The Banqueting Table

He brought me to His banqueting table. His banner over me is love. 

I grew up singing this little song and when I read Psalm 78, I hear the Israelites singing anything but. 

They are stuck between sin and dis-remembering.  They have forgotten who they are and what their God is capable of.  They are teetering on the dangerous line of rebellion that can only fall into discipline and consequence.  What got them to this point?

Verse 11 says it simply:  "They forgot what He had done, the wonders He had shown them."

My mind is blown away by this.  How does one forget walking between two walls of water.  How does one forget a rock being struck only to have drinkable water come forth?  How does one forget bread being rained down from the heavens?

Is it ungratefulness that leads to forgetting or is it forgetting that leads to ungratefulness?  Either way, once they were on the path, sin and bitterness took root. They weren't content with what God had provided and they weren't content with God being God.

They wanted more.  They lusted after meat.  In their sin, they created an appetite for something that God didn't have on the sovereign menu.

In their sin-clouded vision, their belief in God stripped away.  What they asked resonates deep.

"Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?"

You mean to tell me they have seen the cloud by day and the fire by night...they have been fed daily with manna...they have clothing and shoes that have not worn out...they have seen pure water trickle out of rock for crying out loud and they still question God's power and goodness??? 

"Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?"

Have I not muttered the same thing?

We recently were blessed with a small raise that was not even asked for.  After calculating what it would provide, my mindset quickly started adding up all the things that it would not take care of.  Not braces, not more space, not a newer vehicle for one day, not this, not that, not even quail.

I knew I was the same as the Israelites.  I love the Old Testament because I know I have much to learn from God's people, my lineage.

I quickly repented and remembered God's blessings of provision.  It didn't look like what I had desired.  It was manna instead of quail, but it was good and straight from His hand.

When we speak against God and His desire to take care of us, it can quickly lead to bitterness and unbelief.  All the sudden, we forget that it was God who made a way for redemption, gives us His Holy Spirit for guidance, and daily loads us with His benefits.

When left unchecked, He deals with us as He did them:  He gave them their lustful desires. Sometimes it takes a taste of quail to surrender, repent, and remember that God is indeed, in charge.  Only then would they remember {zakar:  to mark, to make mention.} {This story reads really well in Numbers chapter 11 where we find that God strikes down those that craved the meat and the people later named that camp "Kibroth Hattaavah" which means "graves of craving."  Man, I don't know if I wanted to know that.  What am I craving that might lead to some sort of death?}

"Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?"

The point of it all is this:  God had already spread them a banqueting table.  They had all they needed.  They simply weren't content with it anymore.  They were looking ahead instead of being satisfied with their present and daily allowance.

Lord, create in us minds and hearts that choose to worship and remember your acts of goodness towards us.  When we see roots of discontentment creeping up, let us hack away at them until only peace and gratefulness are left.