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Read this verse and then select the most correct answer
for the following question.
NKJ Philippians 2:14 Do all things without complaining and disputing,
This verse concerning complaining is a(n) ____________ .
- suggestion
- tip
- order
- metaphor
Answer: c
We have been ordered to stop complaining. Need some proof? The
following New Testament passage summarizes what happened to
the Israelites after they were rescued by God from Egypt.
NKJ 1 Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to
be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed
through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and
in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank
the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock
that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most
of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were
scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples,
to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they
also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some
of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and
drink, and rose up to play." 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality,
as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;
9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were
destroyed by serpents;10 nor complain, as some of them also
complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
Let us examine this Old Testament Story in some detail:
NKJ Exodus 15:20 Then Miriam the prophetess,
the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the
women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 21 And
Miriam answered them: "Sing
to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its
rider He has thrown into the sea!" 22 So Moses brought Israel
from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur.
And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.
23 Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters
of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of
it was called Marah.
24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, "What
shall we drink?"
NKJ Exodus 16:1 And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation
of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which
is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month
after they departed from the land of Egypt. 2 Then the whole
congregation of the children of Israel complained against
Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
3 And the children of Israel said to them, "Oh, that we had died
by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when
we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness
to kill this whole assembly with hunger."
NKJ Exodus 17:1 Then all the congregation of the children of Israel
set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according
to the commandment of the LORD, and camped in Rephidim; but there
was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people
contended with Moses, and said, "Give us water, that we may
drink." And Moses said to them, "Why do you contend with
me? Why do you tempt the LORD?" 3 And the people thirsted
there for water, and the people complained against
Moses, and said, "Why is it you have brought
us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock
with thirst?"
NKJ Psalm 106:19 They made a calf in Horeb, And worshiped the
molded image.
20 Thus they changed their glory Into the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They forgot God their Savior, Who had done great things in Egypt, 22 Wondrous
works in the land of Ham, Awesome things by the Red Sea. 23 Therefore He said
that He would destroy them, Had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in
the breach, To turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them. 24 Then
they despised the pleasant land; They did not believe His word, 25 But complained
in their tents, And did not heed the voice of the LORD.
26 Therefore He raised up His hand in an oath against them, To overthrow
them in the wilderness,
NKJ Numbers 11:1 Now when the people complained, it
displeased the LORD; for the LORD heard it, and His anger
was aroused. So the fire of the LORD burned among them, and consumed some in
the outskirts of the camp. 2 Then the people cried out to Moses,
and when Moses prayed to the LORD, the fire was quenched. 3 So
he called the name of the place Taberah, because the fire of the
LORD had burned among them.
4 Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving;
so the children of Israel also wept again and said: "Who will give us
meat to eat? 5 "We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the
cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; 6 "but now
our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except
this manna before our eyes!"
God is sovereign. This means that all circumstances of life – whether
they appear to us as good or bad – are ultimately under the
control of God. Even satan is under God’s control!
YLT Isaiah 54: 13 And all thy sons are taught of Jehovah,
And abundant [is] the peace of thy sons. 14 In righteousness
thou establishest thyself, Be far from oppression, for thou fearest
not, And from ruin, for it cometh not near unto thee. 15 Lo,
he doth diligently assemble without My desire, Who hath assembled
near thee? By thee he falleth! 16 Lo, I -- I have prepared
an artizan, Blowing on a fire of coals, And bringing out an instrument
for his work, And I have prepared a destroyer to destroy. 17 No
weapon formed against thee prospereth, And every tongue rising
against thee, In judgment thou condemnest. This [is] the inheritance
of the servants of Jehovah, And their righteousness from me, an
affirmation of Jehovah!
NKJ 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except
such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will
not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with
the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be
able to bear it.
NKJ Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward
you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give
you a future and a hope.
Therefore, complaining is telling God that you
are not satisfied with Him as “the Boss.” This includes complaining
in the workplace, church, home, the world, etc. It is not
even acceptable to complain in the guise of a prayer request. We
complain because it brings attention to ourselves and therefore
a false sense of comfort. We rehearse our problems so others
can see how bad we have it and give us pity. Like all sin,
there is a temporary pleasure in complaining (Hebrews 11:25).
However, complaining is the opposite of thanksgiving
and praise. When
we offer thanksgiving we thank God for what He has done (e.g.
thank you for supplying the manna). When we offer praise
we thank God for who He is (e.g. You are my Provider). However,
when we complain we are telling God – thanks but no thanks!
We are to enter His gates with thanksgiving – singing
songs that thank God for what He has done for us. We enter
His courts with praise – singing songs that thank God for who
He is to us (Hebrews 13:15). Notice we initiate entering
into God’s presence with thanksgiving followed by praise
(Psalms 100:4). Spiritually, our praise is creating a Holy
Place where God (who is Holiness Himself) can dwell among us.
NKJ Psalm 22:3 But You are holy, Enthroned in
the praises of Israel.
The word praise in this verse is the Hebrew
word tehillah which is a spontaneous song that implies “go for it” singing
to God from the heart. This is the only type of praise
recorded in the Bible that will create a throne for God. When
I am praising God with my hands raised high I am saying to Him – here
are my hands made holy by you for the express purpose of creating
your throne. Here I am your servant, send me to bare your
glory to the nations!
NKJ 1 Timothy 2:8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere,
lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;
God the Holy Spirit will always be with us within
our reborn spirit (John 14:16). God is omnipresent meaning He is everywhere
(Psalms 139:8). However, He does not manifest His glory everywhere. We
sense God’s manifest presence or glory when He initiates
worship after we have performed thanksgiving followed by praise.
Understand, we are not holy enough in our souls
and bodies for God to manifest His glory without consuming us
(we are perfectly holy in our reborn spirits since this is the
dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, Hebrews 12:23). However, our praise creates
a protective veil that allows God to manifest His presence – His
Glory!
King David discovered this secret back when
He kept the Ark of the Covenant in his tent (1 Chronicles 16). There was no
veil to protect the people from the Glory of the Lord so he had
singers and musicians singing 7-24. The Glory of God was
then able to be seen by Jews and Gentiles. The praise formed
a veil thus protecting the Jewish singers and musicians. Furthermore,
the singers and musicians bodies formed a veil so Gentiles could
approach God. Incidentally, there is a prophesy mentioned
in the book of Acts concerning this Tabernacle of David.
NKJ Acts 15:16 'After this I will return And will rebuild the
tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild
its ruins, And I will set it up; 17 So that the rest of mankind
may seek the LORD, Even all the Gentiles who are called
by My name, Says the LORD who does all these things.' 18 "Known
to God from eternity are all His works. (see Amos 9:11).
Will you stop your complaining and start thanking God for all
things and in all things?
NKJ Ephesians 5:20 giving thanks always for all things to
God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
NKJ 1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for
this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
If you will live a life of thanksgiving to God,
then when we assemble the transition to praise can be made spontaneously. Then,
and only then, will God invite us into Worship by manifesting His
Glory in our midst. We will only learn the meaning of the “Fear
of the Lord” when we experience His manifested Glory. (I
can tell you all day about chainsaws but until you operate one
you have no real fear – infinite respect and reverence to
the point of trepidation – for chainsaws.)
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