The Desert

I do not always recognize that I have a rebellious heart.  Generally, I enjoy cooperation and I understand the benefits of obedience. Every time I read through the history of the Israelites, I am reminded that I have the heart of a rebel.  When my heart is laid bare and I am willing to take an honest look at what is there. I see a heart that wants to make it’s own way.  

A while back, I was reading through the Israelites journey through the desert. I came to Exodus 16 and had to stop and think the scene through. This is where they forget everything that was horrible about being slaves and remember the abundance of food.  I have been mulling over this part of their journey and a few things stand out about the the Israelites.

1. Their first reaction is to grumble to Moses and Aaron.  They love to complain when things are not going well. They don’t ask God for what they need. They whine.
2. They lose heart when the going gets tough.  “If only we had died in Egypt.”  Really??? It would be better to be dead than free?  This seems awfully dramatic.  I know hunger is uncomfortable, awful, hard to bear.  They just walked out of a kingdom by the power of the Mighty God. They saw him protect them and wipe out an army.  Now they are hungry and they would rather be dead.  
3. They forget the pain of their previous situation and romanticize it, remembering only the good parts. This seems alarmingly ungrateful.
4. They quickly forget his faithfulness. He has just done a series of miraculous acts to free them and they seem unable to remember that.
5. They cannot even follow the simplest instructions.

There are a few things that stand out about God also:

1. God is patient. He doesn’t get upset with them. As I read through their history, I am always amazed at how he warns them and is patient. He gives them another chance.
2. He invites them into his presence. “Say to the Israelite community “Come before the Lord”. He desires for us to come to him. He wants to be invited into our journey.
3. He calls out their poor behavior “for he has heard your grumbling”. He isn’t going to let it slide, he calls their poor choices out very specifically every time. They are never in doubt about what they have done wrong. He does this to help them identify it and avoid it in the future.
4. God meets their need generously by providing manna for them to collect for food at dawn and quail at twilight. There is more than enough and a promise of more for the next day.

Along with this are some instructions for how much food to gather. They are told not to keep any until morning. The day before the Sabbath they are to collect double because no manna will appear on the Sabbath, they are to rest not collect and prepare food.

Could they follow these simple instructions? Surprisingly, NO!!! It says “Some paid no attention”. Some kept  the manna and found maggots in it in the morning. Some Israelites went out to collect on the Sabbath, and found none. God told them there would not be any, and they still went looking for it.

Even in this, God is patient. Again he gently calls out their behavior “how long will you refuse to keep my commands?”  Then he reminds them that he has given them the Sabbath for rest. It is a day for them to be free from the demands of life.  The rules are not to helps them but in fact are there to help them restore.

As much as I shake my head when I read this, I know that at my core, I have the heart of an Israelite. When I read through the Old Testament, I am humbled.  It is a good reminder to choose a better way.

1. I have to rule over my automatic responses and choose obedience.
2. When the going gets tough, I need to go to God.
3. I need to stop grumbling.
4. I need to bring my needs to God first.
5. I need to trust that he will meet my need. God will give me more than enough to survive and will show me the way.
6. I need to remember God’s ways are to help me. He is for me and wants what is best for me.
7. Even when I find myself walking in a desert, directionless, God will give me more than enough to survive and will show me the way.
8. God is patient, when I don’t do it right, he always gives me another chance.
9. I need to be grateful. I need to honor God with a thankful heart
10. I need to remember God has never let me down. Even if I am in a desert time, God has been faithful in the past and will always be faithful to me.

I can see that over time I am learning some of these things. I know there will be plenty of opportunity to develop them. I will face more deserts. I want to do better. I hope to do better! Though my heart is naturally rebellious, it is learning the the depth of joy that can be found in obedience.