Ungrateful and Contentious

     "And they (the children of Israel) journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt.  Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.  And the children of Israel said to them "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." - Exodus 16: 1-3

     "Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped in Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.  Therefore the people contended with Moses and said, "Give us water, that we may drink.
      So Moses said to them, "Why do you contend with me?  Why do you tempt the LORD?"
     And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said "Why is it you have brought us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?"  - Exodus 17:1-3


We know the story, right?  The Children of Israel, that ungrateful lot of grumblers, complained their way across the Sinai until, in the height of their sin and grumbling, they were punished by God with denial into the Promised Land and 40 years of wandering until that generation died off.  Next slide, please, showing the Conquest of the Promised Land.

But wait?  Notice the chapter heading.  Only three chapters previously in Exodus 11-12 God freed the people from slavery and only 2 chapters earlier in Exodus 13 He parted the Red Sea.  We are not talking about a long period of time between one event and another.  This was only weeks, perhaps days, after God's miraculous actions.

And God abandoning them?  The Pillar of Fire went forth by night and the Pillar of Cloud by day, a visible presence of God's guidance and protection.  They were hardly alone.

Yet in spite of all this, they seem to act as if none of this had happened and that they are completely alone.  Instead of remaining in a place of gratitude, they attack God for failing to provide for them.

They attack.  Notice that.  They don't ask humbly, in faith.  They don't beg.  They demand, they contend:  "Give us!  You brought us here to kill us!"

We snicker a bit mentally perhaps, say "idiots" to ourselves, and read on.  But are we any different?  We have God's spirit within us.  We have His promise to always be with us.  We have His daily provisions for us.  Yet we are no different, screaming "Give us this" at the top of our lungs and demanding that God fulfill our needs in our ways instead of trusting in Him.

God guard us from ungrateful hearts and demanding spirits that fail to see His goodness and fail to trust in His provision