April 12

Soon the people began to complain about their hardship in the hearing of the LORD, and when He heard them, His anger was kindled, and fire from the LORD blazed among them and consumed the outskirts of the camp. — Num 11:1 BSB

There’s a remarkable phrase in the book of Numbers describing the murmuring of the children of Israel in the wilderness: "When the people, as it were, murmured." Like many marginal readings, this one reveals a deeper truth.

It brings to mind many situations where people don’t dare to sin openly, but they do it "as it were." They don’t lie outright but evade or imply enough falsehood to escape conviction. They don’t directly accuse God of unkindness or unfaithfulness but take subtle jabs at Him through complaints about circumstances or others. They murmur "as it were," stopping just short of directly charging God.

These things were written for our warning.