Because the Lord blesses us when we deserve judgment, we must love him.
I. Grumbling
There are 4 marks of grumbling as a result of “redemptive amnesia” in this text, 3 explicit and 1 implied.
Knowing: The marks of grumbling in the Israelites’ lives—and ours—are dissatisfaction with what the Father has currently provided for us (vv. 1-3); displacement, that is, shifting blame from one party to another (vv. 6-8); hoarding his blessings because we don’t trust him to supply in the future (v. 20); and thanklessness, a failure to acknowledge the way God provides and blesses (Romans 1:21).
Being: To grumble is to say to God, “I wish you were not my God; in fact, I wish you were dead.” It is to say to the Heavenly Father what the prodigal son effectively said to his father: “I wish you were dead so I could get my inheritance, spend it the way I wish, and live by my own rules.” Do any of these marks of grumbling resonate with you more than the others? How so?
Doing: Consider the negative emotions you have experienced most frequently recently. What happened? Why did you feel that way? Use this self-reflection to help answer the question above.
II. Grace
God’s response to the Israelites’—and our—grumbling is breathtaking. There are at least 3 indicators of God’s incredible grace in this passage.
Knowing: God demonstrates his grace despite his people’s grumbling through extravagant blessings of sweet tasting manna and the delicacy of quail (vv. 4-6, 12); personal presence—the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud (vv. 9-11); and daily bread—God provided everything they needed each and every day (vv. 13-19).
Being: Such grace is unfathomable! Can it possibly be true that God meets our sin with overwhelming grace in Jesus Christ? That’s what Paul taught. Contrasting the representative roles of Adam and Jesus, Paul said, “But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. . .[W]here sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Romans 5:15, 20).
Doing: Meditating on ways God has poured out his grace to you despite the fact we don’t deserve it causes us to love him more. Can you think of instances in your life where you received better than you deserved? What are some current examples in your life of ways God has blessed you that perhaps you have not thanked him for?