Is complaining a good thing or a bad thing? You often hear me say that we should be good complainers. A complaint is a proper way to handle a bad situation.
But the word "complain" is very much like the word "anger." Is anger good or bad? Well, in one sense, anger is good. We should be angry that George Floyd is dead. We should be angry at the way that he died – with a police officer's knee in his neck.
And proper anger results in a proper complaint.
Unfortunately in the case of the people of Israel, their anger results in a misdirected complaint.
In Numbers 10, we are told that the people of Israel have just left Mt. Sinai. They were at Sinai for a year – and now they are leaving Sinai in order to go to the promised Land.
The people complain in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes – and the LORD sends fire against them (11:1-3).
Then the rabble among them have a strong craving – and the people start to grumble about having no meat. All we have is this manna to eat!
They remember the fish – the cucumbers, leeks, and melons – and they are craving meat.
They are not content with God's provision. Notice that Moses asks where he is to get meat (in John 6, Jesus will ask where are we to buy bread?). In both stories there is a very definite disproportion between need and resources.
Also, in both stories there is grumbling.
And Jesus not only refers to himself as the bread which came down from heaven, but also says that the bread that he will give for the life of the world is his flesh...
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