Probably not many people find much humor in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament. This morning I was studying Numbers and I had to stop and laugh out loud. God's response to the people of Israel was so unexpected to me and yet so typical of any parent.
Let me set the stage. Poor Moses is in charge of over 600,000 men plus women and children. That alone is an improbable task. They've left Egypt and been camped at Mt. Sinai for over a year and have finally completed the Tabernacle under God's direction and are starting to move toward the land that God promised their forefathers. Can you imagine the number of whining complaints that Moses had to deal with every day? But God always provided. When they were thirsty and whined to Moses, God provided sweet clear water. When they were hungry and complained to Moses, God provided manna six days a week with extra for the seventh. Now, after months of a steady diet of manna, they were back at Moses' tent with more complaints. Moses was so worn out from all the complaints that he told God to just take him then because he couldn't stand it any longer. It was his sort of "Calgon, take me away" moment.
The children of Israel wanted meat. They were sick of manna. They wanted meat. Oh, why did they ever leave Egypt. They had all they wanted to eat in Egypt and it was free. The Lord, at that point, was getting tired of their whining too and told Moses that if they wanted meat to eat, they were going to get meat to eat. They were really going to get meat to eat. They were going to get so much meat to eat that it would come out their nostrils and they would be sick of it! I started to laugh at that point because even though that really didn't sound like a "Godly" answer, it certainly sounded like the answer a weary parent would give a whining child.
Even though most of us are parents and know what it is like to deal with a complaining kiddo, it is still so comforting, regardless of our age, to remember that we are also children. We are children of the Most High and He loves us in a way that far surpasses the love that we have for our own children. When we complain and when we whine, He hears us. He may not respond in the way that we wish or in the timeliness that we want, but He is there for us, behind the scenes, preparing the way for us. What a great and awesome God we serve.
Precious Lord, Jehovah Rapha,
You are such an amazing God and we thank You for the loving care You show us each day. Thank You for providing and for meeting all our needs. Thank You for preparing the way for us, the way for hope and the way for healing and the way for salvation.
Father, You are the God who heals. We ask healing mercies today for Your young children, Sadie and Bryce and Tony, who are waging a valiant battle against the enemy, cancer. Tony is in the hospital with appendicitis and because of a suppressed immune system cannot have surgery. Lord, just touch him today, ease the pain, boost his immune system to fight the infection and wrap Your comforting arms around him so that he knows You are with him every step of this journey.
Thank You, Lord. Thank You.
In Jesus' precious name we pray.
Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment