# 19 2026 Dev. Numbers.10-11-12. Complaining Today? Read all of chapters ten, eleven and twelve first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s Story. Do you believe that this may also be part of our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.
Nu.10 Silver Trumpets, they move on from Sinai
Vs. 1-10 “The Lord said to Moses, “Make two trumpets of hammered silver, and use them for calling the community together and for having the camps set out.”The priests are to blow them, two trumpets to gather everyone, one trumpet to call only the leader. Also, for times of war, and times of celebrations sound the trumpets.
The Israelites Leave Sinai
Vs.11-36. “On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle of the covenant law. Then the Israelites set out from the Desert of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the Desert of Paran.” They traveled and camped as they were instructed in Ch.2. V.34 “So the Israelites did everything the Lord commanded Moses; that is the way they encamped under their standards, and that is the way they set out, each of them with their clan and family.”
Whenever the ark set out, Moses said, “Rise up, Lord! May your enemies be scattered may your foes flee before you.’Whenever it came to rest, he said, “Return, Lord, to the countless thousands of Israel.” Today, before we travel, we ask God to go with us and to protect us on the way.
Nu.11 Fire and Meat!
Vs.1-3 “The people complained about their hardship in the hearing of the Lord.” Were people thinking about the hardship of travel? Did they speak that God heard them? However, the Lord was angry with them and broke out in fire at the edge of the camp.
Vs.4-9 “The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat!” They start to lust after the food of Egypt, and forgot the misery of slavery. The complaining of the people sent Moses into a deep depression and he cried out to the Lord. God said bring me 70 elders, I will give the some of the Spirit I gave you to help lead the people. God said to Moses the people think they had it better in Egypt, I will give them meat for a month, “until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it—because you have rejected the Lord, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?” Moses questioned the Lord about brining that much meat. The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.” He put His spirit on 70 of the elders to help Moses. But two men had not gone to the meeting of the 70. And they also prophesied in the camp. Moses was told, “Joshua said to Moses, my lord, stop them!” Moses answered, “I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” Isn’t that what we would want, those of us pastoring churches, that the power of the Spirit would be upon all the members? God brought a wind that drove in quail and came and piled up to 2 cubits (three feet) around the camp. But God was displeased and struck all who complained with a plague. Before we complain let us count the blessings of our churches, our families, our jobs and our country!
Nu 12, Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses
Vs.1-16 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this.” God called all three to the tent of meeting, God said “Listen to My Words: “When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” God was angry with them but Miriam was punished with leprosy. Why only Mariam? We don’t know maybe she instigated it. Aaron interceded for her to Moses, Moses prayed to the Lord and she was healed. Moses was a humble man and God listened to him. Moses was especially chosen to lead God’s people, but also today, Pastors are chosen by God for the congregation and God speaks through him/her, Amen! Be careful, therefore, what you complain about.
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