Dear Family,
Today is Monday, April 19, 2021. This is Day 2 of Week 4 in our Counting toward Pentecost. It is our 23rd day of Counting.
Israel packed up and moved out of Elim during this week. They moved toward the Wilderness of Sin. Some Bible scholars call this area the Wilderness of Zin. There is no consensus on just where this wilderness is, other than that it lies somewhere between Elim and Mt. Sinai. Most scholars do agree, however, that the name “Wilderness of Sin” has nothing to do with Israel’s rebellion here. Actually, the area already had that name. And, most scholars agree that it may have been named after a local pagan god.
Once in the wilderness, Israel quickly began to grumble and complain about their lack of food. The wilderness presented quite a contrast after their experience at the lush oasis of Elim. They began to turn both their hearts and minds back to the “good” things they could remember in Egypt. Their words were filled with dreadful accusation, “…you have brought us forth into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
How soon they forgot! After all the miracles and the daily presence of God in the cloud and fire, they still were without the “fear of the Lord.” Instead of being humble and thankful for what they had and how they had been redeemed, they griped and accused God and Moses in a very provocative way.
Exodus 16:2-3 (2) And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: (3) And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
Still, God was gentle and merciful. How like God that is! He is patience and kind, not easily provoked. This is an amazing aspect of Who and What God is; that is, He loves us and does so much for us. Scripture tells us that our Savior died for us WHILE WE WERE YET GOD’S ENEMIES.
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
If God had dealt with Israel according to their sins, they would have ceased to exist. And, some of us today who are direct blood-line descendants of those Israelites, would also not exist.
May God bless us all with the ability to see His grace, His patience, His mercies, and His kindness to us; and, of course, cause us to truly bask in His love for us moment-by-moment.
Ben Faulkner, Pastor
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