Read Numbers 11:1-35.

Note: Ten homers are approximately 60 bushels, or 2.2 kiloliters.

Introduction⤒🔗

Have you ever been dissatisfied with what the Lord has seen fit to give you?

Have you ever cried out to Him in complaint and requested, or even demanded, that He give you what you desired?

Have you ever had such a prayer answered, only to find that together with the fulfillment of your request, the LORD also gave you more than you expected? That something “more” proved to be the bitter consequence of your unwise, and sinful, request?

That is what we find happening to the people of Israel.

When the people of Israel wailed in self-pity and protest, the LORD gave them what they wanted­ and something more:

¹⁸Say to the people: Consecrate yourselves [in preparation] for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. You have wailed in the ears of the LORD, crying, ‘Who will give us meat to eat? We were better off in Egypt!’ Therefore, the LORD will give you meat, and you will eat it... ³³While the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the LORD was aroused against the people and he struck them with a very severe plague. Num. 11:18,33

Whenever we allow ourselves to wallow in self-pity and display contempt for the way in which He is dealing with us, we arouse the LORD’s righteous anger against us. Do not entertain a spirit of self-pity and complaint against the LORD, or else you may provoke His righteous indignation and cause Him to take action against you.

Don’t Entertain a Spirit of Self-Pity and Complaint, Which Can be Incited by the World←⤒🔗

Numbers 11:4b tells us that the people of Israel developed a craving for meat, “Who will give us meat to eat?” They began to think back to “the good old days” in Egypt where they ate an abundance of fish, as well as cucumbers, melons and onions (vs. 5). As they dwelt upon their desire for meat and recalled the variety of food they had back in Egypt, they became dissatisfied with the LORD’s present provision for them. They lost their taste for the manna, even though it was nourishing and in ample quantity and very good (vs. 6-9).

Verse four indicates that the foreigners who were among them stimulated this dissatisfaction on the part of Israel. Apparently, there were some Egyptians or, possibly, some other foreign peoples who likewise had been under Egyptian subjugation, who attached themselves to Israel at the time of the Exodus. Note that Exodus 12:38 states, “Many other people went up with them [out of Egypt].” These people now begin to yearn for what they had in Egypt, and they stimulate Israel to adopt a spirit of self-pity and complaint: “the children of Israel wept again” (vs. 4). This complaining is becoming habitual. Recall back to Exodus 16:2-3, which recorded their complaint against Moses,

The whole congregation of the children of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. ³The children of Israel said to them, 'We wish that we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat around the pots of meat, when we ate bread and were full. You have brought us into this wilderness in order to kill this whole assembly with hunger!'

Scripture cautions us that it is possible for Christian people to be incited to self-pity and complaint by observing the world around us:

But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold, because I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. ⁴They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. ⁵They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills... ¹²This is what the wicked are like—always carefree, they increase in wealth. ¹³Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. Psl. 73:2-6,12-13

You have said, 'It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD of hosts? ¹⁵But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape.' Mal. 3:14-15

When we are tempted to entertain an attitude of self-pity and complaint because of what we see in the people of the world, what is the antidote?

First, in the light of God’s truth, consider their final outcome:

When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me, ¹⁷until I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. ¹⁸Surely, you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. ¹⁹How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! ²⁰As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies... ²⁷Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. Psl. 73:16­-20,27

Second, consider what you have as a Christian and the future God has prepared for you:

Yet I am always with you, you hold me by my right hand. ²⁴You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. ²⁵Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is no one on earth that I desire beside you. ²⁶My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psl. 73:23-26

Don’t entertain a spirit of self-pity and complaint, incited by contemplating “the good life” of the people of the world. As a remedy against such a temptation, consider such passages as these:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. Eph. 1:3

...all things are yours. ²²Whether the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all things are yours; ²³and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God. 1 Cor. 3:21­-23

The LORD God is a sun and a shield. The LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly. ¹²O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusts in you. Psl. 84:11-12

Don’t Entertain a Spirit of Self-Pity and Complaint, Because the LORD May Give You Your Desire—Along with Judgment←⤒🔗

In response to the people’s complaint and demand for meat, Moses informs them that the LORD will grant their desire, “The LORD will give you meat, and you will eat it” (vs. 18).

