Exodus 20:3-17 “No other gods; no idols; reverence for God’s name; honor the Sabbath Day; Honor your parents; Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; do not covet your neighbors house, property, or spouse.”
Exodus 21-23 These chapters cover additional rules–specific foods which can be eaten, and those which cannot. They cover when someone is considered unclean–ill with a transmitable disease and needs to be segregated from the camp to protect many others, when a woman has her period or has given birth and is separated from the camp. Caring for a dead person, wrapping with herbs and preparing for burial then the preparers are separated as from the camp and considered unclean. God also set up rules of certain foods that can be eaten during the holidays he set forth, and they were told to always honor Passover–they were to eat specific foods for these holidays,and specifically for Passover, to remember and thank God for leading the people from Egypt, releasing them from slavery and guiding them to the Promised Land.
Leviticus 18:4-5 You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them.
Deuteronomy 6:5-6 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
Psalm 19:7-9 The law of the LORD is perfect, reliving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart.
Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus summarizes the law; love God, and love your neighbor as yourself.
1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
God had given the Israelites many different rules while they traversed for 40 years from Egypt to the chosen land of ‘milk and honey.’ God wanted the best for His people and the rules he gave were to protect his people–from disease, from hurting others, from jealously, and from respecting one another. His initial three commandments were to honor him–He is the sole God, creator, so there should be NO other gods worshiped; no idols should be made and honored (they certainly are not with any power and all are handmade–therefore without power to guide, to love, to grant prayers, to punish when we do something that is grievously wrong. The second and third are for us to always honor him–not abuse his name, disprespect his name and use it callously, without honor, use as cheap slang. He is the Creator of all, and worthy of our respect–not disrespecting his blessed name.
The Israelites were told to honor their day of rest–to spend that day in gratitude, worshiping God, and thanking him for giving them a day of rest, for supplying them with al they needed. There was no need to go and search for food–manna and quail while in the Wilderness–it was provided so THEY could totally rest and be grateful. This is a rest for people and animals, and a time to spend realizing how generous our God is. All of these inital commandments want us to honor God first and foremost, and the fourth to honor the day of rest he gave us.
He supplies and fills our needs, and now we have the opportunity to thank Him for offering us a day of rest, a day to spend time thanking God and and recognizing the amount of care he has given us–food, enough to suffice our needs, funds, animals, and water, and all of the nature we get to enjoy. We are blessed.
The next commandments are to tell the people how they should behave to others. First, honoring parents and other elderly members of family–and this one comes with a promise–“so that we can enjoy a long life. Disrespecting parents and being an obnoxious misfit within your own family, leads to death by stoning. (Not that I have knowledge of anyone in the 20th or 21st century being stoned to death–but I have no reason to doubt this as the Word is clear, and tells of a parents who brought their son, and the judgment was to stone him death.
The next commandment is to not murder. Although that is a command from God, he also told the Israelites to annihilate many of the people in the lands they were occupying that he wanted the Israelites to have, conquer and live and thrive in. But certainly the callous murders we can hear about daily disturb most of us, yet, it seems to me many people are just without heart, conscience, care and have no problem murdering, tearing families apart. Just being brutal, uncGod designed.aring. God alone is the only one who can demand death–and he demanded death to all those who occupied the land he was giving the Israelites–because they were honoring idols–not God, but handmade idols with no power, yet many were honoring them.
Adultery is the next commandment God gave us. There is illness of many kinds associated with adultery. Adultery causes feelings of mistrust, broken hearts, sexual diseases, destroying families, at least changing the dichotomy of the family unit once the deceit and adultery becomes open. God tried to protect us from our selfish lusts, from destroying our partner and family, from sexual diseases–some of which can kill over time, from being burdened with guilt and destruction of the family unit as God originally designed. He wanted us to honor the one mate–not to have multiple partners.
The next commandment given was not to steal. Stealing often leads to others being hurt with the loss of items, funds or perhaps clothing or linens that are needed. But God gives to each what they need–not necessarily what they may want. But he does not want one stealing from another to “benefit” to the detriment of another. Stealing hurts others; takes advantage of what others may have (and need) and when it is stolen, that person has to do without. It is difficult to keep one’s children fed and clothed when those objects may have been stolen. The disciples pooled everything together so they could care for widows and children without the necessities. Stealing hurts others, therefore God made that one of his commands; do not steal.
