Moshe's Wrestle with Contention
Contention seems to be one of those things that inherently comes with journey through the spirit. Anywhere you read through-out scripture, you’ll find different occasions of dealing with contention & how overcoming the contentious spirit is not only a work of patience, but the ultimate triumph of the overall journey. Being able to discern & understand how to navigate around this spirit calls for inner disciplines of some sort to work with.
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
and patience, experience; and experience, hope:
& hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. -Romans 5:5
Discernment & Contentious spirit:
& The woman said unto him, sir, thou hast nothing to draw with & the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
This idea of contention, brings me in mind of the Samaritan Woman which Ha-Mashiyach spoke with at the well. In that because of a conflict in traditions between Jews & Samaritans at the time, the Samaritan Woman was, at first, somewhat contentious with Ha-Mashiyach. Yet because his works were evident, he could not be denied for long.
But Whosoever drinkest of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
The woman saith unto him, sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. -John 4:14-15
Wrestling in the Wilderness:
& the people spake against God, & against Moses, wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water: & our soul loatheth this light bread.
& the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, & they bit the people; & much people of Israel died.
Therefore the people came to Moses, & said, we have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, & against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. & Moses prayed for the people.
& the Lord said unto Moses, make thee a fiery serpent, & set it upon a pole: & it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it shall live. -Exodus 21:5-9
That even through-out that full journey through the wilderness, we find a cycle of prophecy wrestling with the contention of a people. & likewise today, do we witness that same struggle.
& so this is the re-occuring pattern of contention that we find among the people, that they spoke not only against their own DIVINE, but also against the Prophet sent as an Intercessor between them & their DIVINE. These things became an offense both in Torah held of the Old Testament as well as the spiritual law of the Gospel found in the New Testament. The fiery serpents are a result of that contentious way.
With this we see that It becomes a stumbling block that we speak evil or judge one another after the law, being that there’s only one lawgiver that is able to save or destroy, according to this faith.
Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the LORD. Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the Earth, & hath long patience for it, until he receive the early & latter rain. -James 5:7
But grudging against the ways of one that does not resist you does a disservice to self. Any of us that stir up that contention, welcome a scorching such as Dahiyah al-Kahina.
& Moses made a serpent of brass, & put it upon a pole, & it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. -Exodus 21:9
& As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up. -John 3:14