Grumbling and Complaining

August 2, 2009

Background Scripture: Numbers 11
Lesson Passage: Numbers 11:1 – 6, 10 – 15

Is gratitude too much to ask of someone who receives of another? To the giver, gratitude is neither the price nor the cost of a gift. It is just simply an attitude of appreciation that someone has been kind out of the goodness of their being. It is a tremendous feeling of joy to give to someone in need. When need is known and communicated, people give an abundance that is often over and above the need itself. These are not loans and there is no expectation that the gift will be returned or compensated for in the future. Then, is it too much to ask that the receiver exhibit behavior indicative of an attitude of gratitude?

Our lesson today is an excerpt from the history of Israel’s desert wandering. Israel’s wilderness history was often punctuated with grumbling and complaining. In fact, the book of Numbers is sometimes referred to as the book of Mumbling. The people complained from one blessing to another one. It seems that the common thread that connected all of Israel’s blessings was the constant complaining they did between the blessings. This is not to say that all of the children of Israel complained; that is an unfair generalization. On several occasions it was just a few complainers but crowd mentality quickly took its toll as many others joined in the refrain. Some non-Israelites were sometimes the trouble makers. These non-Israelites, referred to as a mixed multitude, were first identified in the book of Exodus as leaving out of Egypt along with Israel. They would prove to be a source of weakness for Israel. They are a reminder of biblical warnings that God’s children are not to have fellowship with the world. We are in the world but not of the world. When the world becomes entrenched within a people of God, they will exert a worldly influence upon God’s people.

We should be reminded by the lesson today that human nature has not changed after thousands of years. Those who claim to know God best sometimes complain more than those who admit to either not knowing God or knowing very little of him. The scriptures in our text make it abundantly clear that God does not like complaining. I stop short of saying God does not like complainers because the scripture indicate that God did not like the complaining. The scripture also makes it clear that God hears when his children complain. What is it about complaining that perhaps make it detestable to God? First, complaining expresses a lack of gratitude for what has already been done. Secondly, complaining expresses a lack of confidence or faith that our needs will be met in the future. When we complain about our needs, is it not because we fear that our needs will go unmet? Put another way, when we are absolutely assured that our needs will be met, do we complain about it? Furthermore, we go one additional step in the wrong direction when we have our needs met and we start to hoard or be greedy; greed sometimes suggest that we do not have assurance of future provisions and therefore we better “get it while the getting is good”. All of these reasons brought God’s wrath upon some of Israel. Let us today take heed to their example and avoid grumbling and complaining.

Robert C. Hudson
July 27, 2009