The Israelites had been freed from Egyptian slavery and were wandering in the wilderness. While there God provided them with guidance ( a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night) , yet they complained about wandering, and that things had been better in Egypt.
God also provided them with food and not just any food, this was food that rained down from heaven, and was enough for each individual person, they we not starving. This food they called Manna: a bread like substance. But then we see that they also complained about this food as well, they claimed that they wanted something better, they wanted meat!!
So God gave them meat... and lots of it!!! He gave them live quail, in fact so much that it was 3 ft. deep!!! Now if that is not alot of meat.. I don't know what is!! This would be heaven for me just hand me a BB gun and I would go to town with killing them!!! That would be the perfect hunting day!!
Anyways where was I??? OH yes the quail!! So they complained about that later on! God also provided them with water when they needed it and also guidance through Moses, through His commands and also pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night!
Also let's not forget the very fact that He gave them freedom from Egypt, got them across the red sea and cured them from a terrible sickness that came from snakes ( lifting up the snake in the wilderness).
And He also restrained from punishing them time and again and they were in fact on their way to the promised land. They were SO SO blessed in many ways, and yet we find them in the book of Exodus complaining time and again.
And I as an American in the 21st century look at that and click my tongue as if to say "Shame, shame you Israelites!! Can't you see what God has and is doing for you?? Why are you complaining??" And in fact I am tempted to think that I am better then them, when in fact I am way worse then them!
For I have it far greater than they. After all I live in a nice dorm ( when at school) and a nice House ( when I am home) versus a tent. I really don't have to travel everyday like they did and when I do it most often is not on foot ( minus my walk to work which is prolly not even half a mile I am pretty certain that they walked MILES) I can just hop into a car and get where I am going.
I have plenty of food whenever I need it, and it is never just bread or quail I have way more variety than that. And though I have not been freed from Egyptian slavery I have been freed in an even greater sense from the slavery of my sin!!!! Because of Christ the son of God's death on the cross I have been freed from the guilt and shame and punishment of my sin and am now a child of God's!!
And I too am headed to a promised land just as they were but my promised land is way better as well! For heaven you see is even greater than their promised land for this promised land is free of sin and it is the most perfect place.
So as you can see I have it even better than they did, and yet I complain just as much as they did if not more than they did! And when I really began to think about this I thought to myself "How could this be? How could I look down on the Israelites for complaining when I myself have it better off then they did and complain even more than they did!"
All this was brought to mind in my quiet time with God the past few days. My Bible reading has been in Psalm 78 and in versus 18- 21 it talks about the Israelites and how they complained against God. First it states what God had given them and then it states that they complained. And it just got me to thinking about the seriousness of complaining.
Psalm 78:18-21
18 They willfully put God to the test
by demanding the food they craved.
This verse shows me what complaining it. It states
that complaining is willful in that they willfully complained. It is never mindless like sometimes I like to think it is.
I would sometimes like to dismiss my complaining as "out of my control" in that I say that "well If things were not this way, or if I only had this_____, then I would not complain" But that is never true for I would find something to complain about even if I had all the riches in the world!! But what is complaining?
Complaining is speaking against God when you think about it honestly!! WE would like to think that we complain because of our circumstances, because of not having what we think we need. Or complaining about the fact that there are things we want but do not have. Take the Israelites for instance, in this verse at the end it says that they were demanding that God give them the food they craved. Notice how it does not say by demanding for the food they needed, no it does not say that because they already had food, the problem was they did not have the food they really wanted.
Complaining is speaking against God because what I am saying to God when I complain is that "I deserve better than what He has provided" When in reality I DO NOT deserve even what He has given me!! You see complaining when taken honestly is a serious sin! It is speaking against God! This means that anytime I complain no matter what I am complaining about I am telling God that I deserve better, I am telling Him that who HE is and what He has done matters nothing to me and is not sufficent.
It is as if I am looking at Jesus on the cross suffering and dying for my sin and all I have to say is "I want more... give me more!"
I am but a stones throw from Israel... in fact I am worse because I have it better than they!
19 They spoke against God, saying,
"Can God spread a table in the desert?
We see here that complaining is as I stated before speaking against God, the creator of the universe and me and the savior of the world! It also shows that He is fully capable of providing for my needs ( food in particular) and it matters not where I am for He can and will provide for me no matter where I am!
20 When he struck the rock, water gushed out,
and streams flowed abundantly.
But can he also give us food?
Can he supply meat for his people?"
As stated earlier and as seen in this verse God provided them with water ( He does this for me as well for there is an endless supply of it with just a turn of a knob and any faucet nearest me, and I am never far from one. And to think I do not even have to strike a rock!!)
He also provided them with meat because they were tiring of the manna, and to think that I have more variety than that and yet I too still complain!! Just a stones throw folks... just a stones throw!!!
21 When the LORD heard them, he was very angry;
his fire broke out against Jacob,
and his wrath rose against Israel
And finally were learn here that complaining angers God, and RIGHTLY SO!!!
Imagine, you make a good dinner for someone. Then after the dinner all that person did was to tell you how bad it tasted and what all you did wrong and then they proceeded to say what would have been better. And how angry you would be?? And don't say that you would not be because you would, we all hate it when we go to great lengths to do something nice for someone and all that person has to say is complaints about the thing we did.
Or imagine that you are in the hot desert, with a friend. And the friend gets thirsty and you are the only one with water left, so you let your friend have the rest, choosing to go thirsty just so your friend will have some water. And then after drinking it all your friend has to say is to complain about the water and how much better the water at home was, the friend does not even thank you in fact he just keeps on complaining. All that sacrifice for him and all he has to say is complaints!!!
And yet we do the very same thing to God!! He provides me with far greater than what the Israelites had and yet I complain just as much if not more than they!
I am no better, in fact I am worse!!
And not only that but God has sent His son to die for me, I am permanently free from sin and will one day be with my Father in heaven FOREVER! What could be greater than that?? Even if I had nothing left but salvation at least I would have salvation!!!
You see the bottom line here is I must never think that I deserve better for I do not even deserve what I do have!! I have been redeemed, that is the greatest thing, the sin of complaining is serious and deadly and contagious ( it affected the entire tribe of Israel, and we see it happen everyday. A family is all fine and good until someone starts complaining and then it is like a stone has been thrown into a pond, the ripples go everywhere stirring up the once calm water.)
May I remember the seriousness of my complaining and never make excuses for it never let it consume my thoughts and words. May I remember that I do not even deserve what I do have. May I be content with what I have, and may I live a life of thankfulness and gratitude toward the GREAT GOD,the sustainer, the provider of ALL needs, the lover and redeemer of this wretched prodigal (me).
May I repent of the sin of complaining and rely on God to rid me of that and to become a more true and thankful follower of Him!
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