Saint Anthony, Abbot (Memorial)
Harden not your hearts as at Meribah. (Psalm 95:8)
Just the mention of the name Meribah was enough to trigger the Israelites’ memories. The prophets, the psalms, and even today’s reading from Hebrews recall this place, so it must be important. What happened there?
The word meribah means quarrel, and that’s what the Israelites had been doing. God had delivered them from Egypt and brought them to safety by parting the Red Sea for them. Now they were wandering in the desert, thirsty. So they grumbled. Their protests grew so strong, in fact, that Moses began to fear for his life. But God answered them. He commanded Moses to strike a rock with his staff, and an abundant supply of water gushed out.
It may seem that the Israelites were being chided for complaining against the Lord, but more was going on than just grumbling. The people began doubting the goodness of the One who had just rescued them. “Is the Lord in our midst or not?” they demanded (Exodus 17:7). They lost sight of what God had already done for them, and that led them to harden their hearts against him.
That’s why the psalmist urged the people to recall Meribah: not as a condemnation, but as a remembrance of God’s closeness: I was suffering in bondage in Egypt, but the Lord heard my cries and delivered me. I walked on dry ground through the Red Sea. The Lord gave me manna and quail in the desert. Like the pillar of cloud by day and fire at night, these memories could assure the people that God had not abandoned them at all.
We all have times when we start to doubt that God is really with us. It’s especially at those times that we need to make the effort to remember how he has already worked in our lives. Do you remember that time when you had just moved into a new area, and a neighbor came to greet you warmly? Or when you felt God’s presence as you looked at your new grandchild? Or that time when you were able to forgive a slight that would have normally upset you?
Remember God’s works. Remember his presence. Then, harden not your heart.
“Lord, bring to my mind all the ways you have been with me through the years. I believe you are in my midst.”
Hebrews 3:7-14
Mark 1:40-45
