Mannaburgers and Roast Quail

Ex. 16:1-15; Phil. 2:14,15

Even though Thanksgiving is about food for most Americans, it tends not to be a time for culinary adventures. Most of us tend to go for the tried and true when it comes to turkey and pumpkin pie. In fact, last week I heard someone describing how the family gets on his dad for experimenting with new stuff at Thanksgiving.

This morning's story is all about food. But it comes out of the desert wanderings of God's people. Wilderness and desert do not sound like a context for cooking. By the way, 70 percent of the Bible story takes place in the context of wilderness. But this morning's Scripture is about creative Israeli cooks who hatched up a dish they might have called "Quail a la manna." In Hebrew fast-food places, I wonder if they didn't market mannaburgers. You could get your mannaburgers with or without roast quail.

The Hebrew people are on their long march between Egypt and the land of Canaan. God gives them a wonderful experience of deliverance from bondage in Egypt. They walk through the sea on dry land, while Pharaoh's army is swallowed up in water. They celebrate with singing and dancing. We read about it in Exodus 15.

But euphoria quickly turns to complaint. The mob of ex-slaves pitch camp at Marah, where the water is bitter. God intervenes and sweetens the bitter waters.

Elim, the next stopping place, is a desert oasis with springs, palm trees and blue skies.

I wonder if Elim didn't have swimming pools, tennis courts, golf courses, gourmet restaurants—sort of like a Middle Eastern Palm Springs. It's everything tired hikers in the desert could ask for.

But God doesn't let the Hebrews settle for long at the resort-like Elim. God makes them move out into the Desert of Sin. What an ominous-sounding name! What a hard place this is, the Desert of Sin! Sun beats down, absolutely no shade to rest in.

Water has to be rationed out. And worst of all, there is no food! "An army marches on its stomach" is an old saying. So no food is really bad news!

Pretty soon, from all corners of the Hebrew camp, you can hear gripe leaders go into action. Instead of cheer leaders, the Hebrews have gripe leaders. Soon, a chorus of complaint becomes a murmuring through the mob.

"Where do our leaders, Moses and Aaron, think they're taking us? Look, we were at that wonderful place, Elim. Why couldn't we stay there longer? Instead, we had to march out into this God-forsaken desert, where there's no shade, no water, no food."

Some begin to grumble: "Man, remember what it was like in good old Egypt? Remember the meat and fish and wonderful veggies of Egypt? It would have been better to die as slaves in Egypt than starve as free people in the desert. Moses and Aaron have brought us out here to starve to death. Down with Moses and Aaron!"