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Murmuring
Philippians
2:15, “that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke,
in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in
the world…” This verse encapsulates who we are and
what we’re supposed to do. But
verse 15 cannot be read without verse 14. The two verses are really part of one sentence. Verse 14 says, “Do all things without murmurings and disputations…” and
then continues on into verse 15, “that ye may be blameless and harmless, the
sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation,
among whom ye shine as lights in the world…” “Murmurings
and disputations” means “to grumble in a low tone, mutter, talking about those
who do this as they discontentedly complain, to lodge a complaint.” But this is not talking about lodging a
complaint in a proper manner. This
type of complaining, murmuring, involves coercive complaining with others to
subvert (often done behind the backs of others, who are unaware of it until the
whole thing explodes in their faces later on). Satan is the master of murmuring, Revelation 12:3-4, “And
there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having
seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of
the stars [“stars” is symbolic language for “angels” in the Bible] of heaven,
and did cast them down to the earth.” The sin of
murmuring began with Satan, and he used it to draw one third of the angels to
rebel against God. People who
murmur almost always have an “agenda.” Murmurers develop followings and followers (often secretly). 1st Corinthians 10:1-5,
“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our
fathers were under the cloud, and passed through the sea; and were all baptized
unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual
meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed
them: and that Rock was
Christ. But with many of them God
was not well pleased: for they
were overthrown in the wilderness.” Now Paul goes on to explain why these
things were written down in the Torah, in the Book of Numbers. Verses 6-11, “Now these things were
[written] for our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things,
as they also lusted. Neither be ye
idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose
up to play. Neither let us commit
fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty
thousand. Neither let us tempt
Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of
them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them
for ensamples: and they are
written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” Then Paul warns in verse 12, “Wherefore let him that
thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
How and Where Can
Murmuring Begin?
Murmuring
was a problem in ancient Israel, and it is a problem today. We see it all the
time on the job. Jesus gives us a
prime example of how it occurs on the job through this parable. Matthew 20:1-16, “For the kingdom of
heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to
hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent
them into his vineyard. And he
went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the market
place, and said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is
right I will give you. And they
went their way. Again he went out
about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, and did likewise. About the eleventh hour he went out,
and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the
day idle? They say unto him,
Because no man hath hired us. He
saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the
vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto
the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed
that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a
penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the
goodman of the house, saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou
hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the
day. But he answered one of them, [“one of them,” implying many more of
them were murmuring and grumbling under their breaths behind the boss’s back] and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto
the last, even as unto thee. Is it
not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? Is thy eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the
first last: for many be called,
but few chosen.” The landowner did nothing wrong, and
yet they went behind his back to complain. This employer (Christ) was a real attitude-tester. Jesus gave a perfect parable to
describe murmuring and what can bring murmuring into our lives. It happens all the time in the course
of our normal employment lives. I
can remember a situation in my own life where I had a close friend on the job
(we were electronics techs) and this friend was intuitively at the level all
the engineers were at, he was brilliant well beyond his schooling. He was really smarter,
intelligence-wise, than the boss and as smart as the engineers, smarter at
times. So as time went on he and
another employee would start to critique and criticize the boss in these
bull-sessions, the three of us. Before this I had never been critical of my bosses, and after awhile I
started to realize these “roast the boss” sessions were spiritually unhealthy. So I backed out of the group
quietly.
