Numbers 21:1-5: a reflection

1The Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the South, heard that Israel came by the way of Atharim. He fought against Israel, and took some of them captive. 2Israel vowed a vow to the LORD, and said, “If you will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.” 3The LORD listened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. The name of the place was called Hormah. 4They traveled from Mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. The soul of the people was very discouraged because of the journey. 5The people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, there is no water, and our soul loathes this disgusting food!”

The account here holds a striking contrast within just a few verses: God gives Israel a victory in answer to their vow, and then, almost immediately, the people fall to grumbling. First, Israel vows to God, he listens and delivers the Canaanites into their hand, and they give the place a name marking the victory. But then, on the very next stage of the journey, the people grew discouraged and spoke against God and Moses, complaining, why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, no water, and our soul loathes this disgusting food. How quickly gratitude turned to grumbling; how short their memory of the victory God had just given. Fresh from a God-given deliverance, they were complaining against him. This shows how quickly our gratitude for God's help can turn to grumbling, how short our memory of his mercies can be. The same people God had just helped were soon complaining; gratitude gave way to grumbling almost at once. How swiftly thankfulness can curdle into complaint.

Notice how quickly the people turned from victory to grumbling. God had just answered their vow and given them a victory; and almost immediately, on the next stage of the journey, they were grumbling against God and Moses, discouraged, complaining about the lack of food and water, loathing the very provision God had given them. The memory of the victory was short; gratitude gave way to grumbling almost at once. This is a sobering picture of the human heart: how quickly our thankfulness for God's help can turn to complaint, how short our memory of his mercies can be. Fresh from deliverance, we can be grumbling; soon after a mercy received, we can be complaining about the next hardship. The gratitude of one moment can curdle into the grumbling of the next. To guard against this quick turn from thankfulness to complaint, to keep the memory of God's help fresh rather than letting it fade into grumbling, is a real discipline of the heart. How swiftly we forget what God has just done. Guarding a longer memory of God's mercies guards against grumbling.

That is worth taking to heart, for our gratitude for God's help can turn quickly to grumbling, and we must guard against it. We can be fresh from a mercy received, a deliverance given, and yet almost immediately fall to grumbling about the next hardship, our memory of God's help short, as Israel grumbled right after the victory God had given. Gratitude can curdle quickly into complaint. There is a discipline in keeping the memory of God's mercies fresh, in guarding against the quick turn from thankfulness to grumbling. Do not let your gratitude for God's help turn quickly to grumbling; keep the memory of his mercies fresh, rather than complaining soon after, as Israel did. Guard against the quick turn from gratitude for God's help to grumbling, keeping the memory of his mercies fresh, as Israel, fresh from a God-given victory, almost immediately fell to complaining against God and Moses in the wilderness; for our thankfulness for God's help can curdle quickly into complaint, and our memory of his mercies can be short, so that fresh from a deliverance we can be grumbling about the next hardship, and it is a real discipline of the heart to keep the memory of what God has just done fresh rather than letting gratitude give way so swiftly to grumbling.

Lord, the account here holds a striking contrast within just a few verses: you give Israel a victory in answer to their vow, and then, almost immediately, the people fall to grumbling. First, Israel vows to you, you listen and deliver the Canaanites into their hand, and they name the place for the victory. But then, on the very next stage of the journey, the people grew discouraged and spoke against you and Moses, complaining, why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? How quickly gratitude turned to grumbling; how short their memory of the victory you had just given. Fresh from a God-given deliverance, they were complaining against you. Show me how quickly the people turned from victory to grumbling. You had just answered their vow and given them a victory; and almost immediately, they were grumbling against you and Moses, loathing the very provision you had given them. The memory of the victory was short; gratitude gave way to grumbling almost at once. This is a sobering picture of my own heart: how quickly my thankfulness for your help can turn to complaint, how short my memory of your mercies can be. Fresh from deliverance, I can be grumbling; soon after a mercy received, complaining about the next hardship. Take that to my heart, for my gratitude for your help can turn quickly to grumbling, and I must guard against it. I can be fresh from a mercy received and yet almost immediately fall to grumbling about the next hardship, my memory of your help short, as Israel grumbled right after the victory you had given. Keep me from letting my gratitude for your help turn quickly to grumbling; help me keep the memory of your mercies fresh, Lord, rather than complaining soon after, as Israel did, guarding a longer memory of what you have just done.