No Longer To Grumble
“Miriam, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, while all the women went out after her with tambourines, dancing; and she led them in the refrain: Sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously triumphant; horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.” (Exodus 15:20-21).
If you remember the story, God led the Israelites through the Red Sea. When the Egyptians chased after them, God closed the waters and swallowed the Egyptian army. Virtually all of chapter 15 is devoted to Israel’s song of deliverance. I can almost hear the tamborines and shouts of joy as Israel looked across to the opposite shore at their dead enemies.
But the celebration didn’t last long. Verse 22 tells us, “Moses led Israel forward from the Red Sea, and they marched out to the desert of Shur. After traveling for three days through the desert without finding water . . the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?"
It gets worse.
A few verses later they grumbled because they didn’t have any meat. But what they then said amazes me each time I read it: "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!" (chapter 16, verse 3).
Talk about ingratitude. Israel must have held the corner on the market.
Ummm. Well, not really. I do a pretty good job of muscling in on that market myself.
As I make my way toward the Kingdom, I’ve prayed more than a few times that I not be like the Israelites, singing hymns of deliverance during church services, listening to sermons, sensing His presence as I kneel in the pew. . . only to grumble about a hundred annoyances and hardships of life almost as soon as I leave church.
Will you pray for me? Pray that I will live more of a resurrected life, without protesting, without grumbling, without looking back toward Egypt. Pray that I will learn to walk in a manner worthy of our calling, loving the Savior and obeying Him.
Thank you.
Rich
rmaffeo@comcast.net
If you remember the story, God led the Israelites through the Red Sea. When the Egyptians chased after them, God closed the waters and swallowed the Egyptian army. Virtually all of chapter 15 is devoted to Israel’s song of deliverance. I can almost hear the tamborines and shouts of joy as Israel looked across to the opposite shore at their dead enemies.
But the celebration didn’t last long. Verse 22 tells us, “Moses led Israel forward from the Red Sea, and they marched out to the desert of Shur. After traveling for three days through the desert without finding water . . the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?"
It gets worse.
A few verses later they grumbled because they didn’t have any meat. But what they then said amazes me each time I read it: "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!" (chapter 16, verse 3).
Talk about ingratitude. Israel must have held the corner on the market.
Ummm. Well, not really. I do a pretty good job of muscling in on that market myself.
As I make my way toward the Kingdom, I’ve prayed more than a few times that I not be like the Israelites, singing hymns of deliverance during church services, listening to sermons, sensing His presence as I kneel in the pew. . . only to grumble about a hundred annoyances and hardships of life almost as soon as I leave church.
Will you pray for me? Pray that I will live more of a resurrected life, without protesting, without grumbling, without looking back toward Egypt. Pray that I will learn to walk in a manner worthy of our calling, loving the Savior and obeying Him.
Thank you.
Rich
rmaffeo@comcast.net
posted by rich at
2:32 PM
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