Murmuring Leads To
Rebellion
Murmuring
was a common trait in ancient Israel, and it is in America too. It leads to rebellion and strife, this
complaining about our bosses and leaders behind their backs in groups of
murmurers and grumblers. The
American Revolution (which the British called “The Rebellion”) and the American
Civil War (which the northern states called “the Rebellion of the Cotton
States”) were brought on by murmuring, essentially. We have an example of murmuring in the books of Exodus and
Numbers. Exodus 15:24-26, “And
the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he cast into the waters, the
waters were made sweet: there he
made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, and said,
If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is
right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his
statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought
upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.” So we see, whenever the Israelites encountered a hardship, the very
first thing they would do was murmur, complain by murmuring about the hardship
their leaders (Moses and ultimately God) were putting them through. Numbers 12:1-10, “And Miriam and
Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had
married: for he had married an
Ethiopian woman. And they said [obviously behind his back, amongst
themselves, which equates to murmuring], Hath the LORD spoken only by Moses? Hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it. (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the earth.) And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto
Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the
congregation. And they came
out. And the LORD came down in the pillar of the
cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and
Miriam: and they both came
forth. And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the
LORD will make myself known unto him in
a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My
servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With
him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and
the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then
were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he
departed. And the cloud departed
from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.” Now verses 11-15 show she was healed after having to remain outside the
camp for three days, thinking about what she had done, and then she was
healed. That is what God, Yahweh,
Jesus Christ thinks about talking behind someone’s back, which murmuring
equates to. Notice also how
rapidly God squashed murmuring when it raised its ugly head within his top
leadership structure in Israel. What does murmuring do? Why
is it so dangerous? Turn to Proverbs
6:16-19, “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him [ie. the 7th one God really hates, and number seven is what
murmuring does]: a proud look,
a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that diviseth
wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” How do you think “discord” starts? “Discord” starts with murmuring. Luke 5:29-30, “And Levi made a great feast in his own
house: and there was a great
company of publicans [tax
collectors, despised by the Pharisees and scribes] and others that sat down
with them. But their scribes and
Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and
drink with publicans and sinners?” They murmured
against Christ, in reality, and murmuring always results in contentions and
strife. Notice the scribes and
Pharisees murmured with Jesus’ disciples, trying to draw them into their circle
of influence and way of thinking, behind Christ’s back. 1st Timothy 6:3-5, “If any man teach
otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing
nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy,
strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds,
and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great
gain.” Hebrews 13:5, “Let your
conduct be without covetousness: and
be content with
such things as ye have: for he
hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
Murmuring Cancels
Out Faith and Causes Division
Another
cause of murmuring is rebellion against authority. Deuteronomy 1:26-27, “Notwithstanding ye would not go up,
but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God: and ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the
LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth
out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to
destroy us.” When we murmur we no longer trust God
or have faith in God. It cancels
out faith, not something you want to do. Murmuring also causes division. 1st Corinthians 1:10-15, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you;
but that ye
be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of
you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you
saith, I am of Paul; and I am of Apollos; I am of Cephas; and I am of
Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of
Paul? I thank God that I baptized
none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; lest any should say that I had baptized in
mine own name.” How did these factions develop? Through murmuring.
How Do You Deal
With A Murmurer?
How do you deal with a murmurer ? We as Christians all tend to be nice, we hate to cut someone off in conversation. Murmuring, if you look throughout the Bible, is an Israelite/Church of God problem. God is saying to us, “You ought to know better.” Three points: 1. Realize that murmuring is actually an affront to God. Exodus 16:7-8, “And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us? And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.” 2. Realize God deals harshly with those who murmur against him. Numbers 14:1-12, 22-24, 26-33, “And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. And the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! [And God was thinking, ‘That can be arranged.’] And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said to one another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. And Joshua the son of Num, and Caleb the son of Jephuneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: and they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land that floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, [rebellion and murmuring are related, one gives rise to the other] neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel. And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them? I will smite them with pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they…Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: but my servant Caleb [and Joshua too], because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it…And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. And say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephuneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness. And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.” God takes this murmuring stuff pretty seriously. 3. Question, How do you deal with someone who murmurs (say murmuring to you)? 1st Timothy 6:3-5, “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.” Listening to murmuring puts you at risk. Don’t give a murmurer an audience. Cut them off, walk away---disagree with them. When you resolutely disagree with a murmurer he will walk away from you. But be wise and careful. The Israelites tried to stone Joshua and Caleb when they disagreed with the Israelites who were murmuring. So finally, back to Philippians 2:14-15, “Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world…” [Taken from the notes of a sermon given by Pastor Len Martin, pastor of the Worcester, Mass and Seabrook, NH United Church of God congregations.]
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