By nature, humans desire something they cannot have: total freedom. The people of Israel wanted total freedom. They wanted the freedom to ignore the directives that God had given. As a result, the early history of Israel tended to be a turbulent time, with many ups and downs. Their story reminds us that miracles are not a necessary element for building faith. The Israelites of Moses' generation saw more miracles than anyone, yet they still rebelled against God.