No false witness against a neighbor–that is lying and God wants us to be truthful.
Over history, some of the commandments have been changed–many now have three separate commands against coveting things and items that belong to your neighbor. No coveting your neighbor’s goods, property, and his wife. I prefer the way they are written in Exodus and Deuteronomy which stress God is the one who should be honored, revered, and no idols to be made and revered–as there is only one God, the Creator. He wants one day for the folks to not work, to spend time revering him, thinking about God and being grateful for all his has done for us. He is the one and only God, and per his own admission, a jealous God–there should be no reverence for a hand-made idol.
God’s commands and rules were to mostly protect us. I am not sure about not eating certain animals while others are okay. Later, in the New Testament, Peter was shown it was okay to eat anything, and all the people were to be accepted. I believe that part of the reason certain animals and birds and fish were eliminated from their diet was to test. Human nature frequently pushes and urges us to disobey–partly to see why it is forbidden.
For whatever reason, it seems humans love to push the envelope with something forbidden. I remember when my sound was about a year old, and went to an electric plug. I pulled him away and sternly told him not to touch. Within moments, he was edging back toward it; as he reached for it, this time I pulled him away and slapped his right hand with a stern no and the announcement of “boo-boo.” Again, he went toward it this time with a grin and a cute challenge as he eyed me. This time, he got a firm swat on his diaper, and was firmly placed in my lap not able to crawl back to the enticing item. We seem drawn to the forbidden.
Over the years once they were living in the Promised Land, the priests — Levites, and other rabbisthen the educated and proveleged Pharisees, Sadducees, added to the rules God had given. Many of them took an abundance of the meat offered as a sacrifice instead of the amount God had said was theirs. Many became thieves–thinking they were superior to the workers and common people, and somehow entitled. They looked down on all other persons unless those were part of the “proper” class as they saw others. Instead they gouged them, hurt them, over-taxed them and generally made the people suffer so they could be elevated in they eyes of all.
This is not the way God designed us to live with one another. We are to respect and love one another–not decide we are better than others, not shake our heads and say “Thank you, God that I am not like this sinner here.” and believe it fully. I don’t think we get to that point until we know God, we have been forgiven and given His grace, and realize we ARE no better–and in all honesty may be not be as kind, gracious, and loving as we see others.
I am blessed that I have been able to grow in my knowledge of God, and can see that many times I treated others with a lack of respect and felt more entitled. Thankfully now, I see the rich blessings He has bestowed for me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Genesis 1:2 The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters
Exodus 31:3-5 I have filled him (Bezalel) with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftmanship.
Numbers 27:18 Take Joshua, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.
Judges 6:34 But the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon with power. He blew a ram’s horn as a call to arms, and the men of the clan of Abiezer came to him.
1 Samuel 16:13 So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah
Job 33:4 The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Psalm 104:30 When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.
Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!
Isaiah 44:3 I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessings on your descendants.
Ezekiel 2:2 And as he poke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet.
Ezekiel 36:27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you walk in my statutes.
Joel 2:28 I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.
Micah 3:8 But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression.
Zechariah 4:6 “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”
Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering sight to the blind, to set at liberty those what are oppressed.
John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
John 16:13 When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Acts 7:51 You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears. you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.
Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself interceded for us with groanings to deep for words.
Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
I think the Holy Spirit was active in a lot of the Old Testament folks. Certainly, when God was creating the world, he was present and breathed aspects of the world and creation as God spoke.
Although there were some people on the earth, God spoke to Abraham and told him he would be the father of many nations when he was 90 years old. Abraham had faith and he believed God, and I believe the Holy Spirit kept reassuring him that he and Sara would have a biological child in their advanced years. It did not make much sense to either of them, and I can certainly understand that. But I think in moments of doubting, the Holy Spirit must have come and reassured Abraham that he had not misunderstood, and what he had heard from God would in fact, take place. They would give birth to a child and become the parents of multitude.
