Ever so often we need to give ourselves a “check up from the neck up.” This means we must deal with our attitudes. The attitudes we have, and show to the world and the church have a profound effect on all with whom we meet or speak. God speaks specifically concerning various attitudes in His Word. For instance: “Do everything without complaining or arguing . . .” (Philippians 2:14). He lists grumbling with a lust for evil things, idolatry, sexual immorality, and tempting Christ in 1 Corinthians 10. We can learn a lot about what God thinks of an activity by looking at the other activities with which it keeps company. Let’s look at complaining, grumbling, or murmuring in the Bible and see what it does:
Our Bible text is Exodus chapters 3-5. I invite you to read these chapters where we will find the following things:
MURMURING DISCOURAGES OTHERS. Moses wanted to do God’s will. When the officers of Israel murmured against him, he became discouraged, and questioned God’s will for his life (5:22, 23).
MURMURING IS CONTAGIOUS. As a result of Israel’s complaining, Moses complained. Murmuring always breeds more. It is like cancer – it keeps growing.
MURMURERS LOVE COMPANY. They generally operate in groups. In the Gospels, the scribes and Pharisees generally were found together, complaining against Jesus (Luke 5:30; 15:2; 19:7; John 6:41).
MURMURING TAKES NO ACCOUNT OF EXTERNAL CIRCUMSTANCES. God delivered Israel from slavery, but that did not stop their murmuring. The water was bitter, Where’s the beef’.,” there was not enough water, and then there were giants in the land.
MURMURING IS A SIN AGAINST GOD. Moses said in Exodus 16:8, “You will know that it was the LORD when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD.” Murmuring is against God, not mm. Murmuring is a sin.
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