Complaints

Complaints.  As we read through Scripture, sometimes things we have read before are more impactful because of another Scripture we have been studying or maybe something we are going through.  For example, our last couple of sermons from Ephesians have emphasized the importance of giving God thanks and praise (Ephesians 5: 4, 20).  If we could learn to give thanks and praise in all things, we wouldn’t have time to be concerned about sin.  For me, this focus on thanks and praise has been important, along with not giving in to complaining.  One thing stood out in our reading today. Israel complained about not having food, it says “they grumbled against Moses and Aaron” (Exodus 16:2).  However, Moses tells them that God had their complains about Him (v.7).  Moses goes on to further clarify by saying “For who are we that you complain about us?” (v.7).  In other words, Moses and Aaron didn’t have the power to bring them out of Egypt or deliver them from Pharoah, nor did they have the power to care for Israel.  That all belonged to God.  So, their complaints would logically really be aimed at God. This should cause us to really consider our own grumblings and complaints.  It could be that while we think we are directing them toward an individual, or group, that we are actually guilty of complaining about God Himself.