Grumbling in the Wilderness
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
As we prepare our hearts for God's Word, I summon your senses and invite your intellect to the book of Exodus chapter 16, verses 2 through 12.
It is there that the Holy Spirit has highlighted our context for our sermonic time together this evening.
Scripture
Scripture
And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: 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. Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily. And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the Lord hath brought you out from the land of Egypt: And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the Lord; for that he heareth your murmurings against the Lord: and what are we, that ye murmur against us? And Moses said, This shall be, when the Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord. And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the Lord: for he hath heard your murmurings. And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God.
Introduction
Introduction
The children of Israel have just experienced the greatest deliverance in human history up to that point.
They were slaves in Egypt for over 400 years—beaten, broken, and bound by Pharaoh's oppression.
But God raised up Moses and declared, "Let My people go!"
And when Pharaoh refused, God sent plague after plague—blood, frogs, locusts, darkness—until finally, the death angel passed through Egypt and took the firstborn of every house that didn't have the blood on the doorpost.
Israel walked out of Egypt with their heads held high, loaded down with Egyptian gold and silver!
They watched as God parted the Red Sea—the same waters that swallowed Pharaoh's army became their highway to freedom!
They stood on the other side and sang the song of Moses: "The LORD is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation!"
But here's where the story gets interesting—and troubling.
It's only been about 45 days since they left Egypt.
Just 45 days since the Red Sea!
And already, their mouths have turned from singing to complaining.
Their lips have shifted from praise to protest.
They went from magnifying God to murmuring against God!
I. The Sound of Complaint—Israel's Selective Memory
I. The Sound of Complaint—Israel's Selective Memory
Walk the text with me
Verse 2 says, "The whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness."
The Hebrew word for "murmured" is lun—it means to growl, to grumble, to complain in a low, persistent, discontent manner.
It's like the sound a dog makes when it's unhappy
it gives a growl that comes from deep within.
But here's what I need you to understand: This wasn't just a few people having a bad day.
The Bible says "the whole congregation" was grumbling!
From the elders to the children,
from the front of the camp to the back
everybody had something negative to say!
And listen to what they said in verse 3: "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."
Let me tell you something, family
Israel had a bad case of selective memory!
They remembered the food in Egypt, but they forgot the beatings!
They remembered the meat pots, but they forgot the murder of their sons!
They remembered the bread, but they forgot the bricks they made without straw!
You see, when you start complaining, your memory gets twisted.
You start romanticizing what God delivered you from.
You start missing what almost destroyed you!
Some of y'all know exactly what I'm talking about.
You start thinking about that old relationship that nearly broke you , saying things like “Well, at least I wasn't lonely."
You start thinking about that old job where they mistreated you,” saying things like Well, at least I had a paycheck."
But God didn't bring you out to take you back!
He didn't part the sea just for you to swim back to Egypt!
II. The Real Target of Your Complaint
II. The Real Target of Your Complaint
Now here's where it gets deep in the text.
Look at verse 8: "Your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD."
Moses drops a theological bomb right here!
He says, "You think you're complaining about me and Aaron—but your real problem is with God!"
Let me make this plain:
Every time you complain about your circumstances, you're questioning God's provision.
Every time you grumble about your situation, you're doubting God's wisdom.
Every time you murmur about what you don't have, you're telling God what He gave you isn't good enough!
Your complaint isn't just words—it's an accusation against the Almighty!
It's saying, "God, You got it wrong.
You messed up.
You forgot about me."
But let me tell you something
the God who split the sea didn't suddenly lose your address!
The God who broke Pharaoh's power didn't suddenly run out of power for your problem!
Your grumbling isn't just about your stomach—it's about your faith!
III. The Test Hidden in the Trial
III. The Test Hidden in the Trial
Now, I want you to see something powerful in verse 4.
God says to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no."
Catch this:
God was about to provide for them—but He was also about to TEST them!
The wilderness wasn't just a place of wandering—it was a place of examination!
God led them into a place of lack to see what they were made of.
He allowed their supplies to run out to see if their faith would run out too!
You see, it's easy to praise God when your bank account is full.
It's easy to trust God when the pantry is stocked.
It's easy to worship when everything is going right.
But what happens when you're in the wilderness?
What happens when the resources dry up?
What happens when the provision gets thin?
Do you praise, or do you complain?
Do you trust, or do you doubt?
Do you magnify, or do you murmur?
God tests us in the wilderness to see if we'll trust Him when we can't see the supply!
IV. God's Response to Our Grumbling—Grace, Not Judgment
IV. God's Response to Our Grumbling—Grace, Not Judgment
Here's what blows my mind about this text.
Israel was out of line.
They were ungrateful, faithless, and accusatory.
