It wasn’t exactly a five-star resort, you know?
What's remarkable is that their faith was rewarded in the most astonishing ways. According to Legends of the Jews, the snakes and scorpions, those ever-present dangers of the desert, posed absolutely no threat to them. Can you picture it? The moment the snakes saw the Israelites, they would simply lie down on the sand, harmless. It sounds like something straight out of a fairytale, doesn't it?
For three whole days, they journeyed through that barren landscape, and remarkably, they didn't complain. But, as we all know, resources eventually dwindle. When their water supply ran out, the murmuring began. "What shall we drink?" they cried out to Moses. We find this moment of desperation captured in various sources, including the Legends of the Jews.
Think back to the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea. The waters had turned sweet for them, providing a life-saving drink. But now, as the water dwindled, their faith seemed to evaporate just as quickly. They started grumbling, not just against Moses, but against God Himself.
What’s striking about this episode is that they hadn’t even suffered yet. There was still water left, but the anticipation of thirst was enough to trigger their complaints. It really makes you think about how we react to potential problems, doesn't it?
This was a test, a way for God to see how they would act under pressure. And according to the Legends of the Jews, they didn't exactly ace it. The irony is almost painful: the very ground they walked on had running water beneath it! They were completely unaware of this hidden blessing. As we find in Midrash Rabbah and other texts, God wanted to see if their faith would be strong enough even in the face of perceived scarcity.
It begs the question: How often do we, too, complain and worry, completely oblivious to the blessings and solutions that are right under our feet? It's a powerful reminder to look for the hidden water, to trust in the unseen provision, and to cultivate a little more faith in the face of uncertainty. Maybe, just maybe, we'll find that the desert isn't as desolate as it seems.