““Emotions are Emotions are irrelevant.”irrelevant.”

Leonard Nimoy Leonard Nimoy a.k.a. “Spock”a.k.a. “Spock”

““True religion, True religion, in great part, in great part, consists in holy consists in holy affections.”affections.”

Jonathon EdwardsJonathon Edwards

Psalm 95:7b-10Psalm 95:7b-10

7b “Today if you will hear His voice….7b “Today if you will hear His voice….

8 do not harden your hearts as you did at 8 do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, 9 where your fathers tested the desert, 9 where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I and tried me, though they had seen what I did. 10 For forty years I was angry with did. 10 For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, “They are a people that generation; I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.” known my ways.”

I.I. God warns against God warns against complainingcomplaining

A. Complaining is incompatible A. Complaining is incompatible with with worship. worship.B. Complaining is an act of B. Complaining is an act of revolt revolt against God’s rule. against God’s rule.

Exodus 17:7Exodus 17:7

And he called the place MassahAnd he called the place Massah and and MeribahMeribah because the Israelites because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”not?”

 

Deuteronomy 8:3-4Deuteronomy 8:3-4

Remember how the Lord your God led you Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. would keep his commands. 33 He humbled He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, fathers had known, to teach you that man to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the word that comes from the mouth of the Lord…Lord…

Numbers 11:4-5Numbers 11:4-5

44 The rabble with them began to crave other The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! eat! 55 We remember the fish we ate in We remember the fish we ate in Egypt Egypt at no costat no cost—also the cucumbers, —also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. melons, leeks, onions and garlic. 66 But But now we have lost our appetite; we never now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but see anything but this mannathis manna!”!”

C. Complaining is a symptom of C. Complaining is a symptom of an an even deeper problem. even deeper problem.

1. A hardening heart1. A hardening heart

2. A wandering heart2. A wandering heart

3. An unbelieving heart3. An unbelieving heart

II.II. God declares His verdict God declares His verdict on on defiant complainers. defiant complainers.So I declared on oath in my So I declared on oath in my anger, “They shall never anger, “They shall never enter my rest.”enter my rest.”

Question:Question: What exactly is this What exactly is this restrest that is denied that is denied

“complainers?”“complainers?”

III. A NT postscript: God’s III. A NT postscript: God’s answer for the complaining answer for the complaining heart (Hebrews 3:7-4:16)heart (Hebrews 3:7-4:16)

Matthew 11:28-29Matthew 11:28-29

2828 “ “Come to me, all you who are weary Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you and burdened, and I will give you rest. rest. 2929 Take my yoke upon you and Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find humble in heart, and you will find rest rest for your soulsfor your souls..

“Thou movest us to delight in praising thee; for Thou hast formed us for thyself, and our hearts are restless till thy find rest in thee.”

Augustine, in Confessions.