Numbers 21:5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
Do you ever wake up tired? Years ago I had a friend who was in his 80s or 90s, and one morning he told me, “All night long I dreamt that I was working. I woke up tired this morning!” Maybe you are working even when you are sleeping and you wake up tired. Have you ever woken up discouraged? I’m sure you know that feeling. Well, you need to know what to do about it.
Numbers 21:4 says, “And they [the children of Israel] journeyed.” Verse 10 says, “And the children of Israel set forward.” Between the point where they began the journey and they set forward again, there was this long period of delay. What halted them? Verse 4 tells us, “And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.” They were discouraged because of the way. Maybe that’s where you are. Maybe life is discouraging to you and you don’t know what to do. But, this was the way that God was leading them.
Verse 5 says, “And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread [manna].” You’ve got a choice. You can talk about God or you can talk to God. What were they doing? They were talking about God, and that not even directly. The Bible says they spoke “against God, and against Moses.” Do you think they shook their fists in the sky and said, “God, what you do you think you are doing!” and then complained to Moses? No, if this is like other instances of their complaining, they were complaining to Moses.
Complaining is saying anything to anyone in a negative manner when the person to whom you speak can do nothing about it. So, if I complain to you about the weather, by definition it is complaining because you can’t change the weather. Now, God can. You could talk to God about the weather.
Moses was leading these people, but it wasn’t ambition on his side, it was obedience. God’s design and command was for Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. So, on the one hand, the Israelites were leaving God out as if Moses was the one who had done all this. On the other hand, they were speaking to Moses as if he could change something when he couldn’t. In short, they were complaining, but they were not praying. They were talking about God, but they weren’t talking to God. When they spoke against God, they probably did that by complaining to Moses.
The alternative to speaking against God is just talking to God. It is amazing to me how often and how directly the psalmist speaks to God. The psalmist does not pull any punches. Now, he is reverent and he is aware that God is God and we are not, but he is very straightforward. He says, “Here is my problem. God, I need you. I am in trouble.”
The psalms are full of problems and prayer. Then, because God answers prayer there is praise and gratitude. Some of us have nothing to thank God for because we have never asked God for anything to begin with. At other times, God has given answers of which we have not been aware enough to give thanks.
The bottom line is that the same God Who has given answers to prayer will give answers to prayer. Today, I don’t know what your issue is or why you may be discouraged or tired, but you have a choice. You can complain and speak against God, or you can speak to God. The Psalmist did. “God, I need help. Please help me.” That gave the psalmist many reasons to sing praise.
It is interesting that later on God provided water. Verse 17 says, “Then Israel sang this song.” That’s the way it should be. We should be talking to God and thanking God. God gives direction. Today you have a choice. If you are weary, worried, or discouraged, you can either talk about God or you can talk to God.