Watch Your Mouth: Complaining
January 5, 2025Pastor Patrick presented today's message, "Watch Your Mouth: Complaining." A video of today's message is here on YouTube.
Particularly in Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, all talking about the Exodus and the time in the wilderness, the Torah makes quite clear that God hates complaining. I'm convinced had He known about all the complaining that was about to come His way He'd have put "Do not Complain" in the Ten Commandments. On more than one occasion, God wanted to destroy the entire Israelite nation over complaining. Fortunately, Moses talked Him off the ledge. BTW, my favorite synonym is murmur. If Prager were here, he'd point out that complaining is often about ingratitude (certainly true of the wilderness Israelites, ex. Numbers 11:4-10, Numbers 14:26-30, Exodus 16:7-10, Deuteronomy 1:26-27), and without gratitude, happiness is hard to come by.
"Complaining displeases the Lord because it shows a lack of faith and trust in Him. He also dislikes complaining because it spreads and infects other people. What displeases you? The same things that displease God should also displease us. We should desire to trust God and have faith in Him. We should also dislike complaining." Aretha Grant's "Is God Emotional? 10 Bible Verses About God's Feelings" at iBelieve.com.
Dennis Prager jokes that the Book of Numbers is titled that way because of the number of complaints by the Israelites.
Complaining can lead to hurting others. Moses got so angry at the Israelites complaining about the lack of water that he claimed that he and Aaron got water from a rock. This led to God not letting Moses into the Promised Land. "Soul toxins" (e.g. complaining and anger) can lead to not getting the promises of God.
One serves the Lord with joy and gladness (Psalm 100:1-2, KJV). The implication is that complaining does the opposite; is a disservice to God.
Think of happiness as a state of not complaining while you watch this Prager 5-minute video, Why Be Happy?. Another way to look at it is that unhappiness leads to complaining. Check out this Prager 5-minute video, Happiness Equation: U = I - R. Understanding this relationship between happiness and complaining might help. While you're at it, check out this one: The Key to Unhappiness (grateful people tend to complain much less than ungrateful people).
Bonus
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Movie)
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever holds its own generally as a Christmas season movie. But, it's definitely my new favorite Christmas movie for the message it delivers.
No ghosts.
No romance.
No love triangle.
No Santa.
No Santa magic.
No elves, sleighs, or reindeer.
No North Pole.
Just a couple presents (you know what scene).
Not a drop of Hallmark.
Lots of nice.
Lots of naughty.
Some laughs.
Lots of kids and church ladies.
And something of a surprise ending.
Paraphrasing from the movie, "Christmas can hit you all at once." Keep the tissues handy.
This movie has been showing in our neck of the woods at the Icon Cinemas on Interquest road. It's also available to rent or buy on Prime Video (and probably other platforms).
Bonus2
The Heavens Tell the Glory of God
Psalm 19:1, "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands."Assuming that's true, what specifically does the Universe tell us about God? We pondered this question at our Family Dinner this past weekend. I shared some very fun and hard to imagine facts about the universe along with a few photos (here). Then I asked... So, having seen and heard a little bit about the Universe, what do you think it tells you about God? Here's what they said:
Unimaginably big. Infinite.
Every color of the rainbow.
Ordered.
Ruled (Laws of Physics).
Can do/make anything.
Incomprehensible.
But my favorite response was "Beautiful."
At right is a 2022 image of the "Pillars of Creation" taken by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The pillars are in the Eagle Nebula (in the constellation Serpens, Messier 16) and are made of interstellar dust and gas located 6,500 to 7,000 light years away. It's a birthing location for new stars. The pillars are 4-5 light years tall. The entire nebula is about 70 by 55 light years. One light year equals about 5.88 trillion miles.
The Biblical Hebrew word for "heavens" is shah-MAH-yeem (שָׁמַיִם). Here's the Strong's Lexicon entry:
- Word Origin: Derived from an unused root meaning "to be lofty."
- Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - G3772 (ouranos): Often used in the New Testament to refer to heaven, the sky, or the abode of God.
- Usage: The Hebrew word "shamayim" primarily refers to the heavens or the sky. It is used in the Bible to describe the physical expanse above the earth, including the atmosphere and outer space. Additionally, "shamayim" is often used to denote the dwelling place of God, the spiritual realm where God resides, and where His throne is established. It can also refer to the abode of celestial beings and the place of eternal reward for the righteous.
- Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Hebrew cosmology, "shamayim" was understood as a multi-layered expanse. The first heaven was the atmosphere where birds fly, the second heaven was the realm of the stars and celestial bodies, and the third heaven was considered the dwelling place of God. This understanding reflects the ancient Near Eastern view of the universe, where the heavens were seen as a dome over the earth. The concept of "shamayim" as God's dwelling place emphasizes His transcendence and sovereignty over creation.
I imagine the fire and cloud in the wilderness must have impressed the Israelites about the same way some of the images from the Universe impress us today.
So, what's up in 2025? What opportunities might we have to witness some of God's special activities in the sky this year?
With the thoughts above in mind, here are some website references detailing various celestial events that can been seen this coming year from Colorado. Any of these might spark some thoughts about the nature of God.
10 can't-miss 'celestial events' that can be seen from Colorado in 2025
Sync Your Calendar With the Solar System
Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events for Calendar Year 2025
Web Search for 2025 Astronomical Events
On a related note... I'll be teaching a class at PILLAR Institute on April 23rd, 10am-Noon, entitled "Hubble and Webb Telescope Findings."
Bonus3
How to Bless Your Children
Our very own (i.e. here in Colorado Springs) Focus on the Family recently published an interesting article, "Blessing Your Child."
Here are the points covered, including Biblical examples:
- Meaningful and appropriate touch
- A spoken message
- Attach high value
- Picture a special future
- An active commitment
Regarding the Numbers text... Jacob Milgrom notes that:
- The three lines rise from 3 to 5 to 7 words (in the Hebrew)
- The number of consonants rises from 15 to 20 to 25
- The first half of each line describes movement from God to His people and the second half describes God's activity on their behalf
- The divine source of each blessing is noted by citing God's name as the 2nd word in each line
- The Hebrew word for "you" is in the singular to emphasize that each individual is in relationship with God
See Prager's Rational Bible: Numbers pp. 65-67.
