The people saw God's wrath upon Egypt and rejoiced in their deliverance. They did not take long before complaints began to come in. Even after God was forced to punish them in the desert, the people still flattered Him with their mouths and lied with their tongues (Psalm 78:36-37). Their hearts were not steadfast and, they were not true to the covenant that they agreed to.

If people can act this way toward an Almighty God who had given them so much, is it any wonder we see so much of this in our society today among humans? Flattery and lies seem to be a set of tools that we all possess and use at will. It is bad enough between humans, but it is beyond belief toward a loving and generous God. Before we condemn the Israelites, though, let us pause to ask how we are doing in this area. If these are tools that we use, the time has come to lay them aside and take up the tools God provides. Honest words, spoken from a sincere heart are what please God. You cannot fool Him.