But we all doubt sometimes. We hit a rough patch, then get another, punch to the gut or face, then another strange and unexpected bill comes in, and then there get to be familial loads and caretaking, or the car dies or just stops giving reliable transport and we are faced with that problem to solve. God gave Satan the right to presecute Job–and when Job did not complain against God, SAtan asked to further bring him discomfort. Again, God said yes, but Satan could not kill him. After all poor Job went through, I think I would have been praying for the death and the end of his illness and sores and open wounds. Yuck! The flies, maggots, having to scratch the injuries with a sharpened rock to find some temporary relief from the wounds. And when Satan attacks with different issues–financial, illnesses, familial stress, automotive difficulty, or whatever the added burden might be, we need to realize that yes, Satan tries, and tormnets us. But we have a God who has defeated Satan and although we may be challeneged, we have a God and Father in heaven who loves us and wants the best for us. And the Holy Apirit is right there to remind us of verses and promises God has made to us. We are not promised fairness, but we are promised His love, His care, and that He wants the best for us. That does NOT mean no worries, not burdens, no hurts or any such thing. Each person has their own issues, burdens and worries, illnesses and problems. But God has supplies us with His Son who sacrificed HIs life, so we could have eternal life, and also gave us the Holy Spirit to remind us of His love, HIs word, verses to bring us strength and confidence when our own is waning. The Holy Spirit is a vital member of the trinity, and is important in helping us grow, understand more of the Word. He helps guide us, He even will pray for us when we are so overwhelmed we do not know what to pray for.
During difficult times, we need to remember this so we remain steady, continue praying and praising all God has done for us, trusting he will continue to care for us, and eventually bless us again. We are blessed–but it does get difficult at times to hold on and believe God does have our best interests. And at times when we are stressed with several matters, the Holy Spirit continues to give us guidance, Jesus and the Spirit offer us comfort and reassurance.
Satan does not want anyone to choose God over him. No, he wants to take as many into hell with suffering and eternity of no hope, eternal life of darkness, stench and pain. And because he does not want any to choose God, once someone does, feels the release of forgiveness, grace, and realizes the cost of death of one Man who sacrificed His life so we could be forgiven, unburdened of addictions, turned from our blackness and sin, emptiness, and the chains of feeling terrible, believing one is unworthy. But the devil wants you to believe you are unworthy; that God has not really called you–although God does not want any to perish, and if one truly confesses with a heartfelt regret and belief in the One and Only Son, Jesus; BUT that is NOT what God’s word says. And the Holy Spirit will remind us of different verses that prove you are loved, you are a child chosen by God.
How comforting the Holy Spirit is. And he offers comfort and guidance, reassurance that the entire trinity loves each of us who choose to follow and repent and follow God and Jesus, teaching others that there is only ONE God who was willing to die for us to set us free, who is willing to forgive each time we sin and then confess. If you have given your heart to God, asked for forgiveness, and then truly want to be free of sin and to follow Jesus, you must keep your heart as pure as you can. We will never be perfect, sinless, but once we really we have sinned, we confess our sin and truly repent, we grow in God–the trinity. We have the Holy Spirit for teaching, guidance, growth, and the knowledge of who Jesus is and was. He is ALIVE. Our God cares for us.
Thank You for writing my name in your book of life, and leading me on this journey to know you deeper, to grow in love and forgiveness of others, and to deepen my relationship with You. How blessed I am that You have always been there for me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Luke 24:45-47 Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: “The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
HE IS RISEN, NOT IN THE GRAVE!!! HE IS ALIVE, YES, ALIVE!!! You need to listen to the song written by Don Francisco, song by many, but my opinion is by Dolly Parton. Please look it up and look it–for YOUR joy!
That year, Passover occurred the day before the Sabbath began. Passover is a big celebration, occurring on the fourteenth day of the first month, the month of Abib or Nisan–either month is as the same meaning in the Jewish faith, and usually occurs during our calendar year of March or April. (SURPRISE! generally around the time the Christian faith celebrates Easter.)
The disciples and Jesus celebrated the Passover–Jesus still feeling He had so much more to share with them, knowing He had less than sixteen hours or so before He would be nailed to a cross after suffering a bunch of humiliations and torture. He knew what was coming, and peaceful and loving as He is/was, He never fought, but ‘went silently as a lamb to the slaughter’. The only remarks He commented on were things like Pilate saying, “are you then King of the Jews?” And He said, “You have said it is so.”
