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Patriarchs and Prophets
and leading the people to feel their dependence upon God, made
them boastful and self-confident. Soon they fell into the old habit
of murmuring. They were now dissatisfied because the armies of
Israel had not been permitted to advance upon Canaan immediately
after their rebellion at the report of the spies nearly forty years before.
They pronounced their long sojourn in the wilderness an unnecessary
delay, reasoning that they might have conquered their enemies as easily
heretofore as now.
As they continued their journey toward the south, their route lay
through a hot, sandy valley, destitute of shade or vegetation. The
way seemed long and difficult, and they suffered from weariness and
thirst. Again they failed to endure the test of their faith and patience.
By continually dwelling on the dark side of their experiences, they
separated themselves farther and farther from God. They lost sight
of the fact that but for their murmuring when the water ceased at
Kadesh, they would have been spared the journey around Edom. God
had purposed better things for them. Their hearts should have been
filled with gratitude to Him that He had punished their sin so lightly.
But instead of this, they flattered themselves that if God and Moses
had not interfered, they might now have been in possession of the
Promised Land. After bringing trouble upon themselves, making
their lot altogether harder than God designed, they charged all their
misfortunes upon Him. Thus they cherished bitter thoughts concerning
His dealings with them, and finally they became discontented with
everything. Egypt looked brighter and more desirable than liberty and
the land to which God was leading them.
As the Israelites indulged the spirit of discontent, they were dis-
posed to find fault even with their blessings. “And the people spake
against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out
of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there
any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.”
Moses faithfully set before the people their great sin. It was God’s
power alone that had preserved them in “that great and terrible wilder-
ness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where
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there was no water.”
Deuteronomy 8:15
. Every day of their travels
they had been kept by a miracle of divine mercy. In all the way of
God’s leading they had found water to refresh the thirsty, bread from
heaven to satisfy their hunger, and peace and safety under the shadowy