Reading through Numbers 11 today. *Mindblown*. Where to begin?
Okay, let's set the stage here: the Israelites are following a visual manifestation of God through the wilderness. He has given them clear instructions, He is providing for them, and life is good, right? Well, maybe not for some. In verses 1-3, we see how some of the Israelites "complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes". Wow. My first thought was, how dumb do you have to be? But I guess we do this all the time, when you really stop and think about it. We just can't see Him while we're doing it. "God, if You just gave me this, I'd be happy. If You would just do this for me, my life would be complete. Lord, how could You allow this to happen to me?" We sound like spoiled brats! And it never bothers us that we're saying and thinking these things in front of the God of this world, who is gracious to provide us with our next breath! Anyway, these Israelites are complaining and God hears them, and He is ANGRY. He burns them and part of the camp! Our first reaction a lot of times would be to say that's not fair, or a loving God wouldn't do that. But the truth is, He can do whatever He wants, and because we know that He is good and just, it's perfectly fair. Our understanding of "fair" is so far below God's that it's not even funny. To me, the fact that these guys (and maybe girls, too) were complaining about how terrible their lives were in front of the God who had freed them from bondage, provided them food daily (we'll get to that in a minute), and is protecting them and guiding them through the wilderness is ample evidence that their hearts were not inclined towards God. It isn't like these were "good" men (I mean, we're all born sinners, right?), and they didn't deserve any of God's graciousness - but they did deserve punishment for their sin, and that's what they got. I feel like just those three verses ought to make us mindful of our thoughts and attitudes towards both the blessings and the "misfortunes" in our lives. If we truly believe that God is in control, how can we complain about anything? And trust me, I'm the chief of sinners here, so I'm not judging you for doing it. I'm just saying we should all be a little more mindful of it. Especially in light of what comes next...
In verses 4-14, we see how this ungrateful spirit has spread throughout the camp. Moses now has a ton of people complaining that they don't have meat. They aren't satisfied with the MANNA COMING FROM HEAVEN every day. But wait, before we are quite so harsh on the Israelites, I did a little research on the description of manna given here. It says that it was like coriander seeds. Now, it doesn't say if that means the taste (which would be sort of a lemony, citrusy flavor), or the appearance, or the smell, or what. Then it says it has the appearance of bdellium. I looked that up. Apparently, bdellium is a gum that comes from a tree. It looks like this:
I'll admit, that doesn't seem very appetizing, especially if you're eating it every day. And the taste was supposed to be like cakes baked with oil. Now, I freely admit that I don't know what that means. It doesn't sound so bad to me, but I guess if I was eating cake every single day for every single meal, maybe I would get tired of it, too. However, I think the problem here is not that they were tired of the taste or the appearance or whatever. If that were the case, why couldn't one of them have prayed and said, "Can you make the manna taste like chicken today?" Instead, I think the problem is the heart behind the grumbling. They weren't satisfied with God's provision for them. They didn't want to alter what He was giving them (which maybe would have been bad enough on its own), and they didn't graciously ask for something else. Instead, they wanted something entirely different from what He was offering and they complained about it, even going so far as to say that they missed Egypt, where they could eat what they want (remember, Egypt, where they were slaves? I mean, really, come on, guys!)! You know why we can sort of identify with them, though? Because we do the same thing. God blesses us with a home, but we want a bigger, better, more expensive one in a classier neighborhood. God blesses us with a car that runs and gets us from Point A to Point B, but we want the newest model. God blesses us with a job, but we want a higher-paying, more influential one. He blesses us with a spouse, but we wish they were just different - more like us. He blesses us with children, but we want our "alone time" and wish they'd just go entertain themselves (that's right, I called us out on that one - including myself some days!). Do you see the folly behind this? Who are we to question what God gives us? We should be grateful, since we don't deserve any of it! Does that mean that you can't pray for God to bless you with a new home when you're in a financial position to be able to afford it and are considering whether to move or not? Does that mean you can't ask Him to allow you to get that promotion you applied for if it's in His will? Of course not! But do you see the difference? In the last two cases, you're not complaining about what you already have, you're seeking His guidance on what to do next.
Then we see God being gracious in verses 16-30. I don't know if this is the intent or not, but to me, it seems like Moses is being a little whiny. I mean, I can't imagine the weight for the people of Israel that he has on his shoulders (so thankful I'm not a pastor - you men are to be greatly esteemed for what you do!), but it almost comes off like he's being disrespectful and short-tempered with God. If Cole spoke to me like that, there would certainly be a punishment in his little future! And yet, God is gracious, and instead, gives Moses what he asks for - elders to help him carry the weight of the nation of Israel, men to serve alongside him so that he doesn't have to do it alone (elders, here's your "shout out" - thank you for your service, too!). And here's where Moses' heart is different: When his assistant tries to guard Moses' position, for lack of a better description, Moses instead wishes that all the people were prophets and had the Spirit upon them! See, he's not shrugging off his burden, he knows God has given it to him. He doesn't ask God to take away what He's given to Moses and replace it with something else; he's asking for assistance with it when he knows he's reached his breaking point. Can you see the difference between the attitude of Moses and that of the Israelites?
