Page 71 - Evidence of Things Unseen

at except this manna."

If it were not so tragic, I could almost laugh at the description given here. The Holy
Spirit inspired Moses to write that the people began to complain like those who were
suffering adversity. Where was the adversity? Their existence was truly remarkable. They
had just been delivered from Egypt, having seen the greatest nation and the greatest army
on earth made a mockery of by Yahweh. They had crossed through the Red Sea on dry land,
and God had then performed a great miracle by making the skies rain food for them every
night. These were a blessed people who were experiencing things that had never been
witnessed by any other people from the beginning of time.
Where was their adversity? Their complaint was that they missed the produce and
meat of Egypt. Though they had come out of their slavery to the Egyptians, they were still
slaves to their flesh and its appetites. God was not pleased with their grumbling, so he spoke
to Moses:

Numbers 11:18-20
"Say to the people, "Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for
you have wept in the ears of Yahweh, saying, "Oh that someone would give us meat
to eat! For we were well-off in Egypt." Therefore Yahweh will give you meat and you
shall eat. You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor
twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes
loathsome to you; because you have rejected Yahweh who is among you and have
wept before Him, saying, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’'"

This scene was in my mind when we had gone some days without meat, and I was not
about to begin murmuring in the same fashion. We actually experienced a few days when
all we had in the house was a bag of grits and some butter. For those who have not eaten
grits, I suspect that their texture is not far from that of manna. For us, it was Southern
manna, and I could imagine God watching me to see if I would also complain about this
provision. You could not have coerced me to say a negative word about what we were eating,
for I knew what came next for the Israelites.

Numbers 11:31-33
Now there went forth a wind from Yahweh and it brought quail from the sea, and let
them fall beside the camp, about a day's journey on this side and a day's journey on
the other side, all around the camp and about two cubits deep on the surface of the
ground. The people spent all day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the
quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers) and they spread them out for
themselves all around the camp. While the meat was still between their teeth, before
it was chewed, the anger of Yahweh was kindled against the people, and Yahweh
struck the people with a very severe plague.

I gathered my family together and I told them that we needed to rejoice over the grits
God had provided for us, for they were hearty and filling. In truth, every member of my
family enjoyed eating grits, and would often request them. The complaint arose because
they did not have anything else, and the flesh craves a variety of rich delicacies. I reminded
my family of the Israelites, and I encouraged them to be thankful to God for what we had.