They deserved judgment—but look what God gave them instead!
Verse 12: "At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God."
God didn't strike them down—He set them a table!
God didn't destroy them—He delivered dinner!
Quail in the evening, manna in the morning!
A two-course meal from heaven for a people who didn't deserve a crumb!
That's grace, church!
That's the unmerited,
unearned,
undeserved favor of God!
They complained—and God provided!
They grumbled—and God gave!
They doubted—and God delivered!
What a God we serve!
Even when we fail the test, He doesn't fail us!
Even when our faith is weak, His faithfulness is strong!
V. The Sabbath Connection—Rest and Remember (SDA Insight)
V. The Sabbath Connection—Rest and Remember (SDA Insight)
Now, I need to camp right here for a moment because there's something profound hidden in verse 5.
God says, "On the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily."
You see, God tied His provision to the Sabbath!
On the sixth day, He gave double—why?
Because on the seventh day, they were supposed to REST!
The Sabbath wasn't just a day off—it was a day to REMEMBER!
Remember who brought you out of Egypt.
Remember who split the sea.
Remember who fed you in the wilderness.
The Sabbath is God's built-in gratitude check!
Every seventh day, you're supposed to stop, rest, and reflect on the goodness of God!
In a world that says "grind harder, work more, hustle non-stop",
God says, "Be still and know that I am God!"
When you rest on the Sabbath, you're declaring:
"I don't have to worry about tomorrow because the God who provided yesterday is the same God who will provide again!"
The Sabbath is the antidote to grumbling!
When you take time to rest and remember, you can't help but be grateful!
VI. From Murmuring to Magnifying—The Transformation
VI. From Murmuring to Magnifying—The Transformation
Let me close with this:
Paul picks up this theme in Philippians 2:14-15:
Philippians 2:14-15 (KJV):
"Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world."
Catch this: Paul says when you stop grumbling, you start SHINING!
Your gratitude makes you GLOW!
Your thanksgiving makes you a TESTIMONY!
In a world full of complainers, a grateful heart stands out like a city on a hill!
Anybody can complain—that's easy.
But it takes faith to say, "I don't have everything I want, but I thank God for what I have!"
It takes trust to say, "My situation isn't perfect, but my God is!"
It takes spiritual maturity to say, "I'm in the wilderness, but I'm not alone—God is with me!"
Application
Application
Church, let me give you three keys to moving from murmuring to magnifying:
First: Remember where God brought you from.
Don't get spiritual amnesia!
Write it down, testify about it, rehearse it in your mind!
The enemy wants you to forget, but you must REMEMBER!
Second: Rest in God's provision—especially on His Sabbath.
Take time every week to cease from your striving and remember God's faithfulness.
The Sabbath is your weekly reminder that God is your Provider!
Third: Replace every complaint with a confession of praise.
Every time you feel a grumble rising up, flip it!
Instead of "I don't have enough," say "God is my provider!"
Instead of "Why is this happening?" say "God is working all things for my good!"
Train your mouth to magnify instead of murmur!
Closing
Closing
So I challenge you today, church!
Stop grumbling about what you don't have and start thanking God for what you DO have!
Stop murmuring about the wilderness and start trusting the God who's walking with you through it!
Stop complaining about the journey and start praising the One who's guiding your steps!
I know the wilderness is hard!
I know the desert is dry!
I know the test is tough!
But God is FAITHFUL!
He fed Israel with bread from heaven—and He'll feed YOU!
He gave them water from a rock—and He'll give YOU rivers in the desert!
He brought them through the wilderness—and He'll bring YOU through too!
So tonight we ought to give God PRAISE!
Not because everything is perfect—but because GOD IS GOOD!
Not because you have all you want—but because you have all you NEED!
Not because the wilderness is over—but because the PROMISE IS SURE!
Thank Him for the manna this morning!
Thank Him for the quail last night!
Thank Him for the breath in your lungs!
Thank Him for waking you up this morning!
Thank Him for covering you while you slept!
Thank Him for keeping your mind!
Thank Him for giving you strength!
Thank Him for being YOUR GOD!
Psalm 107:1-2 says:
"O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy!"
If you've been redeemed, OPEN YOUR MOUTH!
If you've been delivered, TESTIFY!
If you've been brought out of bondage, GIVE GOD GLORY!
Trade your murmuring for magnifying!
Trade your complaining for consecration!
Trade your grumbling for GRATITUDE!
For the Lord is good, and His mercy endures FOREVER!
Your wilderness will NOT defeat you!
Your lack will NOT define you!
Your complaint is being traded for PRAISE!
You are coming out of this season with a NEW SONG in your mouth!
A song of thanksgiving!
A song of victory!
A song that declares—MY GOD IS FAITHFUL!
