The Skeptics Annotated Bible (458 page)

13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.

14 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.

16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

17 And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.

18 And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.

19 Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

20 Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?

21 Therefore
the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled
against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;

22
Because they believed not in God
, and trusted not in his salvation:

(78.21-22)
“The LORD heard this and was wroth: so a fire was kindled … because they believed not in God.”

23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,

24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.

25
Man did eat angels’ food
: he sent them meat to the full.

(78.25) “Man did eat angels’ food.”

26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.

27
He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:

(78.27) “He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea.” See Numbers 11.20-32, where God sends quails to feed the Israelites until it literally came out their noses.

28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.

29 So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;

30 They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,

(78.31-34) God killed many of the Israelites for not believing in “his wondrous works.” (Numbers 11.33)

31
The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them
, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

(78.31)
“The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them.”

32
For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works
.

(78.32) “For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.”

33
Therefore
their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

34 When
he slew them
, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.

(78.33-34)
“Therefore … he slew them.”

35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.

36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.

37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.

38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.

39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!

41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

42 They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.

43 How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:

44 And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.

45 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

46 He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.

47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.

48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.