Wasting Souls

While the Children of Israel were in the wilderness, they were characterized by a constant complaining and carping about just about everything. They even complained about the wonderful, heavenly provision of daily bread, manna. What a bunch of dolts. But we probably do the same.

Psalm 106:15 gives an editorial comment on their condition. In fact, all of the Psalm is a running commentary on their history after leaving the land of Egypt. It begins with praise, then confession. The confession includes a litany of their misdeeds, oops, sins, iniquities, and wickedness. If the Psalmist didn't pull any punches, neither should we.

The good news is that God did not forget, nor abandon them. Read to the end of the chapter. It is good for the soul. But in the meantime, look at our verse for today.

    "So He gave them their request, But sent a wasting disease among them."
KJV uses the term, "sent leanness into their soul." Notice the singular tense. I will not make too strong a point on this as my Hebrew scholar has not yet commented, but it does not seem too far fetched to think that both their individual souls and the corporate soul of the nation was affected.

Recall that they received manna daily, hence daily bread, and all they had to do was gather it. But they got "tired" of this "stuff" and complained that they were not on slaves' provisions back in Egypt. Well, they phrased it differently. (Numbers 11) v. 4-6
    "Who will give us meat to eat? 5 We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, 6 but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna."

Sounds like they dined, gratis, with Pharaoah every night, doesn't it? It was free. The slave owner "lavishes" all the slop on his workers that they can eat. Starving slaves do not produce much. But that aside, their shallow and selfish viewpoint reveals a lot about their character.

So God gave them what they wanted, even though it was not what was best for them. The result, as our verse solemnly records, was "leanness" or a wasting of their souls. Imagine visiting the President when he is on a diet. You can share with him in his dining room or go to another where a lavish fare is set for visiting dignitaries. I would eat with the President.

Yes, I think that God does at times give us what we demand as opposed to what He would offer. King Hezekiah got 15 years of "life" and consequently sired the worst king Judah ever had. (But, God is never at a loss. That King, Manasseh, (2 Kings 20) was the grandfather of one of the best kings of Judah, Josiah.)

The Children of Israel made a poor choice. They "wasted" their souls. The "manna" that we find between the covers of our Bibles will keep our souls in good shape. As Alexander Scourby says, "Listen to the Bible. It's great for the soul!" (Or read it.)