These people were traveling through the wilderness, on the heels of a great victory. They had just in the previous chapter been singing glorious praises of thanksgiving to God for the victory and freedom he had wrought for them. They had not contributed to their own freedom. They had simply marched out of Egypt after God went before them and destroyed the land for their sakes. (Exo_10:7) They had not warred against Egypt. They had not fought themselves. They had hid in their houses while their God went forth in fury and wrath upon this place. But even in his judgment on Egypt he had shown mercy to the Egyptians who would fear him. He had been faithful to send warning every time before he did anything. He wanted them to know what was coming.

Now they are traveling through the wilderness, a free people, having been loosed from an idolatrous society. But the idolatry was still in their hearts. They had been heavily influenced by their four hundred thirty years in Egypt. They carried little images, little idols out of Egypt with them when they left and God knew this. Eze_20:8; Amo_5:26; Act_7:43;

Here is a people who had been horribly used and mistreated by their Egyptian slave masters. They had been enslaved, forced to hard labor. Perhaps they had seen the idols of Egypt and envied the Egyptians' beauty and prosperity. Their cities were grand, their appearance exotic. Their idols appeared attractive. Mostly of gold. Too numerous to consider them all. And to the Israelite people Egypt appeared to be a prosperous, wealthy land, full of rich and beautiful people. Surely, they believed the idolatry they saw practiced was responsible. They had the history handed down to them of some long ago time when Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had known somebody named God. How Joseph had saved his family by leading them to this prosperous land. But after hundreds of years of living in this land, being prospered, influenced by the idolatry, and growing strong until the Egyptians themselves became fearful and suspicious of them, and then turned on them. This was the working of God. He turned the Egyptians hearts away from them. He could never liberate a people who did not want to be freed. He had to make sure they were not comfortable in their idolatrous Egypt so he could take them out of there and into a better place, and make a glorious testimony out of them. Psa_105:24-25, and in the process, he showed the futility of the gods of Egypt.

And then he sent Moses and Aaron to deliver them a word, a hope set before the people of freedom that had been promised. That the time of the visitation Joseph had prophesied was here. Gen_50:25. Deliverance was at hand. The enemy knew it and he stepped up the hard labor and the abuse. He determined to make it so much harder on them that they would not believe Moses or God. But God triumphed, and spoiled the Egyptians, he led his people out free, wealthy, and victorious. And there was nothing anyone could do to stop him from liberating his people. With the plagues he sent, he showed the vulnerability and uselessness of the idols of Egypt. He put on display openly their powerlessness. But people, in their hardened hearts refused to recognize the truth God laid so plainly out in front of them. They refused to acknowledge the mercy he even showed the Egyptians. He warned before the plagues came. Before he sent the hail, he warned them to get their animals and servants out of the fields. Those that feared God did and were spared. Those who regarded not the word of the Lord were destroyed. Exo_9:17-21;

So soon upon the heels of such great demonstrations of God's power, ability, and love for these people, do they go murmuring and complaining. They have a twisted view of Egypt in their hearts. They look back, and talk about the flesh pots of Egypt. How soon they forgot the misery they had known in Egypt. The Lord is so patient with them. He sends them bread from heaven. Angels' food. Psa_78:25