The Greatest Generation (?)

The rabbis of the Talmudic age called the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness a golden age in Israel's history. Look at the faith they had. Look at the miracles God did for them. Really? Weren't they called a stiff-necked people? Didn't they complain about lack of water, lack of food, boring manna, their inability to take the land? Didn't they worship the molten calf? This is a generation worth emulating?

Ah, how quick we are to point out their faults and not see our own. Sure, they had God's presence among them with the pillar cloud and fire. And yes, God provided them with their daily manna. Suppose you had to eat the same thing every day of the year not just for a week or a month but for forty years. I imagine it would get old very quick. When water is hard to come by, as it is in the wilderness, what else can we think about except water? When no water is in sight for miles and miles and our children look to us and ask for drink, what can we do? Who would not feel despair? When our leader is gone for forty days and we have no idea if he's coming back, what are we to do? Should we stay? Should we go? What's our sign?

The praise is due to the wilderness generation not because they failed. Every generation fails. Every generation could do better. The praise is due because they persevered. They kept going despite the hardships and doubt and fear. Because of that generation that came out of Egypt and received the Torah and taught it to their children, their children were blessed with being able to inherit the land. And each generation since owes a huge debt to those who stood at Sinai and experienced God's awesome power and glory.