Meat for the Hungry

With the Lord’s command, the children of Israel left the Wilderness of Sin. Arriving at Rephidim, they set up camp, but found no water to drink. In anger, Israel blamed and accused Moses of trying to kill them with thirst shouting, “Give us water, that we may drink.” When he tried to reason with them, the conflict grew so great he feared for his life. Then Moses cried to the Lord. Israel may have lashed out at Moses, but in their hearts, they doubted the Lord was among them. Again, I have to say, it’s a good thing I’m not God. I mean, the pillar of cloud and fire were there constantly and manna still appeared each morning. Hadn’t Israel already seen enough jaw-dropping miracles to last them a lifetime? Shouldn’t they have cried out to God themselves instead of yelling at Moses? Why are they still questioning God’s presence?

Israel’s supplies had dwindled. The desolation of the Wilderness of Sin was almost unbearable. In every direction, edible plants were sparse and any wild game to feed this great multitude had departed with the thunder of a million feet. Famished, Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron saying, “ Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! “For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Talk about unfair. Did Moses twist their arms and force them to leave Egypt? Slavery is a brutal way of life. God heard Israel’s cries for deliverance and He rescued them. Now extreme hunger distorted their memory. The “pots of meat and …bread to the full…”  eaten as slaves, were not as good as they remembered and in blaming Moses and Aaron, Israel's complaints were really against God.

Reluctant to leave the refreshing of Elim, Israel traveled to the Wilderness of Sin, between Elim and Sinai. Arriving on the fifteenth day of the second month, thirty days since they left Egypt, the oasis of Elim seemed a faint memory. Hungry, weak and irrational, they complained, longing for the days of slavery. At least in Egypt there was enough food. (Exodus 16:1-3) Was hunger really worse than slavery? Without God, maybe, but sadly in only thirty days of travel, Israel had become so accustomed to seeing the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire, they forgot the King of the Universe was present. Hunger pangs cramped their stomachs, blinded their eyes, confused and muted their senses, making the dreaded oppression of slavery better in comparison. Has that ever happened to you?