Moses testifies that the LORD will do so because “you have rejected the LORD who is present with you” (vs. 20). Note: The Hebrew verb, ON_ֵ מָ, means, “to lightly esteem, to hold in contempt, to disregard.” The people of Israel did not appreciate the LORD’s presence with them, and the provision He thought best for them. Rather than appreciating what they had and recognizing it as having been provided for them by the LORD their God, they complained about what they did not have.

We must remember that the LORD was leading them to the Promised Land of Canaan where they were to enjoy an abundance of all good things with His blessing. They foolishly thought that what they did not have would make them happy, whereas true happiness consists in having the LORD’s presence, accepting the LORD’s will, and enjoying the LORD’s good gifts in His time.

Not only did the LORD withhold His blessing, He administered His discipline and even divine punishment (vs. 31-35). By means of a strong wind, the LORD brought tremendous quantities of quail into the camp. But as the people ate the food they so desired, “while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the LORD was aroused against the people and he struck them with a very severe plague” (vs. 33). Verse thirty-four contains the sobering report: “there they buried the people who craved [different food].” The Hebrew text literally reads, “there they buried the people who lusted.” That is to say, the people who became so preoccupied with their own desires that they rejected God’s present will for their lives, refusing to trust Him and wait for His good blessings in His good time.

What makes this severe judgment of the LORD all the more just and tragic is the fact that the people refused to learn from previous experience. On an earlier occasion, immediately preceding this present episode, the people had complained and were rebuked by the fire of the LORD, which struck the rearmost section of the camp:

Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when the LORD heard it his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. 'When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the LORD and the fire died out. ³So that place was called Taberah, because of the fire from the LORD that burned among them. vs. 1-3

Rather than learn the lesson that complaining against the LORD’s direction and provision for your life is answered with His displeasure and rebuke, they became even more obstinate as is seen by their behavior recorded in verses 4-6,

The foreigners who were among them had great cravings [for different foods], and also the children of Israel wept again and said, 'Who will give us meat to eat? ⁵We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. ⁶But now our spirit languishes, we never see anything except this manna.'

Can you look back on your life and identify a time when you insisted on having your own way, and the LORD gave you what you desired, and it all turned out for the worse? Have you learned from such an experience? Or are you persisting in that attitude and heading for a more extreme encounter with God’s discipline or with His judgment?

Don’t entertain a spirit of self-pity and complaint, because the LORD may give you your desire­ along with judgment. Consider the example of King Hezekiah:

¹In those days, Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover. 'Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, ³Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes. And Hezekiah wept bitterly. ⁴Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: ⁵Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD. ^6aI will add fifteen years to your life. 2 Kgs. 20:1-6a

The LORD granted Hezekiah’s request for an extended period of life; but during those fifteen years, Hezekiah’s prideful conduct in showing the Babylonian ambassadors his wealth would eventually lead to the judgment of God upon the entire nation of Israel:

At that time, Merodach-Baladan, son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of Hezekiah’s illness. ¹³Hezekiah received the messengers and showed them all that was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices and the fine oil, his armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them. ¹⁴Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, What did those men say, and from where did they come? From a distant land, Hezekiah replied. They came from Babylon! ¹⁵The prophet asked, What did they see in your palace? They saw everything in my palace, Hezekiah said. There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them. ¹⁶Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD: ¹⁷The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, declares the LORD. 2 Kgs. 20:12-17

Furthermore, during those fifteen years of extended life, which was contrary to God’s will for Hezekiah’s life, there was born a son to Hezekiah. That son, Manasseh, “did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. ³He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished” (2 Chron. 33:2-3). Manasseh would undo all the good that his father had accomplished.