Finally, God answers the complaints of the Israelites in verses 31-35. I feel like this is one of those "be careful what you wish for" moments. God sends a huge quantity of quail. It's everywhere, covering everything. Now, imagine the people who were complaining running out and joyously grabbing up all that they could carry and then starting to shovel it in their mouths. Nowhere in this passage does it say that they offered any thanks to God. Also, they didn't just gather enough for one day, like they did with the manna. It says that the ones who gathered the least gathered 6 bushels!! They gathered for two days and a night! What are they going to do with all that? They've complained about God's blessings, they've ignored Him when He gives them what they want, and because their foolish hearts are so darkened by sin, God gives them more than they bargained for. Anyone who had eaten the meat was struck with a deadly plague. Notice, God was gracious in that He didn't strike down the entire nation. He made a distinction, it appears, between the ones who had complained and hardened their hearts against Him and the ones who didn't. To put a finer point on this, look at the name they gave the place where they buried the plague victims: Kibroth-hattaavah, which means graves of craving. These people weren't just hungry for something different; they were lusting after it. A craving consumes your thoughts (anyone who's ever been pregnant can tell you that), leaving not much room for anything else. They let this craving for meat take over their thoughts, leaving no room for God. Do we do this? Do we allow our lust for things of this world to overtake our desire to honor Christ? Do we let it blind us to His graciousness? I hope not, because I know from now on, I'm going to be very mindful of my attitude toward His blessings!
Lord, I praise You for being my Provider. I thank You that You are gracious to me even in the midst of discipline. I ask Your forgiveness for the times when Your bounty hasn't been enough for me, when I've been craving something that wasn't given to me or wasn't meant for me. I ask forgiveness for my hardhearted grumbling and complaining when I don't get what I want, and I ask you to remove that spirit from me. Cut it out like a cancer, Lord, so that it can't grow and consume me. I want to be wholly Yours, seeking Your wisdom and not demanding Your blessings as though I deserve something from You. Guard my heart against ungratefulness. In Your name I ask these things, amen.
Okay, let's set the stage here: the Israelites are following a visual manifestation of God through the wilderness. He has given them clear instructions, He is providing for them, and life is good, right? Well, maybe not for some. In verses 1-3, we see how some of the Israelites "complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes". Wow. My first thought was, how dumb do you have to be? But I guess we do this all the time, when you really stop and think about it. We just can't see Him while we're doing it. "God, if You just gave me this, I'd be happy. If You would just do this for me, my life would be complete. Lord, how could You allow this to happen to me?" We sound like spoiled brats! And it never bothers us that we're saying and thinking these things in front of the God of this world, who is gracious to provide us with our next breath! Anyway, these Israelites are complaining and God hears them, and He is ANGRY. He burns them and part of the camp! Our first reaction a lot of times would be to say that's not fair, or a loving God wouldn't do that. But the truth is, He can do whatever He wants, and because we know that He is good and just, it's perfectly fair. Our understanding of "fair" is so far below God's that it's not even funny. To me, the fact that these guys (and maybe girls, too) were complaining about how terrible their lives were in front of the God who had freed them from bondage, provided them food daily (we'll get to that in a minute), and is protecting them and guiding them through the wilderness is ample evidence that their hearts were not inclined towards God. It isn't like these were "good" men (I mean, we're all born sinners, right?), and they didn't deserve any of God's graciousness - but they did deserve punishment for their sin, and that's what they got. I feel like just those three verses ought to make us mindful of our thoughts and attitudes towards both the blessings and the "misfortunes" in our lives. If we truly believe that God is in control, how can we complain about anything? And trust me, I'm the chief of sinners here, so I'm not judging you for doing it. I'm just saying we should all be a little more mindful of it. Especially in light of what comes next...
