Monday January 31, 2022

But who ?

“They set out from Mount Hor by way of the Sea of ​​Reeds to circumvent the country of Edom. The people grew impatient on the way and spoke against God and against Moses : Why did you bring us out of Egypt, if it was that we should die in the desert ? Indeed, there is neither bread nor water, and we are disgusted with this miserable food. Then the Eternal sent poisonous serpents against the people. They bit the people and many of the Israelites died.” Numbers 21.4-6

As Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt, thereby leading them out of slavery and into the Promised Land, the Israelites grew impatient and began to speak against God and against their leader. They reproach Moses for inflicting on them the rigors of the desert and the lack of water. Everything becomes unbearable to them : “our soul is disgusted with this miserable food” they say, speaking of the miraculous manna received each morning. They have already forgotten the turpitudes experienced in Egypt with drudgery, threats, restrictions and oppression. Not so long ago, they sang of deliverance and freedom, but the Promised Land is still far away and the ingratitude of spoiled children becomes their favorite mode of expression. We may find this behavior outrageous and abhorrent ; he is. However, before criticizing the short memory of the Hebrews too much, it is appropriate to examine and verify whether we are not too often forgetful of the bounties of God which we have profited and enjoyed, if we are not quick to manifest our pettiness when things don't go as well as we would like. Are we not often and spontaneously engaged in prayers of supplication when we have urgent needs, when we hope for an intervention from Above, a divine miracle? Then, when the answer comes, the deliverance, the granting, after a quick whispered “thank you”, we do not long retain the notion of gratitude due to the generosity of God ! Too quickly, we begin to grumble again at the first difficulty, at the new resistance. The Hebrews were irritated, but they only knew how to arouse the irritation – just that – of God. And this divine annoyance provokes painful reactions for those who despise the graces of the Lord. There is an important lesson in this story for us today !

Source (His Word for Today)