Don’t Entertain a Spirit of Self-Pity and Complaint, But Do Bring Your Concerns to the LORD←⤒🔗

The people brought their complaint to Moses, and actually demanded that he give them meat to eat (vs. 13). Moses, grieved by their attitude (vs. 10), and distressed by their demand (vs. 13), brings his concern to the LORD (vs. 11).

Moses pours out his heart to the LORD in prayer:

Why have you brought this trouble upon your servant? What have I done to displease you that you have put the burden of all these people upon me?vs. 11

Did I conceive all these people? Did I give birth to them, so that you say to me, "Carry them in your arms, "as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you pledged to their forefathers? vs. 12

I am not able to carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. vs. 14

If this is how you are going to treat me, I beg you, put me to death right now—if I have found favor in your sight—and do not let me suffer in my wretchedness. vs. 15

The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand in number, yet you have said, 'I will give them meat so that they may eat for a whole month.' ²²Shall the flocks and herds be slaughtered for them in order to satisfy them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered for them in order that they may have a sufficient amount of meat? vs. 21-22

Moses is asking, You, O LORD, have promised meat to satisfy all these people, but how will this be accomplished?

Whereas the LORD was angered by the people’s complaint, He graciously answers Moses’ concerns. In response to Moses’ protest that he is not able to cope with the task of caring for this vast multitude of people, the LORD promises to supply him with fellow-workers whom He will anoint with His Holy Spirit:

Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Bring before me seventy of the elders of Israel, men whom you know to be leaders and rulers over the people. Bring them to the Tent of Meeting, so that they may stand there with you. ¹⁷I will come down and speak with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and put him upon them; then they will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone.' vs. 16-17

In response to Moses’ legitimate question as to how the people shall be supplied with sufficient meat, the LORD assures Moses that He is able: “The LORD answered, ‘Has the LORD’s ability become limited? [Literally, “Has the LORD’s [arm] become short?”] Now you will see whether or not my word shall be fulfilled’” (vs. 23).

Moses accepts the answer given by the LORD, trusting in Him and showing that trust by confidently reporting to the people what the LORD will do (vs. 24).

Why does the LORD respond in a completely different way to Moses than He did with regard to the people of Israel? The people were dissatisfied with the LORD’s provision and stubbornly were insisting on their own way, determined to whine and nag and cry until they got what they wanted, refusing to accept what the LORD had ordained for them at the present time. Moses, on the other hand, is desperately trying to gain support in accepting God’s will so that he might carry out the divine will, and he is trying to understand what God is doing.

Don’t entertain a spirit of self-pity and complaint, but by all means do bring your concerns to the LORD. Note the Psalmist’s prayer,

Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. ²From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I, ³for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. Psl. 61:1-3

Hear, also, the invitation and promise of God: “call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you shall glorify me” (Psl. 50:15).

The Apostle Peter exhorts us to “humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, (so that he may exalt you at the appointed time), ⁷by casting all your cares upon him, because he cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:6-7).

Conclusion←⤒🔗

Have you ever acted like the people of Israel? Is there some area of your life in which you are acting like them right now?

When the people of Israel wailed in self-pity and complaint, the LORD gave them what they demanded; but He also gave them something more: “While the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the LORD was aroused against the people and he struck them with a very severe plague” (Num. 11:33).

Do not entertain a spirit of self-pity and complaint against the LORD, or else you may provoke His righteous indignation and cause Him to take action against you.

