I wish I were different from the Israelites, who were taking a 45-day journey from Egypt to Mt. Sinai. Shortly after Moses and Miriam’s powerful songs of praise, grumbling and complaining filled the ranks.
I can relate to the hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” There are times when I gratefully sing about God’s grace and mercy.
Come Thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Like the Hebrews, I recognize my tendency to depart from gratitude, devotion, and obedience.
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
The Complaint Department
According to Victor Hamilton’s handbook on the Old Testament, the Hebrew term for “complain,” “grumble,” or “murmur” is found only in the Bible’s wilderness narratives. The first instance took place in the wilderness.
Then Moses ordered Israel to set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water.
When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter. That is why it was called Marah.
And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” (Exodus 15:22-24).
I have never been so thirsty that I complained or murmured against God. During a prolonged fast, where I consumed only fruit juice, I asked God, “Lord, is there another way?”
His response to me was as clear as if I had audibly heard His voice. He said, “That’s what you always want. You want another way rather than following my directions.”
Moses took their complaints to the heavenly complaint department and received God’s answer.
He cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood; he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet (Exodus 15:25).
In today’s video, Rudy Ross explains that the piece of wood is a picture of Jesus’ crucifixion. His death on the cross is “sweet” for humans, because it is the way God can both be just and the justifier of sinful humanity.
The Test
As the Hebrews journey toward Mt. Sinai, they encounter several tests. At this time of the year, graduation season is upon us. How many tests are needed to pass for a student to graduate? I’m sure the number is large for all grade levels.
Tests may not be welcome, but they prove what someone has learned.
There the Lord made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he put them to the test.
He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes,
I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals you” (Exodus 15:25-26).
My marketing professor in college called tests, “opportunity time.” The Israelites experienced several “opportunity times” in the walk toward Mt. Sinai. God gave them the opportunity to learn to trust His leadership and discover His presence, nature, and character.
The same is true for us. Richard Foster teaches that God allows tests to come to His children because there are some things about God and ourselves that we can only learn through testing.
When we are tested, we may want to say: “OK, Lord, what is the opportunity you want me to experience today?”
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 