When God's Not Good Enough

Mark Galli, "The Impossibility of Thanksgiving," ChristianityToday.com (11-25-09); source: Everything's Amazing and Nobody's Happy, YouTube.com (added 2-24-09)

A segment from Conan O'Brien's [late-night talk show] entitled Everything's Amazing and Nobody's Happy, with guest comedian Louis C.K., has been making the rounds. In it, Louis talks about how he was on a plane that offered in-flight Wi-Fi access to the Internet, one of the first planes to do so. But when it broke down in a few minutes, the man sitting next to him swore in disgust. Louis was amazed, and said to O'Brien, "How quickly the world owes him something that he didn't know existed 10 seconds ago."

Louis then talked about how many of us describe less-than-perfect airline flights as if they were experiences from a horror film: "It was the worst day of my life. First of all, we didn't board for 20 minutes! And then we get on the plane and they made us sit there on the runway for 40 minutes!"

Then he said mockingly, "Oh really? Did you fly through the air incredibly, like a bird? Did you partake in the miracle of human flight? … Everybody on every plane should be going, 'O my God, wow!' … You're sitting in a chair in the sky!" And then he mocks a passenger who, trying to push his seat back, complains, "It doesn't go back a lot!"

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament, Volume 1 Chapter 16

but discontent magnifies what is past, and vilifies what is present, without regard to truth or reason

Exodus 16:1–12 NIV

The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?” Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.” Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’ ” While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud. The Lord said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”

Map

Ingratitude of people to God

Israel’s Repeated ingratitude to the Lord

For deliverance from Egypt:

Ex 16:3; Ex 16:8; Ex 17:7; Heb 3:7–9; Ps 95:7–9

Exodus 16:3 NIV

The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament, Volume 1 Chapter 16

They so undervalue their deliverance, that they wish, they had died in Egypt, nay, and died by the hand of the Lord too. That is, by some of the plagues which cut off the Egyptians; as if it were not the hand of the Lord, but of Moses only, that brought them into this wilderness.

Exodus 16:8 NIV

Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”

Exodus 17:7 NIV

And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Hebrews 3:7–9 NIV

So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did.

Hebrews 3:7-9 is a quote from 95:7-9

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume Exodus 16:1–12

They count upon being killed in the wilderness—nothing less, at the first appearance of disaster. If the Lord had been pleased to kill them, he could easily have done that in the Red Sea; but then he preserved them, and now could as easily provide for them. It argues great distrust of God, and of his power and goodness, in every distress and appearance of danger to despair of life, and to talk of nothing but being speedily killed

Dt 32:6 They were rebuked by Moses for the way they repaid God;

1 Sa 8:7–8 They rejected the Lord when they rejected Samuel;

Ne 9:26 They rejected God’s law and killed his prophets.

It was in evidence at the fall

Ge 3:2–3 Eve showed ingratitude for God’s by not believing him.

Genesis 3:2–3 NIV

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ”

It is part of fallen human nature

Rom. 1:21 Humanity from suffers a negative perspective

Romans 1:21 NIV

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

It is a sign of the last days

2 Ti 3:2 Does this sound familiar?

2 Timothy 3:2 NIV

People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

Ingratitude denotes spiritual immaturity. Infants do not always appreciate what parents do for them. They have short memories. Their concern is not what you did for me yesterday, but what are you doing for me today. The past is meaningless and so is the future. They live for the present. Those who are mature are deeply appreciative of those who labored in the past. They recognize those who labor during the present and provide for those who will be laboring in the future.

Ingratitude to God is a rejection of His love

Exodus 16:6–7 NIV

So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?”

Grandpa Story

The ingratitude of people to one another

Biblical Examples of Ingratitude

Ge 40:23 the chief butler towards Joseph;

Genesis 40:23 NIV

The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.

Nu 16:13–14 Dathan and Abiram to Moses

Numbers 16:13–14 NIV

Isn’t it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? And now you also want to lord it over us! Moreover, you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Do you want to treat these men like slaves? No, we will not come!”

Jdg 8:35; Jdg 9:18 The Israelites to Gideon and his family:

Judges 8:35 NIV

They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them.

1 Sa 25:21 Nabal to David;

2 Ch 24:22 King Joash to Jehoiada;

Ec 9:15 the citizens to the wise man who delivered a city

A story is told of Abraham Lincoln. One day the President summoned to the White House a surgeon in the Army of the Cumberland from the state of Ohio. The major assumed that he was to be commended for some exceptional work. During the conversation Mr. Lincoln asked the major about his widowed mother. “She is doing fine”, he responded. “How do you know?”, asked Lincoln. “You haven’t written her. But she has written me. She thinks that you are dead and she is asking that a special effort be made to return your body.” At that the Commander and Chief placed a pen in the young doctor’s hand and ordered him to write a letter letting his mother know that he was alive and well.

Oh, the blessings that we take for granted. Oh, the wretchedness of ingratitude.

Returning evil for good

Psalm 35:12 Unthankfulness causes grief

Psalm 35:12 NIV

They repay me evil for good and leave me like one bereaved.

Ge 44:4; Ps 109:5; Pr 17:13; Je 18:20

Genesis 44:4 NIV

They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, “Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?

Psalm 109:5 NIV

They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship.

Proverbs 17:13 NIV

Evil will never leave the house of one who pays back evil for good.

Jeremiah 18:20 NIV

Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember that I stood before you and spoke in their behalf to turn your wrath away from them.

Jesus exposed ingratitude

Luke 17:15-18 It is rare to see true thankfulness

Luke 17:15–18 NIV

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?”

God is loving to the ungrateful

Luke 6:35 God demonstrates love through our shortcomings and His character should be our model for living.

Luke 6:35 NIV

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Exodus 16:10 NIV

While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud.

no man sins because he has not grace, but because he does not use the grace which he hath.

Wesley, J. (1999). Sermons, on several occasions. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Christians must example Thankfulness

Hebrew Words - Thank, Thankful, Thanks, Thankfulness, Thanksgiving

yadah - 155

yeda - 2

todah - 31

Huyyyedoth - 1

Greek Words - Thank, Thankful, Thanks, Thankfulness, Thanksgiving

Charis - 156

Eucharisteo - 38

Eucharistia - 15

Eucharistos - 1

Homologeo/Homologos - 26

Psalm 100:4 NIV

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

Ps 107:22; Col 1:12; Col 3:15; 1 Th 5:18

1 Th 5:18 We are called to be grateful

Psalm 107:22 NIV

Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.

Colossians 1:12 NIV

and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

Colossians 3:15 NIV

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.