Moses And Israel: Systematic Conflict

Conflict 6—Systemic conflict (Numbers 11-14, 16, 20)
These passages cover a series of confrontations between Moses and Israel during the wilderness wanderings. First of all, the people begin complaining about their food. Moses gets so weary with their complaints that he asks G-d to deliver him from the people. G-d responds to Moses with help, and to the people with more quail than they could possibly imagine. Following this episode, the same spirit of complaining that was systemic in the congregation appears when Aaron and Miriam complained against Moses. G-d strictly admonished them and Miriam was smitten with leprosy and had to remain outside the camp for seven days. In chapters 13 and 14, the people began complaining again when the twelve
G-d sent Moses to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, but he would not listen. As a result, G-d judged Egypt with plagues to coerce Pharaoh. Pharaoh, though, still thought he could dictate their departure (despite what his own people told him), and afflicted the Israelites worse. Finally, after the tenth plague, death of the firstborn, G-d caused Pharaoh to finally send them out quickly. Yet, after the Israelites had escaped, hard-hearted Pharaoh and his army pursued them. G-d showed the final strength of power by bringing the Israelites through the Red Sea, and then destroying the Egyptian army.
In this account, we see conflicts of power. Throughout the account, Pharaoh still believes that he can use his power to control the Israelites (negative leverage). However, G-d challenges Pharaoh’s bold assumptions with plagues that destroy the land of Egypt (negative leverage).
We can learn from this situation that no matter how much we want to control our life, we cannot control every aspect of it. Despite our attempt to use leverage in a particular situation, G-d’s will is always the final say. If we refuse to listen to G-d, we will only suffer serious
And it caused a conflict between me and a friend several years ago. A friend had spread gossip about my family, and word had gotten back to me.
Just prior to this occasion, my family had left a congregation because of doctrinal “non-negotiables.” We were still in contact with a friend who attended there, and my brother had told him that we were no longer attending that congregation. However, shortly after that, we saw someone form the same congregation at a concert and she told us that our friend had said we were “bouncing congregations.”
I was terribly angry and hurt, partially at my brother, but mostly at my friend who had told others about our situation. I wanted to let him have it and hurt him back, but I knew that was not what G-d wanted me to do. I had to decide to let it go or let him have it. Even though I had been hurt, I now had to react in a way that would not hurt anyone else. It was a terrible mental and emotional struggle for several days. Before confronting my friend, I had to confront myself and my