Bibledoorajar: Power Vs. Greed

      At last the Lord had the people organized to move out dependent on Him. Scholars see the exact way that Judah moved them out differently(whether abreast or in single file). The book of Numbers simply says that they moved forward following the Ark under the Cloud. As they prepared to move, those mixed multitudes that had left Egypt with them were allowed to move toward the Promised Land as a part of the Nation as long as they wanted to be included and followed the Lord's commands. A prominent outsider still with the group was the father-in-law of Moses whose name was Jethro or as referred to in Numbers 10 as Hovav. Moses wanted him to go with the group and perhaps be a help to them as they were going to be camping in the desert. Scholars say they were three days away from the Promised Land at the time. When the Ark started forward and the Cloud was over them, Moses said:
"Arise, Lord! May your enemies be scattered! Let those who hate you flee before you!"
When the Ark stopped, Moses said:
"Return Lord of the many, many thousands of Israel!"
      It is a beautiful story of depending on God until reality hit and the people started complaining to the Lord about the hardships of group travel. The mixed multitude that the Lord had accepted began to miss a better life---- one that might be said to be easier but greedier. Their ingratitude made the Lord so angry that fire erupted around the outskirts of the camp. The people cried to Moses and he prayed. God allowed the fire to go out, but in order that the lesson be remembered, the place was called "burning".
      For a year I lived with and travelled with a missions group. We were from different cultures from all over the world. We all had chores and the chores were sometimes monotonous. And when assignments were made by leadership comparisons were sometimes made among the group. Some people on the outskirts began to complain and the next thing we knew we were all sitting under trees meditating on Proverbs that considered the shame of sluggards and praise for hard working ants!
       Proverbs 1:19 says, "So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners". Does this sound like "burning"? Do we ruin our lives because we get greedy? Jesus said that if we kept our view on the power within and His leadership, it would be best if we : "don't worry about your life---what you will eat or drink, or about your body---what you will wear. Isn't life more than food and the body more than clothing?" (Matthew 6) At the root of our greed is a sense of feeling deprived in some way. I think that is what upsets God so much; the thought that He would purposefully deprive His own. Take note self.