It didn’t take long for the fleshly nature of the Israelites to show itself. They had just been redeemed by the Passover blood of the lamb. In type they had been baptized by coming through the Red Sea. They were also covered by the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, a type of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
It was only one month and 15 days from leaving Egypt when they failed to pass the third test of hunger. The wilderness was a proving and testimony time. If they overcame these temptations, they would enter the Promised Land. But once again, they insulted God by complaining.
Exodus 16:2, 3 says: “And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full: for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger,”
They should have said: “God: You did such mighty signs and wonders to set us free from the slave chains of Egypt. You will not forsake us now our food is running out. We worship You for the miraculous provisions that You will provide. We thank You in faith.”
Now I am quite sure most of us would have also failed God in this test, especially if our children were crying out in hunger.
We remember that the devil tempted Jesus when he was hungry after fasting for forty days and forty nights. Jesus was also going through a wilderness experience following His baptism. When the devil tempted Jesus to command the stones to turn into bread Jesus reminded the him: “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
Jesus was saying, “I am turning my natural hunger into a spiritual hunger for every word that comes forth from God’s mouth.” He told the devil that every word coming from God’s mouth would keep him alive.
Even Job understood the wilderness experience. Job said in Job 23:10-12: “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."
Job esteemed God’s words more than his necessary food. Is that your testimony regarding God’s Word? One Chinese saint used to say: “No Bible, no breakfast.” He would never feed his physical body before he fed his spiritual inner man.
Fathers, do you accept this truth? Do you teach this truth to your family? How hungry are you for EVERY word that comes from the mouth of God?
Both Jesus and Job overcame but Israel failed. May God help us not to fail.
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell