They insulted God, saying,
Psalm 78:19-22 NET
“Is God really able to give us food in the wilderness?
Yes, he struck a rock and water flowed out;
streams gushed forth.
But can he also give us food?
Will he provide meat for his people?”
When the LORD heard this, he was furious.
A fire broke out against Jacob,
and his anger flared up against Israel,
because they did not have faith in God,
and did not trust his ability to deliver them.
Israel saw the plagues that devastated Egypt. They were eyewitnesses to the destruction of the Egyptian army when the sea closed up on them. And they experienced God’s provision when he gave them water to drink in the wilderness. There should have been no reason to doubt God’s ability.
But then they got hungry. They forgot about all God had done for them. Instead, they complained and accused God of bringing them into the wilderness to die (Ex. 16:1-3). Their attitude was, “Sure, God was able to provide for us in the past. But can he take care of us now?”
And the psalmist tells us that that doubt on their part was an insult to God. And his anger flared up against them because they doubted his ability to continue to deliver them.
I cannot count how many times I have read the account of Israel’s journey from Egypt to Canaan and just shook my head. How could they doubt God? Surely, as the evidence of God’s power and provision mounted, they would trust him even more. But it seems that with each crisis that came along, they forgot all about what God had done in the past.
But when I reflect on it, I wonder how often I am guilty of insulting God by doubting his ability. I have the Scripture that bears witness to God’s power and provision for his people. I have read of and known other people who have experienced God’s power. And I have experienced it in my own life. Yet, in the moment, how often do I follow Israel’s example and doubt God? How much better to trust him and experience him at work in and through me?
