red seaTo say that God’s people liked to complain would be an understatement. They didn’t just like to complain the way I like to hear a good joke. This wasn’t a mild, occasional amusement for them; they complained the way people today watch television: It was a part of their very culture.

In Egyptian captivity they cried to God for deliverance; God provided to them Moses and ten plagues that broke the will of Pharaoh and set the people on their way to Canaan’s land.

Ah, Canaan: A land flowing with milk and honey, the land promised to their father Abraham, their land. Who wouldn’t want to go to such a land?! Apparently the Israelites, as they moaned and groaned at every obstacle along the way.

They left Egypt (again, after ten spectacular plagues of God’s doing) and arrived at the Red Sea. Egypt’s forces were hot on their trail and though the people had literally witnessed not one or two but ten different examples of God’s protection, the people chose to react…let’s say “negatively” to the sight of the seemingly uncrossable body of water before them:

And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.

Exodus 14:11-12

Yeah guys, that’s it. You cracked the code: God’s master plan for you was to lead you out of Egypt just to kill you in the wilderness.

Isn’t that essentially what they accused God of doing? They basically called Him a punk.

And then to pour salt on the wound they said they would rather go back to Egypt and be slaves to Pharaoh than die as children of God. Shame! Shame on them for not being prepared to die, and shame on them for not trusting that God would save them.

Which of course He did. And then they began their journey to Canaan. Until they went hungry, and then they complained again. So God (again) provided for them: He gave them bread that–for all intents and purposes–just appeared to them. How convenient. Until the people got sick of the free bread and complained some more.

All the while God’s rage against His people was bubbling up.

At the edge of Canaan they sent 12 spies in to scout the land. 10 of those dozen returned saying “there are giants in the land and we don’t stand a chance!” two faithful spies said “we are able with God on our side.” And why wouldn’t they be confident? God had delivered them time and again. Yet the people to listen to the debby downers and not the faithful few.

As a result, God banished that faithless generation to wander in the wilderness until death. The next generation, led by the faithful ones, were allowed to enter the promised land.

What was Israel’s problem? In short: they didn’t really want to go to the land. Oh they would say they did, they probably even believed they did, but when it came time to trust God and let Him lead them, they decided they would rather complain about the conditions of the land they were presently in instead of trusting God to lead them to the better land to come.

Jesus, the greater-Moses, is leading us to our greater-Canaan. Ours is a land of perpetual rest, flowing with Heavenly honey and majestic milk. Don’t you want to go to that land? Sure you do. You say you do. You believe you do. But what do you do when you meet a challenge? Do you complain and turn away from God? You run the risk of being cast away from that Heavenly land to come.

If you want to go to that land, let God lead you there. Trust Him to lead you through your obstacles (Red Sea), and provide you with the bread of life (manna) to sustain you until you arrive. Then as you face seemingly-insurmountable challenges (giants!) you commit yourself to the God who is bigger than any problem.

Have a great day!