Prayer born of complaint

The Bible records that as the people of Israel journeyed from Mt Sinai to Edom they were provided with manna to eat. This food was ground and baked and had the taste of sweet cakes. However they became bored with the lack of variety in their diet and began to complain. In fact they started to act as if they were suffering some sort of adversity and on hearing it, God became angry. The fire of God’s anger consumed some of the people and they died, but Moses prayed on behalf of his people and the fire died out. But they continued to complain and even began to weep and moan over their hardship. This caused God to become angry again and because the complaints of the people were directed at him, Moses complained to God that it was not fair, God was being too hard on him. He felt that he wasn’t receiving the favour of God and as it wasn’t his idea to bring them out of Egypt in the first place it was all too much for him to bear, he just couldn’t carry the load by himself. He became so depressed that he asked God to let him die rather than continue in this misery.

God’s reply was to tell Moses to find seventy elders to stand with him and share his load. God did not rebuke Moses for his complaint, but he didn’t allow him to die either. In a sense Moses was justified as the burden of his office was excessive and he did have to endure it alone. God met this need, he provided Moses with the support of others but then he also answered the complaint of the people in such a way that demonstrated his power and holiness. The people complained that they had no meat, so God said that he would give them meat. In fact they would have so much meat that they would become sick of it, they would eat ‘until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you; because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before him saying ‘why did we ever leave Egypt?”’ Moses was stunned; he didn’t believe God could do it. He questioned him suggesting that all the fish of the sea or all the herd and flocks on the earth would be insufficient. But rather than rebuke him for lack of faith or trust, God asked Moses ‘Is the Lord’s power limited? Now you will see whether my word will come true for you or not’.

Once Moses had selected the elders, God sent a wind from the sea and on that wind were thousands and thousands of quail. There were so many of these birds that they covered the ground to a depth of about 1 metre on all sides of the camp as far as one days journey in each direction. The people greedily went and gathered as much as they could and started to gorge themselves. But as soon as the flesh of the birds touched their teeth God struck them with a plague and many died.  The place became known as ‘the graves of greediness’.

We can learn from Moses’ exchange with God. While it would seem that Moses spoke out of turn when he complained to God, he cried out from genuine need. He would rather die than fail in his ministry and yet it was too much for him to bear. He poured his heart out to God and God heard him. On the other hand the people had no legitimate ground for complaint and their ungratefulness for the blessings of God on their lives was met with a righteous response from God. He punished them because of their complaining but also because they rebelled against God’s chosen leader. In rejecting Moses, they had rejected God. God gave the people what they desired but it proved to be at great cost to them. If they had gladly received the blessings of God they would have been led securely in to a land flowing with milk and honey, instead many of them perished in the desert.

When we pour out our hearts to God with legitimate concerns, he hears us and meets our need, usually in very practical ways. God’s power is not limited, even when the situation seems beyond our understanding we must simply trust him. On the other hand when we complain without cause, we may receive what we desire, but it will often be at the cost of forfeiting God’s blessings.