“What’s for dinner?” the kids asked their mom. “Poison!” she retorted. Sarcasm surfaced because if she had said “meatloaf ” or “chicken,” the kids would grouse. She was tired of their complaining and wanted them to know it! But when dinner rolled around, of course she fed them a healthy, tasty meal. That’s grace.
In today’s passage God leads His people from the oasis to the wilderness. It’s barren out there, and they’re growing hungrier by the minute. Do they recall the miracle of the Passover? The parting of the Red Sea? The bitter water made sweet? Do they think if God could do those things, then this problem is simple? Do they cry out to Him and ask for food?
No. Like us, they are at their worst when they’re hungry. They lash out at Moses and Aaron, accusing them of genocide. Behind their accusation is the true poison, the serpent’s lie: God isn’t good; He’s holding back on you. How will God handle His rebel children? Will He rain down judgment on them? No, He rains down bread from heaven. That’s grace!