The Journey and the Complaining about It Continue, Reflection on Exodus 16:2-15

Have you ever known anyone like the people in Exodus 16? God has brought them out of slavery, protected them from an attacking army, and provided them with water. Their response is to complain. "Oh, why did you bring us here? Things were so much better in Egypt."

What is the usual human response? How different have we human beings become over the millenia? Often, even when we can remember our deliverance, we still complain.


What is the usual divine response? When we cry out in despair, what does God do? What can we expect if we cry out in disgust with our situation?


God talks to Moses. Moses talks to Aaron. Moses and Aaron talk to the people. Moses tells Aaron to talk to them. Aaron does. Then, as Aaron is speaking, the Lord appears to the people. Or, was the Lord there all along, and the people finally woke up to the presence?

As a typical American, I think I'm hungry if it's supper time and I haven't eaten since lunch. What if I were a Haitian during their hurricane barrage? Or, an American suffering from flooding after Hurricane Lee (read about UMCOR)?

How does God send help to people in need? In Exodus, the food came down from the sky. Sometimes, God sends it through the hands of other humans. Sometimes, we are slow to help.