Daily Thought

Whatever hardships had arisen in the encampment of Israel, Moses does not identify them. Irritations experienced by Israel in the wilderness resulted in murmuring. The people of Israel murmured in their unbelief and ingratitude. How soon in the life of a believer do such sins arise!

The Murmuring of the People. The sin of unbelief soon manifested itself as the people began to doubt the promises of God. This led on to the sin of ingratitude - the people forgot how favoured they were and the many benefits coming their way. Jehovah heard the murmuring of His people and sent fire into one end of the camp. In response to the appeal of the people, Moses prayed; the fire abated. Out of fear over this experience the people called that part of the camp ‘Taberah [burning]’, v. 3.

Very soon after the event, another murmuring rumbled through the camp. The diet of manna that God miraculously sent down into the camp every morning, feeding two million people, was the cause for Israel’s second complaint. The Israelites overlooked the fact that food for such a multitude was a miraculous provision from the stores of heaven. In their ingratitude they presumed to tell God that in taste His provision was nothing like to the fish, cucumbers, leeks, onions, and garlic. Israel added to their sin of unbelief the sin of base ingratitude. Failing to appreciate the sweet bread from heaven, they wanted some of the sharp and sour food of Egypt.

The Despair of Moses. The murmuring of the masses drove Moses to despair. He opened his heart to the Lord and asked why the Lord had brought him into such a dilemma. Do I have to nurse this kind of child? Where can I get this food to give all these people? I cannot bear this load alone; it is too heavy for me. Take my life; do not let me undergo such ordeal. There was an immediate response, an offer of help by Jehovah to alleviate the despair of Moses under the load.

The Lord is just the same today, whether we are leaders or one of the people. He is still willing to step into situations that may face us. He willingly responds with a similar offer of help, when in our despair we pray to the Lord, ‘I am not able to bear all this alone’.