The Priest: Aaron by Francine Rivers

out of Egypt only one month and fifteen days ago, and it seemed years. They walked through the arid land, hungry and thirsty, vacillating between the dream of the Promised Land and the reality of hardship in getting there.
    The Egyptians traveling among the people stirred up more complaints. “Oh, that we were back in Egypt!” a woman cried. “It would have been better if the Lord had killed us there! At least there we had plenty to eat.”
    “Do you remember how we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted?” Her companion tore off a bit of unleavened bread and chewed it with distaste. “This stuff is awful!”
    The men were more direct in their rebellion. Aaron could not go anywhere without hearing someone say, “You and your brother have brought us into this desert to starve us to death!”
    When the Lord spoke to Moses again, Aaron rejoiced. With Moses, he carried the message to the people, speaking before gatherings of the tribes. “The Lord is about to rain down food from heaven for you! You are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way, the Lord will test us to see if we will follow His instructions. On the sixth day, you are to pick up twice as much as usual. In the evening you will realize that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt. In the morning you will see the glorious presence of the Lord. He has heard your complaints, which are against the Lord and not against us!”
    When Aaron looked out toward the desert, the glory of the Lord shone in the cloud. The people huddled together in fear, silent as Moses raised his hands. “The Lord will give you meat to eat in the evening and bread in the morning, for He has heard all your complaints against Him. Yes, your complaints are against the Lord, not against us!”
    And so it was. When the sun began to set, quail flew into the camp, thousands upon thousands of them. Aaron laughed as he watched his grandchildren run and catch birds and bring them to their mothers. Before the stars shone, the camp smelled of roasting meat.
    Stomach full, Aaron slept well that night. He did not have dreams of the people stoning him or his bag spilling out sand instead of water. He awakened to people’s voices. “What is it?” When he went outside his tent, he saw the ground covered with flakes like frost, white like coriander seed. He put a few pieces to his mouth. “It tastes like wafers with honey.”
    “Manna? What is it?”
    “It is the bread God promised you. It is the bread of heaven.” Had they expected loaves to rain down on them? “Remember! Collect only what you need for the day. No more than that. The Lord is testing us.” Aaron took a jar and went out with his sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren. Miriam shooed the family along.
    Moses squatted beside Aaron. “Fill another jar and place it before the Lord to be kept for the generations to come.”
    When they set out again, they traveled from place to place in the desert, and the people complained again because they were thirsty. Each time their wants were not immediately met, they grew louder and more angry. When they camped at Rephidim, their frustration overflowed.
    “Why are we camped here in this forsaken place?”
    “There is no water here!”
    “Where is the land of milk and honey you promised us!?”
    “Why do we listen to these men? We have done nothing but suffer since we left Egypt!”
    “At least in Egypt we had food to eat and water to drink.”
    “And we lived in houses rather than tents!”
    Aaron could not silence their fears with words, nor cool their anger. He was afraid for Moses’ life, and his own, for the people grew more demanding with each miracle the Lord performed.
    “Why are you arguing with me?” Moses pointed to the cloud. “And why are you testing the Lord?”
    “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt? To make us and our livestock die of thirst?”
    Aaron hated their ingratitude. “The Lord is providing bread for