What Is The Provocation Today, As In The Wilderness?

[Mr. M]

Psalm 95:
6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.
7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
To day if ye will hear his voice,
8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of
temptation in the wilderness:

Exodus 23:
20 Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way
and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.
21 Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for
He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him.
22 But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then
I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.
23 For My Angel will go before you…

Exodus 34:
5 Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and
proclaimed the name of the Lord.
6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God,
merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,
7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin,
by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the
children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.

Jeremiah 7:19. Do they provoke Me to anger? says the Lord. Do they not
provoke themselves, to the shame of their own faces?

 

[Amittai]

There is a somewhat collective angle in this; it is good to always pray that our spiritual leaders advocate for our freedom and don't try to control us or dumb down the truth, and for our mutual discernment about the quality of what sheepfold we are in.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

collective angle

Yes, so much in the O T is about the nation Israel and about how they, as a people, are rebellious, obstinate, hard hearted. It is easier for us to personalize this and work on ourselves. As a nation I am pretty sure we provoke God. And yet we disagree on how we do it most. We have no collective unity and our views on social justice are divergent.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

Yes, so much in the O T is about the nation Israel and about how they, as a people, are rebellious, obstinate, hard hearted. It is easier for us to personalize this and work on ourselves. As a nation I am pretty sure we provoke God. And yet we disagree on how we do it most. We have no collective unity and our views on social justice are divergent.

But can we agree the moral test of our nation is how the weakest are faring.

 

[Amittai]

Akita,

But can we agree the moral test of our nation is how the weakest are faring.
​

And how the weakest in our church (es) are faring. Let him who has nothing, receive a share from those that have plenty (Nehemiah and the incident of the manna); give a chance to those short of opportunity to gain a crown (James and Paul and the feeding of the thousands).

I wonder if Tertullian-style despising of general knowledge and Edwards-style literalism by megaphone preachers is being expressed in nations by oppression and dumbing down in education systems and media.

 

[Mr. M]

There is a somewhat collective angle in this; it is good to always pray that our spiritual leaders advocate for our freedom and don't try to control us or dumb down the truth, and for our mutual discernment about the quality of what sheepfold we are in.

The need for prayer over leadership cannot be overstated, as their failures spiritually become
our failures in part.

Hebrews 13:11. Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for
your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief,
for that would be unprofitable for you.

Regardless of the individual church or denomination, the elders of the church have as a
stewardship to establish all the body of Christ in His Kingdom of Righteousness, Peace,
and Joy in the Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 1:24. Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers
for your joy; for by faith you stand.

Colossians 3:21. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

 

[Mr. M]

Yes, so much in the O T is about the nation Israel and about how they, as a people, are rebellious, obstinate, hard hearted. It is easier for us to personalize this and work on ourselves. As a nation I am pretty sure we provoke God. And yet we disagree on how we do it most. We have no collective unity and our views on social justice are divergent.

Lessons from the Old Testament is definitely intended for the OP!
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 they 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.
11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition,
upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

 

[WebersHome]

.
Well; according to Heb 3:7-19 the provocation in the wilderness was primarily the refusal of Moses' people to enter the promised land when God instructed them to. Their refusal was based upon fear of the inhabitants and their doubt that God would help His people to overcome them.

Their mistake was aggravated by the fact that they had only recently witnessed God's miracles in Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea. In other words: they had no good reason to believe that God wasn't willing and able to help them succeed in colonizing the promised land.

I don't know the exact date of the writing of the letter to Hebrews but it's very probable that the recipients were familiar with Jesus' three-year missionary journey in Israel and were eye witnesses of his many miracles and had even heard some of his sermons; for example:

• John 3:1-2 . . There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him: Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

The Jews of Nicodemus' day had a tremendous advantage that those of today lack. It was much easier to believe in Jesus back then, but now it's not so easy seeing as how he's not here in person like he was then curing blindness and disease, restoring the dead to life, and feeding thousands of people with just a handful of groceries.

Jehovah spoke to His people via Moses, via the prophets, and also via His son Jesus (Heb 1:1-2) but as far as I know, God isn't speaking to them by specially designated holy men today so their unbelief now wouldn't be nearly as serious as it was in the past.
_

 

[Mr. M]

.
Well; according to Heb 3:7-19 the provocation in the wilderness was primarily the refusal of Moses' people to enter the promised land when God instructed them to. Their refusal was based upon fear of the inhabitants and their doubt that God would help His people to overcome them.

Their mistake was aggravated by the fact that they had only recently witnessed God's miracles in Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea. In other words: they had no good reason to believe that God wasn't willing and able to help them succeed in colonizing the promised land.

I don't know the exact date of the writing of the letter to Hebrews but it's very probable that the recipients were familiar with Jesus' three-year missionary journey in Israel and were eye witnesses of his many miracles and had even heard some of his sermons; for example:

• John 3:1-2 . . There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him: Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

The Jews of Nicodemus' day had a tremendous advantage that those of today lack. It was much easier to believe in Jesus back then, but now it's not so easy seeing as how he's not here in person like he was then curing blindness and disease, restoring the dead to life, and feeding thousands of people with just a handful of groceries.

Jehovah spoke to His people via Moses, via the prophets, and also via His son Jesus (Heb 1:1-2) but as far as I know, God isn't speaking to them by specially designated holy men today so their unbelief now wouldn't be nearly as serious as it was in the past.
_

The provocation in the wilderness spoken of in Hebrews 3/Psalm 95 is
in reference to the Massah and Meribah incident.
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.”
So 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?”
4 So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!”
5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go.
6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock,
and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.”
And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
7 So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

This incident is significant for consideration with the OP topic, because of
the revelation that Christ was with the congregation in the wilderness.
1 Corinthians 10:
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.

This was before the revelation on Sinai and the giving of the Ten Commandments.

 

[WebersHome]

.
Another provocation in the wilderness is located at Num 21:5-9.

Long story short: Moses' people became sick and tired of living in the desert and eating manna all the time at every meal. But instead of courteously, and diplomatically, petitioning their divine benefactor for tastier food and better accommodations, they became hostile and confrontational.

In response to their insolence; God sent a swarm of deadly poisonous reptiles among them; which began striking people; and every strike was 100% fatal, no exceptions. In no time at all, much people of Israel died. (The incident is mentioned again at 1Cor 10:9)

The lesson is pretty obvious to me: Be grateful for God's providence whatever its quantity; and never, ever, complain about its quality.

NOTE: Jesus appropriated the incident to illustrate the value of his crucifixion.

• John 3:14-17 . . Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

Those not yet dead from snakebite got nervous and appealed to Moses for help. In reply; The Lord instructed Moses to construct a replica of the beasts and hoist it up on a pole in plain view so that everyone dying from venom could look to it for immunity.

Now the key issue here is that the replica, lifted up, was the only God-given remedy for the people's terminal condition-- not purity, not sacrifices and offerings, not tithing, not church attendance, not missionary work, not confession, not holy days of obligation, not the Sabbath, not charity, not good deeds, not good behavior, not piety, not Bible study and Sunday school, not catechism or yeshiva, not one's religion of choice, not self denial and/or self control, not the so-called golden rule, not vows of poverty and/or chastity, not the Ten Commandments, not the Eucharist; no, none of that: not even prayers. That replica, lifted up, was it; viz: it was all or nothing at all-- there was no other option. Whoever failed to look to that replica, lifted up for immunity, died: no exceptions.

In other words then: Christ, lifted up on the cross to satisfy justice for the sins of the world, is the only God-given option for protection from the second death depicted at Rev 20:11-15. The default is terminal; no exceptions. People relying upon religion and piety, instead of putting all their trust in Christ's crucifixion, are dead men walking, no exceptions.

• John 3:18 . .Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever disbelieves stands condemned already
_

 

[Mr. M]

Deuteronomy 9:
4 “Do not think in your heart, after the Lord your God has cast them out before you, saying, ‘Because of my righteousness the Lord has brought me in to possess this land’; but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out from before you.
5 It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God drives them out from before you, and that He may fulfill the word which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
6 Therefore understand that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people.
7 “Remember! Do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day that you departed from the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord.
8 Also in Horeb you provoked the Lord to wrath, so that the Lord was angry enough with you to have destroyed you.

 

[Mr. M]

Micah 7:
18. Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the
transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His
anger forever, because He delights in mercy.
19 He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.

Psalm 103:
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.