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The Story of Redemption
them a present help. If, in their want, they would call upon Him, He
would manifest to them tokens of His love and continual care.
But they seemed to be unwilling to trust the Lord any further
than they could witness before their eyes the continual evidences of
His power. If they had possessed true faith and a firm confidence
in God, inconveniences and obstacles, or even real suffering, would
have been cheerfully borne, after the Lord had wrought in such a
wonderful manner for their deliverance from servitude. Moreover,
the Lord promised them if they would obey His commandments,
no disease should rest upon them, for He said, “I am the Lord that
healeth thee.”
After this sure promise from God it was criminal unbelief in
them to anticipate that they and their children might die with hunger.
They had suffered greatly in Egypt by being overtaxed in labor.
Their children had been put to death, and in answer to their prayers
of anguish, God had mercifully delivered them. He promised to be
their God, to take them to Himself as a people and to lead them to a
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large and good land.
But they were ready to faint at any suffering they should have to
endure in the way to that land. They had endured much in the service
of the Egyptians, but now could not endure suffering in the service
of God. They were ready to give up to gloomy doubts and sink
in discouragement when they were tried. They murmured against
God’s devoted servant Moses and charged him with all their trials,
and expressed a wicked wish that they had remained in Egypt, where
they could sit by the flesh pots and eat bread to the full.
A Lesson for Our Day
The unbelief and murmurings of the children of Israel illustrate
the people of God now upon the earth. Many look back to them, and
marvel at their unbelief and continual murmurings, after the Lord
had done so much for them, in giving them repeated evidences of
His love and care for them. They think that they should not have
proved ungrateful. But some who thus think, murmur and repine
at things of less consequence. They do not know themselves. God
frequently proves them, and tries their faith in small things; and they
do not endure the trial any better than did ancient Israel.