"A Phone Company Willing to Kill"

I remember being offered $50 to switch long distance carriers years ago. Here is a phone company willing to do what it takes to get your buisiness.

Being Called (Out) by God

Moses endured many hardships as the leader of God's people in the wilderness. As a humble servant-leader, I suppose a challenge to his authority was inevitable. After hearing the 10 spies negative report of the promised land, Moses was nearly stoned to death for, in their view, leading them to be slaughtered by the land's inhabitants. After a few more direct challenges to Moses' leadership, God finally settled the matter of leadership and the priesthood once and for all by causing Aaron's rod to bud while the other eleven tribe's did not. You can read these fascinating accounts in Numbers 13-17.

Possibly the worst challenge from Moses' point of view came from his brother and sister. I wonder how this attack from Aaron and Miriam must have affected him. They were jealous of Moses' position and used his marriage to Zipporah, an Ethiopian, as the basis of an attack on his authority. "Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?..." (Num 12:2) Who did this Moses think he was to assume this authority over God's people? He is not so special, he has even married a foreigner! What transpires next is possibly one of the most fearful texts in all of scripture or at least in the top ten.

"...And the Lord heard it." (Num 12:2) Uh-oh. "Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, "Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!" (Num 12:4) When I read this, I have the same feeling in my gut I used to have when my dad sent me to my room and I knew I was going to get it! I imagine that Aaron and Miriam felt quite a bit worse than that. Although Aaron and Miriam are receiving their what-fors here, the words of the Lord offer a powerful look into His relationship with Moses. "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant Moses?" (Num 12:6-8)

What an incredibly unique relationship Moses had with God. Moses enjoyed what amounted to an ongoing dialogue with God. When he inquired of the Lord, the Lord spoke to him. He was one of the very few allowed to see the form of God Himself. How much more incredible is verse 3 "[Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of earth]" Moses realized long ago his inadequacies and understood his authority came from God's call alone. Aaron and Miriam's pride and arrogance directed at Moses were actually a rebuke of God and His plan. I think I'd rather be call of God than called out by him.

Quail: It's What's for Dinner.

Moses had a difficult job. You people in management think you have it bad, imagine managing a group of about a million former slaves. When reading about the ministry of Moses, I often feel very sorry for him. Moses was not a typical CEO type personality. The bible describes him as the humblest man on earth (Num 12:3).

Numbers 11 gives an account of Moses' exasperation over a pity party the nation of Israel was having over their menu. As we see many times during the exodus, the Israelites were grumbling about their situation and wishing to be in Egypt where they had it so good. The manna God had provided had become distasteful to them and they longed for meat, so much so that the scriptures say they sat in the doorway of their tents weeping. I imagine Moses at his wit's end as he cried out to the Lord,
"Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,' to the land which You swore to their fathers? Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying, 'Give us meat, that we may eat.' I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now-if I have found favor in Your sight-and do not let me see my wretchedness!"

A couple things stand out to me in this story. First, Moses relationship with the Creator. How familiar their relationship must have been to feel like he could address God this way. In fact Moses seems almost kind of snarky. Interestingly, the Lord responds similarly when Moses asks the Lord how He can provide enough meat for the Israelites to eat for a month, "And the LORD said to Moses, "Has the LORD'S arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not."
Secondly, these men and women in the camp who had witnessed God's extraordinary and powerful works on their behalf turned so easily to doubt and distrust when things became difficult or uncomfortable.
While it is easy for me to marvel at the faithlessness of the Israelites, I am not much different. Having been given the gift of grace through faith, I still doubt the Lord by my actions. Often I pray along with the man who asked Jesus to heal his demon possessed son in Mark 9:24, "Lord I believe, help my unbelief!"

Union Humor

Mabey you've seen these but we do not watch television so they are new to me. My employer and labor union have been negotiating a new contract and the process has been less than pleasant. Feeling like a pawn in someone's sick game of chess, finding a little humor in this childish game played every three to five years brought a little relief.