The Point of Friction

Examples of this in Numbers are plentiful. In chapter 11, the Israelites complain about food and God provides it for them. Later, in Numbers 21, they complain about the food God provided them saying, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no food and no water and we loathe this worthless food." First of all, there was food (food that they requested nonetheless), they just didn't like it. So God, who provided the "worthless food," sent snakes among the camp to show the Israelites just how good they had it. Only after some of them died from snakebite did they realized they had sinned and asked for intercession from Moses. Interestingly enough, God didn't take away the plague He had given them, but He did provide healing and restoration to those suffering from the pain they brought on themselves.

Again in chapter 14, after Moses sends the 12 spies into the promised land and 10 of them come back with a bad report, the Israelites complain about their fate saying, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!" Famous last words (probably not as famous as "Hey guys, watch this!"). They refuse to invade the promised land and God gives them exactly what they asked for: "What you have said in my hearing will be done to you: your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness.... Because you have turned back from following the Lord, the Lord will not be with you." The Israelites then decide to do what God originally had in store for them even though He made it clear that He would not be with them in the battle. They tried to take over the promised land anyway and were utterly defeated. Retroactive obedience after the orders have changed isn't actually obedience, it's turning your back on God twice.

And in Numbers 20, when there was no water to drink, they complained AGAIN: "Why have you brought the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle?" Simple, because they asked for just that in chapter 14. God is continually providing exactly what Israel wants. They just want the wrong thing all the time.

However, God also provides for His people in the miserable situations they get themselves into. He gives them food, water, protection, and healing, all the things a million nomads could hope for in the middle of a desert. God is adaptable. He knows what's going to happen and nothing takes Him off guard. Even when we take a different path than the one He planned for us, He always teaches us and brings us back to Himself. That is comforting because I know I don't always want the right things. We don't ever know exactly what's going to happen, but He does. Just follow Him.