Initially, the twelve sat at the table with Jesus, praying, sharing the Passover meal, dipping their fingers into the bowl of wine and repeating the ten plagues God had sent on the Egyptians before {Pharaoh screamed for them to leave and go do their sacrificial offerings with the agony that his eldest child, sibling, in-laws were dying, all the eldest of the herds of animals. “Go! Get out!” But in remembrance of the plagues, and God’s order to get and prepare a lamb for the Passover meal, each year at Passover, the story is repeated–sometimes as a song, sometimes as a recitation, and sometimes as an education. When I first heard it, it was an education, and I found it fascinating hearing it from the Jewish perspective, and how important it is to them to celebrate and remember God’s miracles more than thirty three centuries ago.
As close as the disciples were to Jesus, there were things I do not think they knew. I don’t think they realized he was born in Bethlehem, and escaped Herod’s atrocious murder of boys two and younger, sitting in their parents’ arms at times. (Who can be so brutal? How does one go through life not being appalled at the carnage, murder, and loss they have created? Who is that icy? But did Jesus share with them that his parents had taken him to Egypt for a couple of years, missing that murderous time in Bethlehem and Jerusalem? Did they understand that Isaiah’s prophets identified Jesus as the Messiah, the one who take ‘our stripes’? I don’t think they fully understood all the prophecies about Jesus until after His death. Until after forty days, when the Holy Spirit infused 5000+ people, including the apostles. That influx of the Holy Spirit into so many people must have been so impressive. I am impressed by just reading about it–but to have experienced it?!
A terrible day. ‘But did you feel the earthquake? Did you hear the Holy of Holies curtain was torn ibn two? Did you see the darkness? There is no thunderstorm–why the darkness? But the earthquake–do earthquakes lead with dark clouds and storm, how are the skies dark and the earthquake happening? This is the Messiah; how can this be happening ? Jesus has been killed. Our peaceful loving teacher? How have the Pharisees and religious leaders managed to kill Him. We thought He was our Messiah. He was going to save us from Rome; free us from these oppress taxes, and these men who brutalize and terrorize us. But now, LORD, what, what LORD, is happening. My heart is aching is badly. My Lord cannot be dead. He cannot be hanging on a tree–the worst death to our God/ Our Father, Our God, Help us. We thought He was our Savior . . . so what, of what is God doing. . . what is happening????’
Joseph of Arimathea went to Pontius Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus to be buried in a tomb he had had constructed. Joseph believed in Jesus, even though he was a member of the religious sect. But Joseph knew He was the Messiah. It was scary times for believers, Followers of Jesus, of the Way The Pharisees were angry, they wanted this “imposter” out of the way, gone, omitted–no longer a worry to them. Thursday evening had been the beginning of the Passover Festival which was to last 7 days and 8 nights. but Friday was the weekly Sabbath. By evening the dinner needed to be prepared and the prayers said. The Sabbath meant nothing could be done until Saturday evening, from Friday evening until Saturday evening, the people were to relax, to be in tune to God.
Many of them watched Joseph of Arimathea come, get Jesus down from the cross, wrap him in the linen cloths he had purchased, and carry his body to the nearby tomb which had belonged to him.
Numbers 3:5-13 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. They shall guard over him and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister at the tabernacle. They shall guard all furnishings of the tent of meeting, and keep guard over the people of Israel as they minister at the tabernacle. And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the people of Israel. And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard their priesthood. But if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death.” And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be mine, for all the firstborns are mine.
Numbers 3:45 “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle. The Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD.
Number 8:16-19 “…..For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel. Instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself. And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the people of Israel, to do the service for the people of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the people of Israel, that there may be no plague among the people of Israel when the people of Israel come near the sanctuary.”
Deuteronomy 10:8-9 At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD to stand before the LORD to minister to him and to bless his name, to this day. Therefore Levi has no portion or inheritance with his brothers. The LORD is his inheritance, as the LORD your God said to him.
Deuteronomy 18:1-4 “The Levitical priests, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the LORD’s food offerings as their inheritance. They shall have no inheritance among their brothers; the LORD is their inheritance, as he promised them. And this shall be the priests’ due from the people, from those offering a sacrifice, whether an ox or a sheep: they shall give the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. The firstfruits of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the first fleece of your sheep, you shall give him.
Malachi 2:1-3, 7-9 “And now, O priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it. . . . For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But you have turned aside from from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts, and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.”
Matthew 23:5-7 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deed to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.
Matthew 23:23-28 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.”
Luke 18:10-14 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
John 11:47-52 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, sait to them, “You not nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.
John 18:14 It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.
