God’s Decision For Provision
March 1, 2020
Commentary
In yesterdays passage we shared with you four of the six reasons given in the first 22 verses of this chapter that can cause us to become dissatisfied with our relationship with God. Below you will find the last two reasons:
- We become dissatisfied with God when He doesn’t jump through the hoops we set for Him to jump through. “And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust” (v. 18). “Yea, they spake against God: they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness” (v. 19)? We may say, “If you want me to serve you God you need to make my mother well.” or “If you want me to tithe you will need to give me a pay raise.”
- We become dissatisfied with God when we have allowed our hearts to turn so cold we cannot turn to Him. “Because they believed not in God and trusted not in His salvation” (v. 22). There are people who know that they need to turn to God but they are so angry at Him that they are miserable. Instead of dealing with their cold heart they express anger.
Asaph told how the Israelites murmured first with the Lord sending fire (vv. 21-22); then by showering them with manna (vv. 23-25), and then with the meat of quails driven by southeast winds (vv. 26-29). Unfortunately, many of God’s people are betweeners who are living between Egypt and Canaan. They have been delivered from bondage by the blood of the lamb, but they have never entered into their inheritance. They believe that Jesus died on the cross, but they are not living in the power of His resurrection. This was the case of the people of Israel in this passage (vv. 23-31).
Application
My greatest need is to believe God. I don’t need to live by explanations; I can live by His promises. Lord, when I hear your voice don’t let me harden my heart!
Psalms 78:17– 31 (NET)
17 Yet they continued to sin against him, and rebelled against the Most High in the desert.
18 They willfully challenged God by asking for food to satisfy their appetite.
19 They insulted God, saying, “Is God really able to give us food in the wilderness?
20 Yes, he struck a rock and water flowed out; streams gushed forth. But can he also give us food? Will he provide meat for his people?”
21 When the Lord heard this, he was furious. A fire broke out against Jacob, and his anger flared up against Israel,
22 because they did not have faith in God, and did not trust his ability to deliver them.
23 He gave a command to the clouds above, and opened the doors in the sky.
24 He rained down manna for them to eat; he gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Man ate the food of the mighty ones. He sent them more than enough to eat.
26 He brought the east wind through the sky, and by his strength led forth the south wind.
27 He rained down meat on them like dust, birds as numerous as the sand on the seashores.
28 He caused them to fall right in the middle of their camp, all around their homes.
29 They ate until they were beyond full; he gave them what they desired.
30 They were not yet filled up; their food was still in their mouths,
31 when the anger of God flared up against them. He killed some of the strongest of them; he brought the young men of Israel to their knees.