart and eventually brought forth the bitterest fruits. The former rebellions had been mere popular tumults, arising from the sudden impulse of the excited multitude; but now a deep-laid conspiracy was formed, the result of a determined purpose to overthrow the authority of the leaders appointed by God Himself.  PP 395

 

As in the case of the 7 last plagues, it became more and more evident that they would not truly repent, because in fact, God’s judgment on them was conditional, and God could have reversed His decision, dependent upon their response, but they simply were hardened in more and more rebellion.

 

“But faith is in no sense allied to presumption. Only he who has true faith is secure against presumption. For presumption is Satan's counterfeit of faith. Faith claims God's promises, and brings forth fruit in obedience. Presumption also claims the promises, but uses them as Satan did, to excuse transgression. Faith would have led our first parents to trust the love of God, and to obey His commands. Presumption led them to transgress His law, believing that His great love would save them from the consequence of their sin. It is not faith that claims the favor of Heaven without complying with the conditions on which mercy is to be granted. Genuine faith has its foundation in the promises and provisions of the Scriptures.”  DA 126.

John 14:15. “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

 

~Pastor Tom Cusack