Assassins Among Us #27: The Tragedy of Despising the Spirit

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Yesterday we saw Israel complain about manna. They wanted the food of Egypt instead of the bread from heaven.

This wasn’t just ingratitude. It was something far more dangerous.

DESPISING THE PROVISION

“But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.” — Numbers 11:6 (ESV)

“Nothing at all but this manna.”

Let that sink in. God was raining bread from heaven every single morning—supernatural provision that had never happened before in human history—and Israel said “nothing at all but this.”

They despised the miracle because it had become familiar.

THE SPIRIT DESPISED

We do the same thing with the Holy Spirit.

The third Person of the Trinity dwells within every believer. The same Spirit who hovered over the waters at creation. The same Spirit who raised Jesus Christ from the dead. The same Spirit who empowered the apostles at Pentecost.

And we treat Him like He’s not enough.

We want emotional highs, but the Spirit offers transformation. We want miraculous signs, but the Spirit offers the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience. We want spectacular, but the Spirit offers sanctification.

“Nothing at all but this Spirit.”

GRIEVING AND QUENCHING

Scripture gives us two warnings about how we treat the Spirit.

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” — Ephesians 4:30 (ESV)

“Do not quench the Spirit.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:19 (ESV)

Grieving is causing Him sorrow through our sin. Quenching is suppressing His work through our resistance. Both are ways of despising His presence.

The Spirit doesn’t leave when we grieve Him—we’re sealed. But His power becomes muted in our experience. His voice becomes harder to hear. His leading becomes easier to ignore.

We still have the Spirit. But we’re living as if we don’t.

WANTING EGYPT BACK

“We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing.” — Numbers 11:5 (ESV)

Notice what they forgot: Egypt was slavery. The fish didn’t cost money, but it cost everything else. Their freedom. Their dignity. Their children’s lives.

But when the wilderness got hard, slavery started looking good.

This is what happens when we despise the Spirit’s provision. The old life starts looking attractive. The old sins start looking satisfying. The old bondage starts looking like freedom.

“At least in Egypt we had…” Fill in the blank with whatever the flesh is craving.

But Egypt was death. The Spirit is life. Don’t trade life for the memory of slavery.

TOMORROW: SEALED—WHAT IT ACTUALLY MEANS

If we can grieve and quench the Spirit, what does it mean that we’re “sealed”?

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org