Are you complaining in this wilderness of quarantine, about our President and/or Governor? We believe that we have a right to complain if we don’t agree with the authorities’ way of doing something. Here in the United States of America, we have the Bill of Rights which gives us freedom of speech, but we are also citizens of the Kingdom of God. What does the bible say about our leaders?

When I was praying last week God showed me the children of Israel and when they were in the wilderness, right away they began to complain about the authority that God places over them. They accused Moses that he brought them out there to die, and were not afraid to let others know how they felt. They complained about the water, food, and lack of meat this complaining cause them to not respect Moses, so once he was out of sight and on the mountain talking with God, they did what they wanted to.

Once you allow the loss of respect one authority figure (Moses) it is easy to disrespect another (God). Once we begin to disrespect one authority it is much easier to disrespect another.

God invited the entirety of Israel to come upon the mountain, He wanted to speak with everyone. The people were afraid and told Moses to go for them. Part of this fear could have stemmed from their own heart issues of disobedience and disrespect of authority. This lack of respect and the absence of Moses the people of Israel decided to create an idol (golden calf) and inturn broke a marriage covenant they had with God. God in His mercy and grace again gave them another chance and renewed his marriage covenant.

Later that year Moses sent in twelve spies into the promised land, after forty days they came out with their report. All spies told of the goodness of the land but ten gave a bad report and told the people that it was impossible to take the land. Caleb, one of the spies tried to encourage the people that it was possible at the end of Number chapter thirteen.

The next chapter the people of Israel started to complaining, once again, they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” This caused Moses and Arron to fall on their faces. Joshua and Caleb again tried to get the people of Israel to stop complaining. God decided He was going to wipe out all of Israel but Moses interceded and God relented. God told the people that they would have to wander the wilderness for forty years, and everyone twenty-year and older that complain would die. The ten spies with the bad report died right away of a “plague before the Lord”.

If the people of Israel would have learned early on not to complain and respect authority maybe God may have allowed more to enter the promised land, as He did with Joshua and Caleb.

How have you been going through your quarantine wilderness?

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭10:13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Jesus was also lead in the wilderness, His stay was .3% less than the people of Israel. The Israelites spent 14,600 days where Jesus spent only 40 days. Both Moses and Jesus were lead by the Holy Spirit, Moses was lead by the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. What was the difference between the people of Israel and Jesus? heart attitude! 

Both Moses and Jesus were lead by the Holy Spirit. Jesus was fully man and fully God, his flesh was the same as ours. He needed food and water, so Satan came with the same temptations that the people of Israel had. Jesus did not complain about not having food and water when tempted he aligned his speech with His authority, his Father. Jesus spoke God’s word over the situation and was fully submitted to God’s will.

This is what Joshua and Caleb did they aligned with their natural authority, Moses, and with God. They began to speak what Moses told them that it was possible to take the land. Their heart attitude was aligned with God.

Moses and Jesus we in alignment with God, but our leaders are not part of God’s kingdom. Neither was Nebuchadnezzar but Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel align and honor the King unless it was against the character (laws) of God. They would not eat the food the nation and other leaders were eating. They would not exalt the king over God, even with the threat of death, by the firey furnace of the lions den.

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

Romans 13:1 ESV

We might not agree with the character or policies of our leaders but we do need to align ourselves to what they are speaking. The only time we are not to is if it is directly against the nature of God’s character. Our Governor here in Michigan has requested that every person that is out in public wear a mask. I personally believe that God will protect me and that I don’t need to wear a mask but I will for the sake of others and our leaders.

Are you speaking like the people of Israel;
– It was better back in Egypt
– Let us pick a new leader
– Why won’t our Governor/President allow us to go back to work?
– It was better back…

Joshua and Caleb knew not to look back to Egypt but to press forward into the directions of God. They knew it was going to be different after the wilderness, they will need to fight in the promised land to get to that new normal. We are going to have to have unity to be able to fight back the inhabitants on the other side of this wilderness (quarantine).

Application 

• Repent for your negative action, talk, and heart attitude 
• Align your speak to the authorities in our lives
• Align yourself to God’s character and Word above all