They tested God in their heart by asking for the food of their fancy. Yes, they spoke against God. They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?” (Psalm 78:18-19)
Throughout their wilderness experience, the people of Israel acted and spoke as if they were continually without — without proper food, water and other such necessities. The reality is, God always provided for their needs albeit not necessarily satisfying their wants. Every day except for Shabbat, He gave them bread from heaven; the seventh day was covered by the double portion they received on Friday. But as we know they tired of “this worthless bread” (Numbers 21:5) — they wanted meat. Actually, that doesn’t seem to be such an unreasonable request given that most of us would want more than just bread and water every day. So, why was their request so problematic?
We need to understand that when Israel left Egypt, not only did they take the spoils of Egypt, but they left with their livestock. Moses famously told Pharaoh that “not a hoof shall be left behind” (Exodus 10:26). In other words, throughout their wilderness journey, they always had a food source with them; as long as they had water for their animals, they had a source of meat. So then, why did they act as if they did not? Read carefully and you will see that their craving was for more than meat; they wanted “the food of their fancy.” They were still looking back to Egypt with desire for things familiar. That is why the quail came from the direction of the sea — the sea they had crossed through as God led them away from Egypt.
Just in case you missed it, the quail came from the same direction as the place God had delivered them from but to which many wanted to return. No wonder many were struck with a plague while the meat was in their teeth — they demonstrated an insatiable appetite for Egypt. So the point is that if God is leading us forward, we shouldn’t be looking backward. As Messiah said, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).
Just because something is familiar doesn’t mean it is good for us; in fact, it most likely isn’t, and so, we must always keep our eyes ahead and follow the Lord. Yes, that might mean that He leads us in unfamiliar territory that looks ominous and threatening. Still, we follow the One who knows how to bring us into the fulness of our purpose and is well able to prepare a table in the wilderness, indeed, in the presence of our enemies.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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