Seriousness of Complaints

Seriousness of complaints.  We have recently preached on the instructions to be Spirit filled, which is partly described as one who gives thanks to God in all things (Ephesians 5:20). We have further suggested that the opposite of that is one who grumbles and complains.  The Bible has much to say about that and how this tempts God and angers God.  In today’s reading, we see an example of God’s anger against complaining.  We read, “Now the people began complaining openly before the Lord about hardship.  When the Lord heard, his anger burned, and fire from the Lord blazed among them and consumed the outskirts of the camp” (Numbers 11:1).  The people were complaining because they longed for food like they ate back in Egypt and that there was “nothing to look at but this manna!” (v.6).  Manna was what God had supplied to them.  It was not left-overs or subpar in any way, it is described as tasting like a pastry made with the finest oil (v.8), yet, the people complained.  Their complaining about the manna was a complaint about what God was providing.  God would end up giving them meat for a month, until it would become nauseating to them (v.20) and the lives of those who were complaining would be lost (v.33-34).  When we complain, aren’t we complaining against God and what He has provided?