The first ten chapters of Numbers are focused on God’s presence and the Israelites’ obedience. On the third day of their journey to the Promised Land, we’d expect more of the same. Instead of joy over the nearness of their destination, we find intense complaining.
Now when the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, the Lord heard it, and his anger was kindled. Then the fire of the Lord burned against them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp (Numbers 11:1).
How could such a transition take place? How could people who daily experienced the glory of the Lord so quickly turn to grumbling against Him?
Rudy Ross believes that they were under attack from the devil. Rudy is right.
When we look at world events and the bad behavior of humans, we need to remind ourselves of Paul’s observation, “All have and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
The root cause of grumbling against God is the belief that God doesn’t have our best interests at heart. Hauling God to the “complaint department” reflects humanity’s conviction that God either doesn’t care or is unable to come to our aid.
Scholars suggest that the fire of the Lord that burned against the people was possibly lightning. Whatever the cause, the people appealed to Moses to intercede. Moses prayed, and God graciously quenched the fire.
Complaints about Menu Items
We don’t have a timeline to determine when the next issue arose, but the Israelites were not finished complaining about their situation. This time, they grumbled over the lack of tasty items on God’s menu.
The camp followers with them had a strong craving, and the Israelites also wept again and said, “If only we had meat to eat!
We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic, but now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at” (Numbers 11:4-6).
Ronald Allen describes the “camp followers” of verse 4 as “rabble.” He believes they were Egyptians who traveled with the Israelites in their Exodus from Egypt.
The “strong cravings” of the rabble were the source of their problems with God’s provision of food. James gets to the heart of “cravings” in his letter.
But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it; then, when desire has conceived, it engenders sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death (James 1:14-15).
An interesting study would be to trace the connection between food and cravings in the Bible.
You’ll remember the first couple’s desire for the food that would give them knowledge that God prohibited. Another example is Esau and how he sold his birthright for a bowl of stew. I’m sure there are more examples, but these are two that come to mind.
Craving causes us to murmur against God and/or to turn to substitutes for God to give us what we want. John Oswalt teaches that the insistence of humans to obtain what they want is the root cause of idolatry.
When we are pleasure or needs-centered instead of faith-in-God centered, we will turn away from God to satisfy our cravings.
Moses’ Prayer
Moses heard the complaints of the rabble and turned to God in what Allen calls “The Moses Lament.”
So Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me?
Did I conceive all this people? Did I give birth to them, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom as a wet nurse carries a nursing child, to the land that you promised on oath to their ancestors’?
Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they come weeping to me, saying, ‘Give us meat to eat!’
I am not able to carry all this people alone, for they are too heavy for me.
(If this is the way you are going to treat me, put me to death at once—if I have found favor in your sight—and do not let me see my misery” (Numbers 11:11-15).
Hebrews tells us: “Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
No one can accuse Moses of being timid before God. He came boldly to God, because he and the Israelites needed God’s grace in their time of need.
Reflections
Over the next few days, blog articles and YouTube videos will feature the disobedience and unbelief of God’s chosen people. Very few verses in these Bible passages will be found on greeting cards or refrigerator magnets.
Even though the Bible stories are hard to read, they have led me to examine my life. Here are a couple of things I’m considering.
- How frequently do I live without gratitude and faith?
- How quickly do I turn to substitutes for God when I don’t get what I want?
- In what way do my cravings for variety in what I eat reflect overall desires that lead me away from devotion to God?
- What does my prayer life reflect about my love for God and His people?
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 