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The Israelites were a disheveled crowd
as they started off on their long journey.
The Egyptians sped their departure by loading them down
with valuables and; with no time to pack
in an orderly fashion, they left in a mighty rush,
driving their livestock before them.
Multiply those factors with their approximate number--
2 and a half million-- and you have confusion!
Moses was their leader, but how do you yell,
"This way!" to such a multitude?
Well, even the best gawkers and rubberneckers
they couldn't even spot Moses!
God solved the dilemma.
With a trailblazing beacon,
everyone was able to organize themselves immediately.
All they had to do was to look ahead
and follow the special cloud.
They could even travel at night,
courtesy of God's guiding pillar of fire.
This was crowd-control on a grand scale!
God was watching out for the Israelites.
He led them out into the Sinai wilderness
where virtually no one lived.
Now, this desolate wasteland was devoid of enemies,
but there was also very little food.
So the people let loose with a massive grumble session.
The Bible says:
You know, the people complained
and even wanted to return to slavery.
Their cynical attitude towards God's provision was saddening,
for the Lord had shown vigilant care for them,
and he wasn't about to abandon them.
They should have asked God for food,
for he wanted to be their provider.
But no, they grumbled!
"The LORD said to Moses,
God provided them with meat and bread
and they didn't even have to work for it.
Every day the bread was available to be gathered
and every day they would be reminded,
it is God who is providing for my needs.
They must have felt a little embarrassed
for having griped in the first place.
God was teaching the Israelites yet another lesson.
Now, the bread had a purpose greater than food.
God said:
God told Moses to tell the people to gather
only as much bread as they could eat in one day.
It was an easy instruction, but it was meant to be obeyed.
Now this is very important here.
Okay, it was a simple lesson, you could say no one was hurt,
but through it the people learned
that God meant what he said.
God's word was true, and it was meant to be trusted.
Disobedience was fraught with hazards.
So much for learning from past mistakes.
The people were back in the grumble and gripe mode,
only this time it had to do with water.
On occasion you see an artist's rendition
of this particular miracle.
And Moses is portrayed as standing by a rock
holding his staff, and a little stream of water
about the size you'd expect to see
coming out of a kitchen faucet is spurting onto the ground.
The truth of the matter is this, it must have been quite a gush.
There was a vast throng of thirsty people to water--
plus all their livestock.
This was not a trickle but a mighty torrent!
The Bible says:
Again, the Lord provided for the people's needs
even though they really didn't deserve it.
God, as their Creator-Owner, could have cracked the whip--
told them to sit up and behave themselves.
After all, sin does have consequences.
But God was patient and gentle.
He showed them grace-- an undeserved kindness.
As a sinner, man does not deserve God's gracious love,
but God cares for man in spite of his sin.