The human heart cries… Mutiny!

God’s undeniable deliverance

Imagine what it would have been like. God’s people had been slaves of hard labor for 430 years. Pharaoh treated the Israelites harshly in his ambition to build his epic architectural monuments with their blood, sweat and tears. In their harsh treatment they felt forgotten by God. But there was evidence that God was up to something.

God worked wonders through Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh. It was undeniable that God was working supernaturally for His people’s release. Although Pharaoh was initially stubborn, Egypt weakened under 10 devastating plagues. Pharaoh’s resolve breaks. He’s letting God’s people go. They walk out of Egypt with plunder they didn’t need to fight for. God fought on their behalf and won.

To top it off, God spared them from the hot pursuit of Pharaoh’s chariots. He divided the Red Sea and the people walked between its parting on dry ground. He lead them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Never in history was there such a deliverance of a nation.

Can you think of any other succession of miracles God has done on that grand a scale? Wouldn’t you expect the Israelites would float on a wave of faith from all those powerful experiences into the desert?

Desert of complaint

Shockingly, we are humbled to see how just a little bit of suffering and wandering in a desert can completely overshadow those memories. The Israelites forgot God’s Presence, Power and Provision quickly.

Their incessant complaining brought Moses to his knees in utter dependence upon God multiple times. It was as if Moses was the deputy captain and his crew were calling mutiny after mutiny.

Here are just a few of the recorded complaints they brought against Moses.

• Exodus 14:11-12  When the Israelites were terrified by the hot pursuit of the Egyptian chariots they said to Moses. “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”
• Exodus 16:2-3  In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to die.
• Numbers 14:1-4 (After the spies gave a report on the land of Canaan) That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt? And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

• Numbers 20:2 Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. They quarrelled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord! Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here? Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”

Although Moses was said to be the most patient of all men of his time, even he reached his boiling point.

• Numbers 20:9-12 So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honour me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”

It is critical to realize that the Israelites were complaining against God not Moses. God charged them with contempt and many paid with their lives. Complaint and an heir of entitlement can discourage the most patient of leaders. The incessant complaining wore down Moses. God himself expressed frustration with their heart of mutiny.

Mutiny is a criminal conspiracy among a group of people (typically members of the military; or the crew of any ship, even if they are civilians) to openly oppose, change, or overthrow a lawful authority to which they are subject. The term is commonly used for a rebellion among members of the military against their superior officer(s), but can also occasionally refer to any type of rebellion against an authority figure.

In case we are quick to judge and condemn the Israelites for their mutiny, don’t we do the same thing? God has done amazing works in our lives. We have even more evidence of God’s power in Christ. What they saw dimly we see clearly in Christ. And yet our hearts can express the same frustration and complaint. We question God’s leading and authority. Even in our mission to help students discover Jesus we hear our heart cry… “Mutiny!”