Be careful what you ask for.
That’s advice Moses probably wished he’d given the people of Israel, ages ago, long before he’d gotten involved in leading these people across the desert. From the way the story reads, you’d think he’d kidnapped them and dragged them out of Egypt against their will, but that’s not way happened. They asked for this.
The Israelites, you might recall, were suffering as slaves in Egypt until they cried out to God for relief. Exactly what they thought would happen we don’t know, but what they got was a rescue of Biblical proportions. So far in the story they have seen Moses with the power to inflict ten plagues on Egypt, all to persuade Pharaoh to let the people go. When they finally do get going, there’s that exciting chase through the Red Sea with the water parting for the Israelites while the Egyptians pursuing them are trapped by the water. Once they get out in the desert, things aren’t easy; this is the first time they’ve run out of water, but earlier they needed food. God provided them food, but not just any food. They are eating something called manna, which means “what is it?” in Hebrew. It’s a wafer-sort of bread that falls from heaven. Every day they gather it, just enough for that day, except on Fridays. Then they gather twice as much because there can be no gathering on Saturday, the Sabbath. So while they are out in the desert, and that can’t be easy, God is taking care of them pretty well.
So now they need water. Not one person stops to think–Hey, the Lord has done so much for us, what with the rescue from Egypt and all the bread in the desert, not to mention the pillar of cloud or fire that leads us through the desert–maybe, probably he’s got a plan for water as well. No wonder God is angry, even swearing at them. No wonder Moses is annoyed at their complaining. They just don’t get it. Out there in the desert they experience crisis after crisis, but they miss the pattern. They don’t notice how each issue is resolved by their God because they don’t see how this journey is meant to change them. They have a new identity. No longer Hebrew slaves in Egypt, the Israelites are now a people with God in their midst, and that presence makes a difference. It will take them 40 years to understand that identity and begin to be who they are.
I recognize this pattern in myself. It is easy to offer prayers of complaining because things aren’t going right, forgetting the pattern of God’s presence and blessing. Isn’t it possible that God again will have a way through things?
That brings us to forgiveness. A word of obligation, forgiveness is often something we push on people when we don’t want to be bothered by their problems. But forgiveness is really a sign of identity. It is a way of saying what matters, and putting those priorities into action. When we forgive, we claim an identity, not as the one who was hurt, but as God’s people. The story of forgiveness is claiming that identity.
Which brings us back to faith. Do we believe that the call is for us? If so, then forgiveness isn’t a high price for claiming that identity.
What are your stories of forgiveness? Share them in our Lenten project.