Tribulation Faith - Exodus 16:2-3

Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
- Exodus 16:2-3

    The Israelites enslaved in Egypt never knew anything but subjection to their task masters and Pharaoh. For 430 years they had been in Egypt, with the largest part spent in slavery. And freedom suddenly dropped on any people leaves them in fear and trepidation. They simply didn’t know how to handle this new found freedom. At least, they reasoned, we had our bellies filled while we were slaves. But in reality who were the Israelites really grousing at?
    Obviously, their faith in God was the weakest of all faiths. When blessings were plentiful they were pious and thankful for the providence of God. Yet once the slightest discomfort or doubt came into play they complained. “Then they said to Moses, ‘Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.’” - Exodus 14:11-12.
    The reality of the situation was that it wasn’t Moses whom they were complaining about - “Also Moses said, ‘This shall be seen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the Lord hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord.’” - Exodus 16:8.
    Aren’t we also familiar with this kind of rebellion? Are not our most enthusiastic praises reserved for when God is most gracious to us? Are we not commanded to praise (rejoice in, pray to, and give thanks to) God  even in tribulation? “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. The very crown we have been promised comes to us through our tests - “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” - James 1:12. “Temptation” in this Greek rendering (pĕriasmŏs) means “adversity.”
    Adversity, trials, tests, all of these the Israelites experienced once freed from the yoke of Egyptian slavery. They were freed to wander in the wilderness for the next forty years, a test in itself!  Oddly enough only two of the original “chosen people” (Joshua and Caleb) ever actually entered the Promised Land. Even Moses was refused entry. Our sojourn here is not unlike that of the Israelites. We too are seeking the Promised Land. Will our faith transcend the tribulation we will surely face in this wilderness?
    Let us always remember the promise of God that we will indeed enter the rest of Jesus Christ if we will just persevere in tribulation faith.