By: Rev. David Wilson Rogers
The complaints were not unexpected or unfamiliar. “Moses, why?” The bitter and frustrated people were furious with the man of God because he had completely turned their world upside down.
“You brought us out of Egypt in order to die in the wilderness.”
“You brought us to this desolate place where there is no food, no water, and no means of surviving!”
Their concern was understandable. Before Moses started talking to burning bushes, their lives were hard, but at least they had security, safety and a stable routine. Work hard, make bricks, keep Pharaoh happy, and there would be no problems. Then Moses came along—along with ten plagues and a lot of upheaval—and the next thing, the people of the Hebrews are packing up whatever they can carry and marching off into the unknown. Now, they are alone in the harsh desert with no understandable hope for the future. Is it any wonder they were complaining to Moses?
Complaints are a peculiar reality. In fact, most complaints rarely address the underlying issues, actual frustrations, and legitimate concerns that are voiced in the complaints. This was the case with the people of the Hebrews as they followed Moses into the wilderness.
They got what they wanted. Unfortunately, in so doing, they also got what they had not anticipated. Freedom brings with it responsibility. Liberty brings with it the need to make choices. An end to slavery brings with it a need for self-sufficiency. Transformation requires substantial change! The reality is that growing with God does not mean life can continue as it was before, and often it requires that believers step out of the comfortable and familiar in order to embrace the unknown, uncontrollable and uncertain.
Although this story unfolds in the history of the Bible (Exodus 16, and Numbers 11, 14, 16 and 20), it is a sacred story that speaks volumes to the reality so many Christians face in the modern age. We do not always like the way things are, but we also are prone to complain when God hears our prayers and moves to accommodate needed change. Often, we get what we ask for and then complain about the necessary changes that come along with the new reality.
The church wants more members but becomes angry when new voices suggest different ways of being a church. The church wants a greater voice in the world but becomes frustrated when the responsibility of speaking out has unexpected consequences. The Church cries out against sin, injustice, and violations of God’s love in the world and becomes defensive when it must amend its own ways to avoid contributing to the very disgraces exposed. These are merely examples of the challenges that can overwhelm Christians when God hears our prayers and we are not ready for the full consequences of the answer!
God wanted the Hebrews to know the beauty of freedom and liberty for which they had longed to have, God also wants Christians of the world today to live into, and completely embrace, the fullness of freedom God has made available. It is a costly freedom and expensive liberty and if Christians do not like the cost, complaints are common. It cost God the pain of the cross and costs Christians the responsibility of action and accountability to God’s word. It may not always be fun or easy, but it is essential for everyone who professes a love of God and desire to grow with God. We may not always like it, be able to control it, or even understand it fully, but as long as we go with God, the result will be worth the effort and sacrifice.