Levites were told they were chosen by God to care for the temple and all the objects within. And there was only one day a year, the Day of Atonement, when one high priest could enter the Holy of Holies. That was a huge honor among the priests. Some of the priests were primarily teachers–teaching the torah to young boys, perhaps training them to become priests, while others would be responsible for caring for the items within the tent or Tabernacle once settled. Yet even with the tent to worship, there were a lot of duties. Keeping fires burning, cleansing utensils, keeping the priests garments and altars clean. This was a high honor God chose for the entire family of Levites. I often wonder why they were chosen; after all, Levi was one of the two who insisted all the men in Shechem be circumcised, then two days later when to the town and slaughtered all the people there. That is pretty gruesome to then several centuries later give them such an honorable and responsible job over the other Israelites.
But, God chooses whom He desires for this and that. I am blessed–still puzzled, although very thankful, why he ever thought I should be included as one of His chosen. Don’t get me wrong, I am beyond thankful, but I see so many others who are so much more obedient, loving, non-judgmental, and less crass than me. But, He did bountifully choose me–and I could not be more thankful. I also wondered why God allowed Aaron to live after he disobeyed and fashioned a gold calf as their “god” only forty days after his brother ascended the mountain to meet with God. He could not have had much fortitude to allow himself to be talked into making a “false god”. He had been Moses’ right hand and mouthpiece initially when they confronted Pharaoh. After experiencing all the plagues face to face with his brother, how could he so easily turn and agree to make a false god?
But over the centuries, 14-15 centuries (about 1500 years) many of the priests became self-righteous. They added to the rules and commands for the people these their commands did NOT come from God. They were dictated by the priests. They did not have their own land, but were given land, and part of their needs were covered by the people–they got the best pieces of meat, grain and wine offerings. They felt important and put more and more stringent loads on the people. They were mostly no longer servants–teaching and serving the people God’s words.
Eventually the priesthood separated into separate factions, the most commonly known are the Sadducees and the Pharisees. Although they held some separate beliefs, they both agreed that Jesus was due for punishment as He was saying He was the Son of God. And how could that be? Did they have trouble believing since 15 centuries had passed and they did not believe in their hearts that God would truly send a Savior? Were they just frightened of their own standing, money, power, and position so they felt justified pushing the possibility away?
I can imagine after centuries of believing you were ‘top dog’ within the church that you were entitled to all the bounty. But that is not what God intended. He wanted the Levites to be servants to Him and to the people. They were to serve and decide when someone had a serious illness that needed to be removed from within their camp/cities such as leprosy. They were to teach and help the people develop a stronger bond with the Creator. But instead, they became entitled to the blessings they got, and began to demand more.
By the time Jesus came, most of the Pharisees were critical, skeptical and too arrogant to believe that there was a Son of God. And they chose to let their arrogance, anger, and fear of losing the benefits they had by this “imposter” who declared He was God, and they decided to kill Him. After all, they were the chosen for many years, and they knew they were chosen by God and appointed by Moses. They had developed a disgust to their spirit–they did not like the poor, the diseased, the widows and having to care for widows and children–that would mean less for them. They enjoyed fancy robes, being treated with respect at least, and maybe at times, awe, and standing in front of people, knowing that they were envied and admired often.
But they were not serving the people. Most were enjoying the pleasures they took for themselves. They let those they were supposed to nurture and care for suffer. And they certainly resented Jesus when He confronted them with their arrogant, self-righteous behavior. So they decided Jesus had to die for His “lies and blasphemy–Son of God, indeed!” And how dare this poor upstart try to show them up with His preaching and healing. Who is He to teach? Who is He to have all these followers? Who is He who can heal? These men disdainfully asked one another.
So, the arrogant worked to grab Him and put Him on trial–fake trial of course. And with their arrogance, the deemed Him guilty and needed the Romans to declare Him worthy of crucifixion. Yay! Just what they wanted. No more of this upstart. Kill one to save the nation–not the nation, really, but their own standing and lifestyles.
So silly. This was God’s plan all along–and you scholarly, arrogant men did NOT get it. Yet, you had the Torah, the Old Testament with all the prophets telling of the Messiah–and you purposely shoved it away.
I am so thankful God had a plan that He used many men and prophets to share that there would be One who would save all. I am grateful for Easter, but it always squeezes my heart in pain knowing how very much this wonderful, loving, man suffered and gave up for me. Such agony. But such joy for those who believe in Him, repent of their sins, and become closer and closer to Him and the Holy Spirit.
