Growing up in New York, complaining was an Olympic sport, but the Israelites took their complaining to an entirely new level. They were master grumblers. If you read the Psalms, you will see them repeatedly complaining and lamenting God’s treatment of them. In fact, the complaint, or lament, is the most common type of psalm. Over 40 psalms are either individual or communal psalms of complaint.
Today, we hear that the Israelites, “grumbled against Moses and Aaron” saying, “Would that we had died at the LORD's hand in the land of Egypt, as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread! But you had to lead us into this desert to make the whole community die of famine!” They get an A+ for exaggeration and sarcasm.
Never mind that Moses and Aaron had just rescued them from slavery in Egypt. Never mind that, since God chose Moses to lead the people, they were actually grumbling against God when they grumbled against Moses. Their sarcasm shows that they have no appreciation for God or for the great gift that He has given them. They place no value on their freedom and would prefer to be slaves with their “fill of bread” than free men who have to trust God.
Complaining was a distraction that focused them on the past instead of the future. In fact, it delayed them from realizing their future. It took about 20-30 days to walk from Egypt to Canaan, but when they arrived, they sent some men to assess the situation. The men returned grumbling about how hard it would be to conquer the land. They doubted God. As a result, God forced them to wander the desert for an additional 40 years.
That’s one of the risks of complaining. It tends to focus on worry instead of trust, on the past instead of the future, on how things “used to be” instead of how they might be. It implies distrust in God and resistance to change.
Instead of complaining let’s try having an “Attitude of Gratitude.” Thank God for what we have, trust Him for what we lack, and be open to His plan for us. As the Book of Proverbs says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart…and he will make your paths straight” (even in the desert for 40 years).
Comments