On the contrary, thank Him for His present provisions and confidently trust Him to supply His good blessings in His good time:

The LORD God is a sun and a shield. The LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly. ¹²O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusts in you. Psl. 84:11-12

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. What is the peoples’ attitude as described in Numbers 11:1a? Do you think they were conscious of the fact that they were expressing this attitude “in the hearing of the LORD”? How does the LORD respond to their attitude? See Num. 11:1b How do you, as a Christian, react to hardship? Are you aware that you are living in the presence of the LORD? What does He inform us through the Apostle Peter? See 1 Pet. 1:6-7,

Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when the LORD heard it his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. Num. 1:1

...now for a little while, since it is necessary, you have been brought to grief by all kinds of trials. ⁷[This has happened] so that the genuineness of your faith, being of greater value than gold that perishes, having been tested by fire, may be verified, resulting in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Pet. 1:6-7

2. Numbers 11:4-ff. records another incident, which occurred sometime after the one at Taberah. Who appears to have incited the Israelites’ complaint? See Num. 11:4 What do the Israelites remember about their time in Egypt? See Num. 11:5 Do they exhibit a selective memory? Note Deut. 11:10-11 Do you ever regret your conversion to Christ by fondly reminiscing about the good times you use to have before coming to Christ? What reminder does Scripture provide at such times? See Rom. 6:21-22,

The foreigners who were among them had great cravings [for different foods], and also the children of Israel wept again and said, “Who will give us meat to eat? ⁵We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. Num. 11:4-5

...the land that you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot...¹¹but the land that you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drink water from the rain of heaven. Deut. 11:10-11

To water their crops “by foot” was a euphemism for watering their crops with their own urine, so dry and arid were the conditions in Egypt.

What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. ²²But now, having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.Rom. 6:21-22

3. Had the LORD left His people in the wilderness without provision? Note Num. 11:7 How is the manna described in Exodus 16:31? Was the LORD’s provision insufficient or only sporadic? Note Ex. 16:16-17 As a Christian, can you ever say that the LORD has not provided for your needs when you called upon Him and submitted to His will? For what does our Lord Jesus teach us to pray?

...the manna was like coriander seed and it looked like bdellium. ⁸The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. Num. 11:7-8

...the people of Israel called it Manna; it was like white coriander seed and it tasted like wafers made with honey. Ex. 16:31

This is what the LORD has commanded: Every man is to gather of it as much as he needs... ¹⁷The children of Israel did so...they found that he who had gathered much had no excess and he who had gathered little had no lack—every man had gathered as much as he needed. Ex. 16:16-17

4. When Moses is confronted with the Israelites’ complaint, what does he do? See Num. 11:11, 13­ 15 How does Moses’s “complaint” differ from the peoples’ complaint? As Christians, do we understand that when we complain about the LORD’s provision, we incur His anger; but when, like Moses, we seek to gain His support in receiving His provisions, He graciously meets our needs? Note Psl. 50:15,

Then Moses asked the LORD, 'Why have you brought this trouble upon your servant? What have I done to displease you that you have put the burden of all these people upon me?...¹³Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ ¹⁴I am not able to carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. ¹⁵If this is how you are going to treat me, I beg you, put me to death right now—if I have found favor in your sight—and do not let me suffer in my wretchedness.'Num. 11:11, 13-15

And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me. Psl. 50:15

5. Is Israel’s complaint actually a challenge to the LORD and His ability to provide? See Num. 11:18b How does the LORD respond to their challenge? See Num. 11:18c-20a Is unbelief a form of challenging the LORD, or lightly esteeming Him (i.e. underestimating His ability)? Note Psl. 78:41 Do we frequently treat the LORD like the Israelites did; or do we join Jeremiah in his testimony and place our confidence in the LORD? See Jer. 32:17,

You have wailed in the ears of the LORD, crying, ‘Who will give us meat to eat? We were better off in Egypt!’ Therefore, the LORD will give you meat, and you will eat it. ¹⁹You will not eat it for just one day...²⁰but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and it becomes loathsome to you—because you have rejected the LORD who is present with you and have wailed in his presence, saying, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’ Num. 11:18-20

Note: The Hebrew word translated “rejected,” has the meaning of “to esteem lightly,” or, “to disregard.”

And they turned again and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel. Psl. 78:41

Note: The Hebrew word translated “provoked,” has the meaning, “to limit” or “underestimate” the LORD’s ability.

Ah Lord GOD! ...There is nothing too hard for you! Jer. 32:17