MAN, KNOW THY GOD

Be still, and know that I am God...(Psalm 46:10).

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vol. 36

I have often marveled at the conduct of the Israelites during the period that God led them from Egypt to the Promised Land. Against the background of all the wonderful things that God did for them, that they could not utterly believe God in all is unfathomable and deeply grieving. As I read the account in the Scriptures, I cannot help but ask, “why?” and “how come?” Why, upon all that they saw, did they start complaining anytime they encountered an obstacle in their journey with God. It was as though God could not make Himself clear enough to them. In their petulance, it was so easy for them to slip into unbelief and behave in a manner that is unbefitting of true believers, let alone sons of God. But the Bible in calling this period the days of provocation or irritation expressly forbears us from going after their error: 

Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years (cf. Hebrews 3:8,9).

It all began when God found Moses in the wilderness tending his father-in-law's flock and convinced him to go back to Egypt to be used by God to deliver the Israelites out of bondage from Egypt. From there on God orchestrated their salvation from captivity with many signs and wonders: even through the ten plagues they were delivered. So then, as now, what a show God put forth before his chosen people! He utterly laid waste to Pharaoh and his people right in the presence of Israel. They saw the Nile turn into blood. They saw the frogs invade the land. They saw the flies and even the locusts. They were right there when the final blow resulting in the death of all first-born sons of the Egyptians including that of Pharaoh was delivered. Oh what a sight that was to see Jehovah, the covenant keeping God, the one who dwells in the midst of His people, at work. He so tortured the Egyptians that they drove the Israelites out of Egypt:

Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land (cf. Exodus 6:1).

Let me emphasize here again that the Israelites saw all these wonders and I am sure they even rejoiced in their homes because of them. They saw Jehovah at work live and in 3D. Finally, they left Egypt and encamped at the bank of the red sea. All this while I am sure they were happy and were even discussing among themselves how the Egyptians were whipped by Jehovah. 

Ironically, Pharaoh's heart was hardened once again and he decided to pursue the Israelites. As his armies got too close to the Israelites for comfort and the noise of their chariots began to quicken their heart, this was their reaction; oh my:

And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. 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 (cf. Exodus 14:10-12).

Read that again! How could they talk like that? Were they not present when the ten plagues were dealt? Where were they when Pharaoh drove them out of Egypt in frustration? How quickly they had forgotten the works of the Lord. How quickly they had forgotten that Jehovah was in their camp and He was ready to deliver. Would God not deliver again? Is He incapable? Does He not care? Yes, these had Egypt as an example and yet they still failed to believe. Today, they are our example.

As usual, the Lord, through Moses, parted the Red Sea and crossed His people on dry ground before drowning the Egyptians. He once again made a show for them to see and they rejoiced. They even sang a song in worship of Jehovah.

And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses (cf. Exodus 14:31).

You would think that at long last God had gotten through to them. Think again. True to their nature, they started complaining again in no time.

And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger (cf. Exodus 16:2,3).

So the Lord gave them manna to eat. They were to gather the manna every morning for the day and not keep some overnight because for each day was going to come fresh manna. The whole instruction bordered on the essence of having faith in God to supply their daily bread. But some incorrigibly kept some of the manna overnight and it went bad.And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them (cf. Exodus 16:19,20).

Wow. If God could supply food for them today, why could He not do that for tomorrow? They could not bear to trust God for tomorrow. They wanted to be in charge of their own tomorrow. Does that ring a bell?

These acts of unbelief continued till they got close to the Promised Land. Moses sent out twelve spies to spy on the Land. After they had seen the land and the people that dwelt in it, only two believed that they were able to possess the land, only two. The remaining ten gave this frustrating report:

… We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight (cf. Numbers 13:31-33).

Again, they had forgotten that God was in their midst and that He is able to keep His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. These were the same people who saw the destruction of Pharaoh and his people. They saw manna rain from heaven. They saw water come out of the rock. But now in the face of opposition they had forgotten their God. They had forgotten all the promises God had given them concerning their possession of the land. Is that how man is? 

---continued in part 2---