Numbers 10-12

“You have rejected the Lord, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’” (11:20). God rescued the Israelites, guided them, and provided miraculously for them in the desert, yet they complained about missing the fish and cucumbers of Egypt (11:4-6). God was making them into a new, holy, people, but they were still poisoned by old ways of thinking. Even Miriam and Aaron, Moses’ siblings, allowed family quarrels to undermine the miraculous new work of God (12:1-8).

“Now the rabble with them began to crave other food ...” (11:4). Moving toward the Lord requires us to move away from (repent) past habits and loyalties. God’s “manna” – provision for us – is better than anything else we desire.