I really want to go into this a bit more, it truly is absurd and mindboggling when you look at it in detail.
So let's set the scene...God sends Moses and Aaron to talk to Pharaoh to release His people. Pharaoh says no and we're off!
God then rains ten plagues upon Egypt, but spares the Israelites. He spared them from the flies (Ex. 8:22), spared their cattle (Ex. 9:6), spared them from hail (Ex. 9:24), allowed them to have light in unpenetrable darkness (Ex. 10:23), and saved their firstborn when all other firstborn of the Egyptians were killed. Without a doubt, this was a pretty impressive display of power. Not only that, God put in a personal appearance when Pharaoh finally relented and let the Israelites go. Ex. 13:21, God appeared to them in "a pillar of cloud" by day and in "a pillar of fire" by night on a constant basis while they were led out of Egypt.
Come on now, a pillar of freakin' fire! That's impressive people. But all of this, the plagues, the signs, none of this was enough for the Israelites. Pharaoh eventually came to his senses and charges after the Israelites. Now personlly, I would have laughed at Pharaoh and waited to see what God would rain down on them next, but no, not the Israelites. They start whining and are on the verge of a rebellion. God performs yet another miracle, parting the Red Sea and letting His people through. Imagine this, the sea parting, the sea bed drying enough to allow passage, seeing sea creatures swim past the walls of water. And then collapsing in on the charging Egyptians annihilating every single one of them. Adios Egyptians.
Now that's enough miracles to last someone a lifetime! Right? RIGHT?! Heck no, that was enough to last just three days. Three days later the Israelites were whining again because there wasn't anything to drink. Come on now, you're following GOD here after all, yet these guys are crying about being led out into the wilderness to die. Hello, McFly? Didn't you see ANY of those miracles back there? So God performs yet another miracle in Ex. 23-24 and sweetens the bitter waters of Marah.
So God fulfills yet another requirement for His chosen people. I'd think I was pretty special having an omnipotent God cowtow to my every whim. Ah, but these little whiners weren't done. They had a rumbly in their tumbly and had absolutely no food. OH NO! What to do? They're all going to starve! Uh, hey guys, look at the flaming pillar over there...no no, can't be interrupted, we're going to starve here! I suppose this proves God's omnipotent patience, I would have flipped out on these people long ago, but he serves up a heaping helping of another miracle and provides not just quail, but manna as well...we have to hit all the food groups you know.
So up till now, God has flattened Egyptians with plagues and drowned them in a parted sea. The Israelites were thirsty and he gave them water, they were hungry and he fed them. All their needs have been met, I'd count myself lucky to be an Israelite right about now, moreso than an Egyptian at any rate. So here we are in Rephidim where the Israelites are camped and surprise surprise, there's nothing to drink. Now...most logical people, even those of us that ride the short bus to school, would know what to do here. Go up to the pillar of smoke and ask God for some water, hey, it's not like He hasn't done it before, right? But no, the whiners start crying about being led into the wilderness to die of thirst (now where have I heard that before?). Moses had no idea what to do and runs to God saying the people are getting ready to stone him. God tells Moses to chill out and whack a rock and voila, water! I can't believe these people were actually questioning whether God was with them or not (Ex. 17:7)!
Even the dimmest of the dim should have realized by now that God has everything under control. But the Israelites? Nah, not them. All this murmuring and complaining and bitching finally got to God and He snapped, raining fire down on their camp, consuming those around the outskirts of camp. Only when the people starting praying and crying to Moses did the fire abate (Num 11:1-3).
That would have been enough to make me zip it and stop my bellyaching...but the Israelites? You guessed it. They started whining about not having anything to eat. Uh, hey, what about all that mana? Mana, sure we have mana, but man does not live by mana alone! I remember when I was back in Egypt and how abundant fish and meat were! Damn, I'd love a steak right about now! God was pissed (Num. 11:10) and thought, hmmm, they want meat? I'll give them meat! And boy howdy he did! So much quail they stacked up three feet high. It took everyone all that day, all night, and all the next day just to gather all the quail. Even the laziest among them gathered 580 dry gallons of quail (Num. 11:32). So once again God comes through for His people.
Moses scouts told of fortified cities inhabited by men of great stature ahead. No problem the people said, we have God on our side! Right? Uh no, that's not what they said. They started bitching AGAIN. So much so that they were about to elect a leader to lead them BACK TO EGYPT! Joshua and Caleb were the only two to stick up for God, but the people only threatened to stone them even though the "glory of Yahweh appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel" (Num. 6-11).
Now God was seriously ticked this time, threatening to rain down pestilence on his chosen people, sparing Moses of course. Thankfully Moses, with his omniscience greater than God's talks him out of it, pointing out a few flaws in God's logic (Num 14:13-19). Moses wins the debate and God spares the whiners. Well kinda. He doesn't kill them outright, but forces them to wander in the wilderness for 40 years until they all die out anyway, except for Joshua, Caleb and the children.
And here is where I will end it...not because it's the end of the story. No no, there's the whole earth opening up and swallowing those who opposed Moses (Num. 16:31-33), more bitching about not having water (Ex. 15:23-25; 17:4-7), and yet more complaining about God leading them into the wilderness to die, for which God sent serpents to bite them in their ass (Num 21:4- 9) and killed off quite a few of them. Why God made Moses construct a bronze serpent for them to look upon and be healed is beyond my comprehension, but hey, He did. Ugh, and there's more, but you can look that up on your own.
After all this, it still wasn't enough for them. Why? Personally, I don't believe any of this ever happened. How could it??? How could anyone with a smattering of sense in their head live with God on a daily basis and still doubt Him and His power? Let's not also forget to mention the lack of historical documents of the time corroborating this huge group of people travelling through the wilderness or the lack of archaeological evidence to back it up.
Honestly, if you believe this story took place, please, PLEASE explain to me how these people could be this stupid!
