What happened to Numbers 1-6? Well, that was the reading on the 28th and there wasn't a whole lot to say about it. So I'll start with the 29th!
Numbers is just that. Those first chapters were all about the number of people that God delivered from Egypt and their clans and offspring. It doesn't get 'juicy' until chapter 11. And here's how all the 'fun' starts:
1 Soon the people began to complain about their hardship, and the Lord heard everything they said. Then the Lord’s anger blazed against them, and he sent a fire to rage among them, and he destroyed some of the people in the outskirts of the camp. 2 Then the people screamed to Moses for help, and when he prayed to the Lord, the fire stopped.
A couple of interesting points here. When we complain, God hears every word. And no complaint, no matter how valid, is honoring to Him. When we complain we are basically stating that God somehow must not care about us or take care of us because of what we are going through. As I review these past few days, I realize I have done my share of complaining, and God, please forgive me. Help me to honor You with my words. The next point is that God hates complaints. His anger "blazed" against them and He sent a fire to rage against them. It was only because of Moses' prayer that His fierce anger relented. Next we see how the 'foreign rabble' that was traveling with them caused them to get their eyes off of the faithful provision of God:
4 Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt. And the people of Israel also began to complain. “Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed. 5 “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. 6 But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!”
And so, what happened. Did God empathize with their complaints? Did He 'see their point'? And how about Moses? You know, he reacted much like I react when I'm 'surrounded by complaints':
10 Moses heard all the families standing in the doorways of their tents whining, and the Lord became extremely angry. Moses was also very aggravated. 11 And Moses said to the Lord, “Why are you treating me, your servant, so harshly? Have mercy on me! What did I do to deserve the burden of all these people? 12 Did I give birth to them? Did I bring them into the world? Why did you tell me to carry them in my arms like a mother carries a nursing baby? How can I carry them to the land you swore to give their ancestors? 13 Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people? They keep whining to me, saying, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ 14 I can’t carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! 15 If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!”
Sounds like Moses was having a little pity party...woe is me.
16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Gather before me seventy men who are recognized as elders and leaders of Israel. Bring them to the Tabernacle to stand there with you. 17 I will come down and talk to you there. I will take some of the Spirit that is upon you, and I will put the Spirit upon them also. They will bear the burden of the people along with you, so you will not have to carry it alone.
But God heard and decided to help him out. So Moses' complaining was handled by God helping him, and the other people's complaining was handled by God killing them. What's the difference? I'm speculating here, but perhaps God was gracious to Moses because the best he knew how he was leading the people and doing what God told him to do. The people, on the other hand, did nothing but complain about their leadership and long for better days. And for them, God gave them what they wanted, but in another version it says "He gave them what they wanted, but sent leanness to their soul". I would much rather have a 'full soul' and not the external things.
18 “And say to the people, ‘Purify yourselves, for tomorrow you will have meat to eat. You were whining, and the Lordheard you when you cried, “Oh, for some meat! We were better off in Egypt!” Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will have to eat it. 19 And it won’t be for just a day or two, or for five or ten or even twenty. 20 You will eat it for a whole month until you gag and are sick of it. For you have rejected the Lord, who is here among you, and you have whined to him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’”
And then from the verses below, it looks as if the discouragement from the people got to Moses. It seems as if even he lost faith:
21 But Moses responded to the Lord, “There are 600,000 foot soldiers here with me, and yet you say, ‘I will give them meat for a whole month!’ 22 Even if we butchered all our flocks and herds, would that satisfy them? Even if we caught all the fish in the sea, would that be enough?”
23 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Has my arm lost its power? Now you will see whether or not my word comes true!”
And so God provided flocks and flocks of quail that flew a few feet off the ground. The Israelites were able to catch them. It says no one caught less than 50 bushels. That's a lot of meat! So even though God provided for them, but this next verse we see that He was still really 'ticked off' at them:
33 But while they were gorging themselves on the meat—while it was still in their mouths—the anger of the Lord blazed against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. 34 So that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah (which means “graves of gluttony”) because there they buried the people who had craved meat from Egypt.
This whole chapter is a good lesson for us, if we will heed it.
I love my meat, but is it worth my life? God has to help us get rid of our baggage. We would be far to heavy in life if all we carried were our creature comforts. That was Israel's problem, they wanted what they had, forgetting that there would be blessings in the future. we must look ahead, live through the challenges of now, and get to our calling.
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