The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. (Exodus 2:23)Over the next 40 years, but especially in the next 12 months the Israelites would be playing the blame game (Exodus 5:21, 15:24, 16:3, and 17:3). Why has all this happened to us? We'd be better off in Egypt.
Funny, you didn't think so when you cried out to God for deliverance! Now God is in the process of delivering you from your Egyptian oppressors, and securing for you the land of promise in Canaan, and all you can do is gripe? Thou shalt not whine!
I could almost laugh if I wasn't guilty of the same thing. How many times has God answered my prayer, but because I didn't recognize his hand or approve his methods I acted like a little whiny baby?
I'm aware this conversation isn't all that different from the one we were having about Jacob and his family going into Egypt at the close of Genesis. Now we're experiencing the same dynamic as they travel out of Egypt at the beginning of Exodus. When we see something repeated in Scripture, it's a good idea to pay very close attention, because it's apparently something God feels strongly about, and thinks we need to know.
In fact, we'll be talking about a related matter tomorrow.
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