The Folly of Impatience
Henry, Matthew Numbers 14:4 And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. 1. It was the greatest folly in the world to wish themselves in Egypt, or to think if they were there it would be better with them than it was. If they durst not go forward to Canaan, yet better be as they were than go back to Egypt. What did they want? What had they to complain of? They had plenty, and peace, and rest; were under a good government, had good company, had the tokens of God's presence with them, and enough to make them easy even in the wilderness, if they had but hearts to be content. But whither were they thus fond to go to mend themselves? To Egypt! Had they so soon forgot the sore bondage they were in there? Like brute beasts, they mind only that which is present, and their memories, with the other powers of reason, are sacrificed to their passions.(Psalm 106:7). We find it threatened (Deuteronomy 28:68) as the completing of their misery, that they should be brought into Egypt again, and yet that is it they here wish for. Sinners are enemies to themselves, and those that walk not in God's counsels consult their own mischief and ruin. 2. It was a most senseless, ridiculous thing to talk of returning thither through the wilderness. Could they expect that God's cloud would lead them or His manna attend them? (1) The folly of discontent and impatience under the crosses of our outward condition. But is there any place or condition in this world that has not something in it to make us uneasy if we are disposed to be so? The way to better our condition is to get our spirits into a better frame. (2) The folly of apostacy from the ways of God. Heaven is the Canaan set before us, a land flowing with milk and honey: those that bring up ever so ill report of it cannot but say that it is indeed a good land, only it is hard to get to it. ( Matthew Henry, D. D..) Parallel Verses KJV: And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. WEB: They said one to another, "Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt."