Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while. Our laptop died, so now I have to develop a new routine. It's pretty hard to post from the PC because of dealing with interruptions from the kids. Usually I post in the morning before they're awake. I definitely function much better in this arena with the laptop. It's quite upsetting, too because I lost some pictures and documents. I was trying to backup the pictures, but the computer was giving me trouble, and then a couple of days later the hard drive gave up the ghost. If anyone knows someone who is able to recover files without a huge pricetag, I'd appreciate the references. Hopefully I'll be back up and running soon. In the meantime, make each day the best day!
Steph
Friday, May 16, 2008
Friday, May 2, 2008
Lessons in Anger - Part Three
Exodus 32: Moses' anger was justified and righteous in this instance because the people were defiling themselves and worshiping a man-made god. They were also crediting that god for delivering them from Egypt even though they had seen the power of the true God working to deliver them. His anger motivated him to obey God's command and cleanse the people, which he may have been hesitant to obey otherwise.
Numbers 20:1-12: Moses was continually being frustrated by the Israelites. Nothing was ever good enough for them. Rather than embracing each challenge they faced as an opportunity to see God work for them, they chose to complain to Moses about how they wanted to go back to Egypt. They often accused Moses of bringing them out into the wilderness to die. You would think that after everything they had seen God do through Moses that at some point they would begin trusting. I'm sure Moses was tired of their complaining and accusations. He probably hoped they would show gratitude for being delivered out of the abuse and slavery they experienced in Egypt. When they arrived at the Wilderness of Zin, where there was no water, and the people began rehashing their familiar complaints, Moses was probably thinking something along the lines of "Oh, here we go again!" At first he did the right thing and sought God for the solution, but as he approached the people his anger was still brewing. He may have wanted to show the people once and for all that he was the one in charge. In his anger he modified God's instructions. God had told Moses to simply speak to the rock in front of the Israelites, and it would yield water. Instead Moses chose to say, "Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?" (vs 10) and hit the rock twice with his rod (emphasis added). In the past Moses had channeled his anger to enable him to do positive things, but this time he let his anger get the best of him. This time he took matters into his own hands, reminiscent of the time that he killed the Egyptian who had abused the Israeli slave (Exodus 2:11-12). In his anger he tried to take part of the credit for God's miracle. God wanted His own authority to be clearly demonstrated to the people. Moses wanted the people to accept his authority. He disobeyed God's command. In his anger he struck the rock. I think that both God's and Moses' authority would have been much more clearly demonstrated had Moses exactly obeyed God's command (that's not a judgment, just an observation). But, when we allow anger to get the best of us our judgment gets clouded. God was faithful and provided the water despite Moses' disobedience, but He punished Moses by preventing him from leading the people into the Promised Land.
Numbers 20:1-12: Moses was continually being frustrated by the Israelites. Nothing was ever good enough for them. Rather than embracing each challenge they faced as an opportunity to see God work for them, they chose to complain to Moses about how they wanted to go back to Egypt. They often accused Moses of bringing them out into the wilderness to die. You would think that after everything they had seen God do through Moses that at some point they would begin trusting. I'm sure Moses was tired of their complaining and accusations. He probably hoped they would show gratitude for being delivered out of the abuse and slavery they experienced in Egypt. When they arrived at the Wilderness of Zin, where there was no water, and the people began rehashing their familiar complaints, Moses was probably thinking something along the lines of "Oh, here we go again!" At first he did the right thing and sought God for the solution, but as he approached the people his anger was still brewing. He may have wanted to show the people once and for all that he was the one in charge. In his anger he modified God's instructions. God had told Moses to simply speak to the rock in front of the Israelites, and it would yield water. Instead Moses chose to say, "Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?" (vs 10) and hit the rock twice with his rod (emphasis added). In the past Moses had channeled his anger to enable him to do positive things, but this time he let his anger get the best of him. This time he took matters into his own hands, reminiscent of the time that he killed the Egyptian who had abused the Israeli slave (Exodus 2:11-12). In his anger he tried to take part of the credit for God's miracle. God wanted His own authority to be clearly demonstrated to the people. Moses wanted the people to accept his authority. He disobeyed God's command. In his anger he struck the rock. I think that both God's and Moses' authority would have been much more clearly demonstrated had Moses exactly obeyed God's command (that's not a judgment, just an observation). But, when we allow anger to get the best of us our judgment gets clouded. God was faithful and provided the water despite Moses' disobedience, but He punished Moses by preventing him from leading the people into the Promised Land.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Lessons in Anger - Part Two
Genesis 45:4-8: Joseph would have been justified if he had been angry with his brothers for the way they had treated him when they sold him into slavery all those years earlier. Instead he chose to see God's hand at work in the circumstances, accept the circumstances, and show mercy to his brothers. The result was that the family was reunited, rather than being further separated and wounded. Joseph also received a double portion of his father's blessing because Jacob blessed both of Joseph's sons as his own (Genesis 48).
Genesis 34, 49:5-7: Simeon's and Levi's anger about what was done to their sister, Dinah was initially justified. However they allowed themselves to be controlled by their anger and fed off of each other's anger to the point that they escalated and chose to express their anger through sin, deceit, and violence. The immediate result was the unjust destruction of many lives causing them to become enemies with their neighbors. They had to leave the area in which they had been living. Also, Dinah most likely became a scorned woman for life whereas she could have been married instead. They also influenced their brothers to act in sin as well. The longterm consequence was the devaluing of their own inheritance as well as the inheritance of the generations that followed.
Exodus 11: Moses was angry that Pharoah would be so stubborn that he would allow his pride to stand in the way of the safety of his people. Moses was also frustrated that he and Aaron had performed several miracles that proved that God is more powerful than the Egyptian gods, yet Pharoah was still too stubborn and prideful to let the Israelites leave. Moses' anger was not only justified in this case, but is also a good example of righteous anger. His anger came because of his concern for the wellbeing of the Israelites and the Egyptians.
Genesis 34, 49:5-7: Simeon's and Levi's anger about what was done to their sister, Dinah was initially justified. However they allowed themselves to be controlled by their anger and fed off of each other's anger to the point that they escalated and chose to express their anger through sin, deceit, and violence. The immediate result was the unjust destruction of many lives causing them to become enemies with their neighbors. They had to leave the area in which they had been living. Also, Dinah most likely became a scorned woman for life whereas she could have been married instead. They also influenced their brothers to act in sin as well. The longterm consequence was the devaluing of their own inheritance as well as the inheritance of the generations that followed.
Exodus 11: Moses was angry that Pharoah would be so stubborn that he would allow his pride to stand in the way of the safety of his people. Moses was also frustrated that he and Aaron had performed several miracles that proved that God is more powerful than the Egyptian gods, yet Pharoah was still too stubborn and prideful to let the Israelites leave. Moses' anger was not only justified in this case, but is also a good example of righteous anger. His anger came because of his concern for the wellbeing of the Israelites and the Egyptians.
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