Are You Like One Of The Whiny Israelites Wandering In The Wilderness?
Old Testament Thoughts Pt. 3
By Grace K. Bianco
They were grumbling and whining just like regular humans would, just like we all probably would.
What was supposed to be an eleven day journey turned into 40 years…
“So, the Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the entire generation of those who had done evil in the sight of the Lord was destroyed.” — Numbers 32:13
As we continue through my series of the Old Testament, I want to talk about the biggest lesson I learned from reading Numbers.
In Numbers, we see the Israelites continually whining and worshipping other gods every chance they got. However, we also see God continually caring, guiding, and forgiving them.
“The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion.* Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” — Numbers 14:18 (*Bolded for emphasis in this article)
Of course, God continually tried to teach them to be better. He punished them multiple times, but they continually messed up.
“One day the Israelites started complaining about their troubles. The Lord heard them and became so angry that he destroyed the outer edges of their camp with fire.
When the people begged Moses to help, he prayed, and the fire went out. They named the place “Burning” because in his anger the Lord had set their camp on fire.” — Numbers 11:1–3
You read verses like the one above throughout the book of Numbers. It becomes so easy to think… “WILL THEY EVER LEARN??” God was literally guiding them day and night. He made it rain manna. He provided for all of their needs and protected them. Yet, the second anything of slight inconvenience or annoyance happened, they’d group together to shake their fists at Moses and the Lord.
“One day some foreigners among the Israelites became greedy for food, and even the Israelites themselves began moaning, “We don’t have any meat! In Egypt we could eat all the fish we wanted, and there were cucumbers, melons, all kinds of onions, and garlic. But we’re starving out here, and the only food we have is this manna.” — Numbers 11:4–6
**Keep in mind that the Israelites were SLAVES in Egypt, and the Lord literally freed them all right before their very eyes.**
How could the Israelites be so ignorant??? Oh… but wait… Don’t we all do the EXACT same thing ALL of the time?
Have you ever wondered why something happened? Have you ever been upset with the way something happened?
I can’t speak for everyone, but I know God has answered many of my prayers. Then, the second I needed something else, I would start complaining and begging for God to “answer” me.
My Real Life Example: My husband and I were struggling with finding places to live while he was traveling for work. We encountered greedy landlord after the next, keeping us from living together.
We had a short window of time to get a camper. We called out to God, and with only a couple of days to spare, we got an AMAZING deal on a camper. We loved it for a while, but after a few months, we needed something more stable.
Again, we had a short window of time to find one. We called out to God, and not only did we find an VERY affordable apartment but we were able to move in pretty much immediately after.
But you know how many conversations my husband and I have had complaining about the economy and wanting to build a house since? Here God has provided in short windows of times, and we still find ourselves getting discouraged with wondering about our next move and wanting more.
That is just one tiny example. I could share plenty more.
It’s okay to bring our requests to God.
Don’t twist my words and think that I am saying we can’t ask God for things. Because of course, we can! God wants us to talk to Him, but He wants us to bring these requests with a grateful heart.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” — Philippians 4:6
When my husband and I called out to God about our living situations, He continually answered. We really want a house, but you know what… God is fully aware of that desire. He sees our needs, but He also can see what we need RIGHT NOW.
The Israelites didn’t have the Bible stories that we have now that clearly show exactly what ended up happening to them. They were living in the moment. They were grumbling and whining just like regular humans would, just like we all probably would. I mean… Would you want to wander around in a desert for forty years?
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ — Numbers 6:24–26
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