In verses 4-14, we see how this ungrateful spirit has spread throughout the camp. Moses now has a ton of people complaining that they don't have meat. They aren't satisfied with the MANNA COMING FROM HEAVEN every day. But wait, before we are quite so harsh on the Israelites, I did a little research on the description of manna given here. It says that it was like coriander seeds. Now, it doesn't say if that means the taste (which would be sort of a lemony, citrusy flavor), or the appearance, or the smell, or what. Then it says it has the appearance of bdellium. I looked that up. Apparently, bdellium is a gum that comes from a tree. It looks like this:
I'll admit, that doesn't seem very appetizing, especially if you're eating it every day. And the taste was supposed to be like cakes baked with oil. Now, I freely admit that I don't know what that means. It doesn't sound so bad to me, but I guess if I was eating cake every single day for every single meal, maybe I would get tired of it, too. However, I think the problem here is not that they were tired of the taste or the appearance or whatever. If that were the case, why couldn't one of them have prayed and said, "Can you make the manna taste like chicken today?" Instead, I think the problem is the heart behind the grumbling. They weren't satisfied with God's provision for them. They didn't want to alter what He was giving them (which maybe would have been bad enough on its own), and they didn't graciously ask for something else. Instead, they wanted something entirely different from what He was offering and they complained about it, even going so far as to say that they missed Egypt, where they could eat what they want (remember, Egypt, where they were slaves? I mean, really, come on, guys!)! You know why we can sort of identify with them, though? Because we do the same thing. God blesses us with a home, but we want a bigger, better, more expensive one in a classier neighborhood. God blesses us with a car that runs and gets us from Point A to Point B, but we want the newest model. God blesses us with a job, but we want a higher-paying, more influential one. He blesses us with a spouse, but we wish they were just different - more like us. He blesses us with children, but we want our "alone time" and wish they'd just go entertain themselves (that's right, I called us out on that one - including myself some days!). Do you see the folly behind this? Who are we to question what God gives us? We should be grateful, since we don't deserve any of it! Does that mean that you can't pray for God to bless you with a new home when you're in a financial position to be able to afford it and are considering whether to move or not? Does that mean you can't ask Him to allow you to get that promotion you applied for if it's in His will? Of course not! But do you see the difference? In the last two cases, you're not complaining about what you already have, you're seeking His guidance on what to do next.
Then we see God being gracious in verses 16-30. I don't know if this is the intent or not, but to me, it seems like Moses is being a little whiny. I mean, I can't imagine the weight for the people of Israel that he has on his shoulders (so thankful I'm not a pastor - you men are to be greatly esteemed for what you do!), but it almost comes off like he's being disrespectful and short-tempered with God. If Cole spoke to me like that, there would certainly be a punishment in his little future! And yet, God is gracious, and instead, gives Moses what he asks for - elders to help him carry the weight of the nation of Israel, men to serve alongside him so that he doesn't have to do it alone (elders, here's your "shout out" - thank you for your service, too!). And here's where Moses' heart is different: When his assistant tries to guard Moses' position, for lack of a better description, Moses instead wishes that all the people were prophets and had the Spirit upon them! See, he's not shrugging off his burden, he knows God has given it to him. He doesn't ask God to take away what He's given to Moses and replace it with something else; he's asking for assistance with it when he knows he's reached his breaking point. Can you see the difference between the attitude of Moses and that of the Israelites?
Finally, God answers the complaints of the Israelites in verses 31-35. I feel like this is one of those "be careful what you wish for" moments. God sends a huge quantity of quail. It's everywhere, covering everything. Now, imagine the people who were complaining running out and joyously grabbing up all that they could carry and then starting to shovel it in their mouths. Nowhere in this passage does it say that they offered any thanks to God. Also, they didn't just gather enough for one day, like they did with the manna. It says that the ones who gathered the least gathered 6 bushels!! They gathered for two days and a night! What are they going to do with all that? They've complained about God's blessings, they've ignored Him when He gives them what they want, and because their foolish hearts are so darkened by sin, God gives them more than they bargained for. Anyone who had eaten the meat was struck with a deadly plague. Notice, God was gracious in that He didn't strike down the entire nation. He made a distinction, it appears, between the ones who had complained and hardened their hearts against Him and the ones who didn't. To put a finer point on this, look at the name they gave the place where they buried the plague victims: Kibroth-hattaavah, which means graves of craving. These people weren't just hungry for something different; they were lusting after it. A craving consumes your thoughts (anyone who's ever been pregnant can tell you that), leaving not much room for anything else. They let this craving for meat take over their thoughts, leaving no room for God. Do we do this? Do we allow our lust for things of this world to overtake our desire to honor Christ? Do we let it blind us to His graciousness? I hope not, because I know from now on, I'm going to be very mindful of my attitude toward His blessings!
Lord, I praise You for being my Provider. I thank You that You are gracious to me even in the midst of discipline. I ask Your forgiveness for the times when Your bounty hasn't been enough for me, when I've been craving something that wasn't given to me or wasn't meant for me. I ask forgiveness for my hardhearted grumbling and complaining when I don't get what I want, and I ask you to remove that spirit from me. Cut it out like a cancer, Lord, so that it can't grow and consume me. I want to be wholly Yours, seeking Your wisdom and not demanding Your blessings as though I deserve something from You. Guard my heart against ungratefulness. In Your name I ask these things, amen.
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guilty
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