I don’t think I could have stood there and been one of the disciples–men or women, who stood there watching His torture and suffering. But I am so thankful that He gave His life for those who want to follow Him and be set free from the slavery of sin. So, although I still hate the agony He suffered, I am so thankful He willing became our Sacrifice. Halleluiah!
Exodus 15:24 And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, :What shall we drink?” And he cried to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.
Exodus 16:2-3, 8 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, where we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger. . . . And Moses said, “When the LORD gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the LORD has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him–what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD.
Numbers 11:1-4 And the people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes, and when the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp.
Numbers 14:2-4, 26-30 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” . . . . “How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me. Say to them, ‘As I live, declares the LORD, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you: your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and of all your number, listed in the census from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me, not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb, the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
Deuteronomy 1:26-27 “Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. And you murmured in your tents and said, ‘Because the LORD hated us he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.
Psalm 105:5 Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
Psalm 106:25 They murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the LORD. Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them that he would make them fall in the wilderness.
Proverbs 29:11 A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.
1 Corinthians 10:10-11 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.
Philippians 2:14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing,
James 5:9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.
I think most people complain. If I tried to add how often I murmur something negative, it is technically a complaint. There can be a fierce wind that blows between my house and my neighbors’. As I climb my outside stairs when it is winter and breezy, that cold blast will frequently have me saying, “Dang, I hate the cold; that wind is bitter.” Then, because I remember that my comment about the wind and cold is a complaint, I apologize to my Creator, and will sometimes, even remind myself that the cold is keeping mosquitoes, flies, and many other anty bugs hidden until the spring and summer give them a rebirth. To everything, there is a time and a season….
But, we complain when we don’t have immediate water and have to call a plumber, when out cell phone is not readily available since we laid it somewhere that is out of the norm. Because I live alone, I bought some trackers and attached them to my phone. If I can’t find it, I go to the signal connector, and press the number that is attached to the phone back, and then follow the beeping until I locate it. But, I may complain about how careless I am, how often I misplace things–still a complaint.
As the Hebrews made their way through the Wilderness, they offered many complaints. At times, Moses felt they were complaining against him, and he was doing his best leading about a million or more people. They complained about not having meat, not having water–or if water was present, it might be bitter and tainted. But God always came through for them. He made sure there was a way to clean the water–throwing a branch into, He delivered quail in inexhaustible amounts for them to eat meat, they complained about not having a lot of grain and flour, and God supplied manna. And He gave them all with specific commands “Do not collect more quail or manna than what you require each day.” Initially, the gluttons did collect more than they could use–they collected more quail, and they collected more manna than they could use in one day.
So often, I hear folks complaining about the weather. And this has been growing up in New England and throughout all my blessings living in many other areas. As a kid I enjoyed the weather in the Massachusetts. As I got older, I did not like shoveling, walking on treacherous icy grounds, going to work when it was dark, leaving work when it was dark, and the COLD. I had the blessings of living in Germany for a number of years–and think they got more snow than in MA, but the air was slightly drier and we were in a wonderful country with different customs, pretty “European style” homes, and the winter did not seem as dark and oppressive as it had in New England. Flowers, like pansies, amaryllis, poinsettias, and primroses began to appear in stores and gave one a boost of color and excitement for Spring.
But I have complained about clothing, being ignored or interrupted, hairstyles, and on and on. It seems we always want what someone else has and covet that. But God has blessed me with the traits–positive and negative He wants me to have and develop or refine–sand down or get rid of for His glory. But I find it has been easy to complain when we are not aware of the impact and how disrespectful it is to our Creator. I am working on it. When I catch myself complaining, I apologize to Him; remembering all the blessings I have and enjoy, and it is not as though I have more than enough. It’s a learning journey. But I am glad I am working on this. I have no reasons to complain.
Often, a complaining spirit is in fact detrimental to the peace, joy, and patience that comes from the Holy Spirit. Complaining often reflects a lack of faith, distrust in God’s provisions and leads to our selfishness and then His anger. (gotquestions.org, updated Jan 21,2026)
So, Lord, my apologies. You deserve all of my thanks, not my complaints because I don’t have what another may have, no complaints about skills I don’t have when You have given me plenty to enjoy. You have blessed me with so much. I thank You, Lord for me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Hi, I'm Kathy. Welcome to my website!