We miss our cucumbers

Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. Then the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire was quenched. So he called the name of the place Taberah, because the fire of the Lord had burned among them. Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” – Numbers 11.1-6

The Israelites were a fickle bunch. When things went well they rejoiced and followed God happily. When things went poorly they complained and blamed God.

Yet again here they find themselves in trouble. Their sorry attitudes have brought God’s wrath but instead of confession and repentance we see complaining and rebellion.

‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt Moses? We had it so much better in Egypt! We had all we wanted. All we have now is this manna! We want our cucumbers!’

They looked back to a time when they were slaves – with longing in their hearts! They wished they had never been delivered from Egypt.


I hope we never go that far – but don’t we find ourselves far too often looking back to the things God has delivered us from? Freed from sin as our master we choose to go back to the draws of the world. We miss our cucumbers of fleshliness. Not content with what God gives us we want more.

The people of Israel were not content with what God gave them. They wanted to be slaves again just to satisfy their desires. How sad when we do the same.