According to Webster's Dictionary, a murmur is a noun meaning "soft, low and indistinct speech; a continuous low, soft sound (e.g. of water in a stream); a subdued grumble, a half-suppressed expression of complaint or objection." The Bible gives several warnings against murmuring, both against God and against man. To get a better idea of what the word means, some synonyms and antonyms may help.
Synonyms for murmur include: babble, complain, grouse, grumble, hum, mumble, mutter, protest, remonstrate, repine, ripple, rustle, whisper. Antonyms for the word include: applaud, approve, honor, praise, recommend. It's important to keep these in mind when studying the word throughout the Bible. Think about which set of words God would want us to use in our interaction with him and others, and you begin to see why it is that murmuring is not something that should be done.
An early example of mumuring can be found in the Old Testament, as the Jews were fleeing from captivity in Egypt. God had provided the Jews with manna from heaven, a blessing, something not to be scoffed at. After all, it was food from heaven, of all places! But the Jews decided they would rather complain to God, saying they wanted meat, that God's food was not good enough for them, that food from heaven, a blessing from God, was not good enough. They were dis-satisfied and they grumbled and complained. Not only that, but the Jews continued to complain, at every step along the way, grumbling about their position, grumbling about their condition, grumbling about God and their leaders.
"Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord [not to the Lord, but in the hearing of the Lord...important note], and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp." -- Numbers 11:1, NIV
"The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, "If only we had meat to eat!" -- Numbers 11:4, NIV
"'Tell the people : "Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you wailed, "If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!" Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will eat it. You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, but for a whole month -- until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it -- because you have rejected the Lord, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?"'" -- Numbers 11:18-20, NIV
Note that God gave the Israelites what they asked for, and that they would loathe it. God here is warning us to trust his will, not our own. We should have nothing to complain about if we realize our blessings, the things that he gives us. Here the Israelites had God among them, the living God among them, and they had all they could ever want, and freedom from Egypt, and they then complained and longed for their captivity once again. They failed to realize the blessings right before them, and chose not to trust God, so God punished them by giving them what they wanted, which was exactly what they didn't need. See, God had already provided for them. Sometimes, the very things we think we need, the things we want, are not what is best for us. We cannot know God's plan, his full purpose for us, and so we should not complain, but seek his guidance in all things. That is another important note to make here. The Israelites did not take their complaints to God directly, but muttered under their breaths, implying that their complaint was not justified, for if it was, why not voice it directly to God? But Moses approached God directly and interceded for the people, and so God responded positively to him. If we do have a complaint, we should take it to God. If anything is to be fixed, if anything needs to be done, is justified, then God will be the one to do it.
"The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 'How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. So tell them, "As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say: In this desert your bodies will fall -- every one of you twenty years old or more who has counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home...."'" -- Numbers 14:26-30, NIV
The Israelites complained because their trust, their focus, was not with God, but on themselves, and God punished them accordingly. God is warning us not to do the same. Think about the blessings the Israelites missed out on by their murmuring. That generation did not enter the promised land, and suffered for forty years in the desert until one by one, they died. Why? Because they did not see the blessings before them, did not foresee the blessings to come, and therefore complained, and God gave them what they asked for.
The Israelites tested God's faithfulness.
"In the desert they gave into their craving;
in the wasteland they put God to the test.
So he gave them what they asked for,
but sent a wasting disease upon them." -- Psalm 106:14, 15, NIV
The New Testament warns about this as well, that we have no right to test God. We have no right to complain to him, to grumble and mutter. If a complaint is justified, then it may be taken to God, but a murmur is something said under the breath, something said so that the person complained about would not hear. But remember also that God hears everything. Every word we say we will be held accountable for. Therefore, we should never question God, never doubt him. He will fulfill his promises to us, he is a faithful God, and we must put our trust in his plan for our lives, unlike the Israelites.
"Do not say, 'Why were the old days better than these?'
For it is not wise to ask such questions." -- Ecclesiastes 7:10
"One of you will say to me: 'Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will [in other words, why should God blame us for the way we are and for what we do because no one can resist his will in our lives, since he made us the way we are] ?' But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? 'Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, "Why did you make me like this?"' Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?" -- Romans 9:19-21, NIV
"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life -- in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing." -- Philippians 2:14-16, NIV
Not only do we not have a right to complain, to question, to argue, but when we refuse to do those things, when we choose to have joy and praise ever-present on our lips, notice the result from the Philippians verse. We are made blameless!! Think about that. When we complain about something, we are casting the blame onto something or someone else, but when we don't put the blame on anything, but instead choose to praise God (note that praise is one of the antonyms of murmur), we are counted blameless. The blame from ourselves is removed!!! Even if we are at fault, even if we have done something wrong, if we choose therefore not to cast blame, but instead issue praise to God, he removes the blame from us!
But the opposite is also true. If we complain and grumble, not only against God, but against our neighbors as well, notice the outcome, the result. The Israelites were punished, judged and condemned because they chose to complain, they chose to grumble and mutter, rather than taking their problem to God or trusting him in the first place. On the one hand, when we choose praise, cleansing from blame awaits. On the other hand, when we choose to murmur, condemnation and judgement await.
"Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!" -- James 5:9
Not only do we not have a right to cast judgement against God, by complaining and muttering, and think about that for a second. It's like you walk into court, approach the bench while you are on trial for murder and begin to cast judgement on the judge himself!! Who are we, what right do we have to judge God? To test God? To complain against God? But too often, we just do not trust, and we place our trust in ourselves, and this only leads to our own judgement. We are warned also of judging our neighbors, and bringing that same judgement upon ourselves. When we cast the blame, we are blamed. When we murmur and complain, we get what we asked for. God is a just God. Why not take it to him first?
Another important point concerning complaining involves our responsibility to the world. We are Christians, the light of this world, and we are called to be examples to the darkness around us. We are to present God to the world. What then does it look like if we are always complaining about God? What would an unbeliever think? In addition, what would an unbeliever think if all he/she saw was Christians complaing and grumbling about each other?? Grumbling, murmuring, complaining, all of these only lead to judgement, and discord. We are to be united as the body of Christ. We are to stand firm together as believers. One note of discord sends a ripple throughout the body. One diseased part of the body affects the body as a whole.
So we have a choice. Choose to complain, choose to murmur, babble, grouse, grumble, hum, mumble, mutter, protest, remonstrate, repine, ripple, rustle, and whisper. The result: judgement, division, discord, strife, hinderance of your walk with God.
Or choose to praise, to applaud, approve, honor, recommend. Choose to always walk with praise on your lips for God's blessings in your life. Choose to thank him instead of complaining against him, and what is the result? Cleansing from blame, unity among believers, strengthening of faith, encouragement to others, a good example to non-believers, a retaining of the focus on Christ, a focus on blessings, rather than problems.
Out of these two choices, which would God have you choose?
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