They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily." So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, "At evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against the LORD. For what are we, that you grumble against us?" And Moses said, "When the LORD gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the LORD has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him--what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD."
Exodus 16:1-8
Another point that must be noted here is that Moses and Aaron became the butt of Israel's complaining. But Moses is shrewd as well as faithful in pointing out the real issue to them; their quarrel was not with him, but with the Lord. One recalls the trenchant words of C.S. Lewis written to explode the fallacy of supposing there is any difference of view between the teaching of Paul and that of Jesus. He says, in words of wide application: 'In the earlier history of every rebellion there is a stage at which you do not yet attack the King in person. You say: "The King is all right. It is his ministers who are wrong. They misrepresent him and corrupt all his plans - which, I'm sure, are good plans if only the ministers would let them take effect …". And the first victory consists of beheading a few ministers: only at a later stage do you go on and behead the King himself'. This is also something that is worth an honest look by those who react to and resist the ministry of the Word. It is easy to criticise the man, but this should not be allowed to deceive anyone. It certainly does not deceive God! The truly astounding thing, however, in all this, is that in face of the bitter, peevish spirit of the people, God came to them with messages of grace and promise of provision (4, 7, 8). Nothing could magnify the meaning of grace more beautifully than this - undeserved love and favour. God loves us not because we are lovable, but because He is love. This is the unaccountable God of the Scriptures.