We all know at least one, possibly more of them - the chronic complainer, the whiner, someone who always has to find fault with just about everything. Perhaps you work with someone like that. Maybe you have one in your family, your mother, an elderly uncle, a sibling. We can even find them in our churches. Being around constant complainers is very irritating, tiring, and can even get stressful. Unfortunately it is also contagious. The more we are around a group of whiners, the more likely we are to start joining in. Our Scripture today tells of an incident when the Israelites started to complain to God about His provisions. Let’s look into this episode of whining and complaining.
As our Scripture opens, we read about a mixed multitude of people who started to complain that they wanted a more varied diet, one with more meat in it, along with other foods they had back when they were in Egypt (vs. 4-6). First, we might wonder who this “mixed multitude” is. When Moses led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, some others left with them. Some would have been from intermarriage between the Hebrews and Egyptians, along with people from other nations that came with them during the exodus. They started complaining about the manna, and wanted other food, including meat, and pretty soon many of the Israelites started to join in with the complaining. It is important to be careful with whom we associate with, as listening to complaining will often rub off onto us, and before we know it, we are joining in. We also need to watch our own complaining, as we can soon drag others into that sinful behavior with us.
Manna was a gift to the people from God. It was a gift of food that the people didn’t have to work for to get, a free gift from God. All they had to do was to go out every morning and gather it. It was there every day for them, except on the Sabbath. The day before the Sabbath God provided them with enough manna to last them through the Sabbath, each and every week. The people didn’t have to plant and care for it in order to get manna. They didn’t have to hunt it down, either. They could eat it plain, or they could make it into recipes. It was always there for them, no work involved, so why the complaints?!
The people’s complaining was very wearing and stressful on Moses. He came to the Lord in prayer, turning to Him with the burden of the people. He wanted out from the position of leading the people. They were too much for him, with all their complaints and whining, so much so that he was beginning to wish he were dead (vs. 10-15). The next time we begin with the moaning and groaning about our life, let’s consider what that is doing to those who have to listen to us!
God heard Moses’ prayer, and He certainly had heard the people’s murmuring, and He promised to give them meat, so much meat that it would make them sick! (vs. 18-20). When Moses questioned just how much meat that would take, God challenged him by saying that He was certainly up to the task! (vs. 21-23). The Lord proceeded to bring a miracle, by sending millions of quail into the area, enough to feed the multitudes (vs. 31-34). However He also punished those who complained, as many of them died.
Complaining poisons the heart with ingratitude, and can be a contagion. God has to judge it. By listening too long to complaints one can start to agree with them. Even Moses was beginning to be dragged in. However, rather than moaning to others and hoping for their agreement, as the people did, Moses took his complaints to God. We need to take our needs to the Lord, knowing that He loves us enough to help us, and even puts up with us when we sin.
If our faith is worth anything, it will stand a test. Poor faith can only trust God when things are going well. However, when our suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and then character produces hope, the Lord will be honored (Romans 5:3-4). Our present afflictions will lead to future joy.
When you hear complaining coming from others, or when you feel it welling up inside of you, the best way to combat it is to count God’s many blessings in your life. Proclaiming God’s faithfulness silences discontentment!
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