God fed Israel in the wilderness, all those years, miraculously!

Every Bible student knows about the “manna.”

A perfectly healthy “bread-like” source of nourishment. “The taste of it was like wafers made with honey.” Exodus 16:31, bread pudding?

But the Jews, hard to please, wanted MORE!

They demanded MEAT from the Lord.

Asaph, in Psalm 78 recounts the situation. “And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust. Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people? Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth ….” Psalm 78:18-21a

Let me insert this helpful little paragraph. “And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick. But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside THIS MANNA, before our eyes.” Numbers 11:4-6, “this manna,” speaking despairingly!

They demanded that they get to chose their diet!

Meat!

Fish!

Onions and garlic!

Anything but God’s provision!

And the Lord heard their complaining … and became angry!

Remember, Adam and Eve got into trouble over something they ate!

Isaac also, Genesis 25:28. “And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.” So sad!

And this area of life (food) is the first category with which Satan chose to “tempt” Jesus our Lord! Matthew 4:3 says: “And when the tempter came to Him, he said, If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.”

One’s personal desires!

Contra God’s Will for our lives!

Surely the lesson here, or one of them anyway, is to BE CONTENT with God’s provision, God’s leading, God’s plan for our lives!

Back in Psalm 78:18, to “tempt” God (“nasah” in Hebrew) means “to test or prove” Him. To exasperate Him, to doubt Him! To question His Wisdom! To reject His Plan!

“Nasah” is a Piel verb in the Hebrew Text, elsewhere found in the Old Testament 4 more times. In fact, 3 times in Psalm 78 alone! Its parallels (as used by the Holy Spirit) are: “not to listen” (Numbers 14:22), “to limit” or cause pain (Psalm 78:41), “to provoke” or rebel bitterly (Psalm 78:56), and “to lust exceedingly” (Psalm 106:14).

When will we ever learn to be satisfied!

The song writer had the right idea. Christ really should be ALL WE NEED!

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell