The People’s Grumbling And God’s Grace

<Ex 16> 1 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. 2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. 5 On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”

6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?” 8 Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”

9 Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’”

10 While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud.

11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’”

13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.

Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. 

Grumblers tend to have distorted perspectives.

• Wrong assessment of their past circumstances.
• Twisted the motive of God’s servant, Moses.
• Exaggerated the severity of their current problem.
• Be careful of generalising, such as with “never”, “always”.
• When life gets tough, 2 options: (1) grumble, or (2) trust.
• God led His people to wilderness to teach them how to live by faith, even when they could only see disappointing things.
• Often, our definition of God’s grace is by sight of tangible blessings.
• Must go back to God’s word to reframe our perspectives with His truth.

Grumbling is ultimately against God.

• Moses: “Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.” <v7-8>
• Grumbling: Directly or indirectly blaming God.
• Grumbling is often a result of non-submission, not just to human leaders, but ultimately to God Himself.
• “Grumbling” different from “groaning”.
  • Living in a fallen world, it is understandable to groan <Ro 8:22-23>.
  • Groaning does not blame God, but it is honest expression of the anguish one feels in real troubles.
  • God invites us to pour out our sorrows to Him and cast our anxieties unto Him.
  • Lament psalms in the Bible honor God and always close with a faith statement in God.
  • BUT grumbling is not a humble cry to God for comfort and help, but implies that God is at fault.
  • Grumbling connotes mistrust and rebellion toward God.
• We can complain to God, but not about

God’s grace to grumbling sinners.

• God gave bread and meat despite their grumbling.
• Not just gracious for one day, but for 40 years in wilderness.
• God gave His people bread so that they knew He was the Lord <v6-8>.
• More important than getting food is to know the Provider of the food – God.
• What man needs is not the food, but what man truly needs is God!
• God offers undeserved grace to sinners.
• Greatest grace of God: True “bread from heaven” – Jesus Christ.
• <Jn 6> 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
• <Jn 6> 41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”
• Jesus far better than manna. He not just can satisfy us physically, but also gives us eternal life.

Must learn how to endure suffering without grumbling.

• Though God is gracious, He also punishes grumblers (cf. Num 11:1).
• Learn to refrain from grumbling, especially during hardships.
• <2 Co 1> …8b We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us.
• The key to not grumbling is to know that God has a good purpose for the suffering.
• To stop grumbling, must learn the secret of gratitude and contentment:
  • I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  <Php 4:12>