Two and a half months after leaving Egypt, the people protest. The harshness of the desert and the lack of minimal “securities” and “comforts” they had in Egypt seem to explain why the Israelites erupted in an angry protest against their leaders. One would expect the Lord’s reaction to this riot to be anger, but his response is calm and peaceful: there will be food for everyone every day. Moreover, he provides provisions and commands to see if the people will fulfill them or not. This chapter, along with 15:22-27 and 17:1-7, is a “programmatic” text; that is, it describes the life project that the people must adopt and helps shape our own personal and collective conscience.
Although the desert has physical characteristics—the people had to cross a real desert—it also holds symbolic significance as the space and time where the slave mentality of Egypt must disappear, allowing a new being to emerge, a creature whose conscience and mentality will be formed according to the Law of the Lord. It is vital to establish a place of conscience in the desert, one that is most suitable for both individuals and the group. The Lord’s commands are not the whims of a tyrant; they are a way for a human being to discover themselves, embrace their freedom, and cultivate relationships with others and creation. The desert, as a place of conscience, is the only path to experiencing the benefits of freedom, solidarity, and justice.