THE KING’S BUSINESS
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The Bible is the best of books, beloved by the best of men, but to you is it “light bread?” You weary of it? Why? Luther said the lion gave a feast to the beasts, providing a meal of venison. The ass, who was a guest, turned up his nose, and said, “Have you no grains?” A lion’s diet did not suit an ass. 3. Moses’ Discouragement. —vs. 10-15. “Jehovah’s anger was kindled greatly.” Do we resent the idea of an angry God ? What kind of a God would we have? A Moral Indifference? Moses was faint under his load. Weariness and discouragement often betray us into petulence. The great prophet himself was on the verge of defaulting. But how patiently and gently the “angry” God dealt with him. He had compassion on his infirmity (Heb. 4:15; 5:2). He knew the loyalty and unselfish devotion of his heart, and that he would repent his rashness when he recovered his equilibrium. What a passionate outcry! “Why hast thou dealt ill with thy servant? Why have I not found favor with thee, that thou layest the burden of this people upon me? Did I conceive them? Did I beget them? Must I carry them in my bosom, like a nursing- father ? How can I give them meat ? I can’t bear it; kill me.” Quickly Jehovah responded. Appointed, and put His Spirit on seventy helpers to share the load. Pro vided the “flesh.” Surfeited the greedy. Their lust and intemperance brought its own punishment. The spot was commem orated by its graves. They got the “flesh,” the plague and the graves that they would have got in Egypt. world.' It was the spirit that at last sepa rated Jew and Church of Christ (Acts 17: 5; 28:28, 29). It was the same in Acts 7 :5; 28:28, 29. This dispensational analogy, read between the lines, is one of the thou sand instances that prove the authority of Moses and the prophets (vs. 5-8). 2. The Rebellious Words. Miriam and
and burns, and it would utterly consume were there no Mediator, Moses in type, Jesus in reality (v. 2; Job. 9:33; 1 Tim. 2:5). 2. The Mixed Multitude Lust. —vs. 4-9. The flesh never changes; experience, law, organization, splendid ritual, a smiling providence and lust are contemporaries. The “mixed multitude.” Those that are' ‘not of us” get us all into trouble. Yet churches are eager to mix mijre and more. As such we should have better immigration laws. A closer inspection of spiritual health; an inquiry into the amount of “gold tried in the fire" they possess; and whether they are able and willing to work as well as eat, should be made of candidates for our citizenship. “Who will give us flesh to eat?” they cried. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh” (John 3:6) and craves "flesh." It craves a fine(!) and odorous menu,—fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlics! a mixture for the mixed multitude; an Egyptiart diet,—and how about the brick kilns, the taskmaster, and the beatings ? It is the “reformed” man thirsting for his cups again, forgetting Proverbs 23:29. “Our soul loatheth this light bread.” Many who have “tasted the good word of God” (Heb. 6:5) and found it like “honey-wafers, made of fresh oil,” soon weary of it even to loathing. Manna was a type of the Word. Now, though many find no delight in the Word, it is as "honey,” “yea sweeter than honey and the honey-comb” (Ps. 19:10) to others. The fault is in the man, not the manna.
LESSON II.—October 12. — J ealousy and E nvy P un ish ed .— Num. 12. G olden T ext : The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working .— Jas. 5:16. I. T he E nvious T alk of M iriam and A aron .
1. What Was Its Immediate Occasion. That Moses had married a Cushite, an Ethiopian. It is a typical instance. It was due to insensibility to ^the grace of God. The failure to understand that elec tion of Israel was for the salvation of the
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