After
their deliverance from slavery in the land of Egypt, the Israelites began their
long journey toward the Promised Land. God did not lead them by the direct
route along the Mediterranean coastline. This was because they were not
prepared to war against the people that resided there. Rather, God led them
southward, in a roundabout way, through what the Bible calls the wilderness.
The
Wilderness of Sin does not refer to sinfulness, but is an untranslated word
that biblical scholars suspect that the name Sin here refers to the Semitic
moon-deity Sin. The Wilderness of Sin witnessed the Hebrews’ failure in their
obedience to God (Exodus 16:1-4). Although the Wilderness of Sin was at the
beginning of their journey, the Israelites had already begun to complain. On
reaching the wilderness of Sin, the Israelites began to complain over the lack
of food, as they had already consumed all the corn they had brought with them
from Egypt. God heard their murmurings, and so provided them with abundant
manna in the morning and quails in the evening.
It
is so easy to read the scriptures and judge the people of Israel. Why didn't
they just trust God? How could they have experienced the miracle of the Red Sea
and in less than one month forgot all about it? Why are they such a complaining
group of people? Why are they so ungrateful?
We
are judgmental, until we find ourselves in the Wilderness of Sin. Do we
complain about what we do not have? Do we remember God’s blessing and give
thanks for them? God had been good to Israel. He delivered them out of the
slavery in Egypt and let them cross the Red Sea miraculously. They had so much
to be thankful for. But instead of being thankful for what God had blessed
them, they complained of what they did not have. And, we
are often guilty of behaving like them. We are sometimes in the Wilderness of
Sin. We didn’t trust God, we complain, and we rebel.
We
sin when we find ourselves in the Wilderness of Sin. Complaints are sin against
God. They are signs of unbelief and ungratefulness. Questions like, "Why
is this happening to me?" “Why God didn’t grant my wish?” “Is God
listening to my prayers?”and "Where is God?" are murmurs and the
persons who are doing such are questioning God’s authority. Where are the
convictions, "God will provide" and "I will trust the LORD”?
If
we had count our blessings and the number of times that God has delivered us
from troubles, perhaps we would think twice before we complain. The trouble
with the Israelites was that they had forgotten about how God delivered them
from their bondage in Egypt and how He made them crossed the Red Sea on dry
land. If they had remembered them, they would be always grateful to God. But
they didn’t and hence, they complained.
Count
our blessings; they are definitely more than we can be thankful for. God has
even given us lots of things that we did not ask for. Do you pray for good
health every day? Do you pray for safety when you cross the road or in a moving
vehicle? Do you pray for your loved one’s health and safety? We don’t; until
they are sick. But God has been granting them and taking care of those needs
without we even ask.
We
are in the Wilderness of Sin when we forget God’s blessings and load Him with
tonnes of complaints. Those who trust God remember His blessings and are
thankful for them (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Brethren,
we need to get out from the Wilderness of Sin and into the garden of Faith and
Thankfulness. Remember this hymn, Count Your Blessings, when we pray:
So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
Jimmy Lau
Psa
119:97 Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.
No comments:
Post a Comment