Numbers
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Numbers Chapter 11 Discussion
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Moses was also bringing his complaint to God, but God was not angry with Moses as He was with the complaining multitude. God was merciful to Moses and explained that the Holy Spirit would be placed upon 70 elders along with Moses. These elders spoke by the Holy Spirit to the people throughout the camp. I imagine that what they said did not conflict with each other because the Holy Spirit would not do that.
Here Moses learned that he did not have to carry the burden of being the spokesman for the LORD by Himself-God was bigger than that! he also learned that the Holy Spirit was so great that He could be placed upon many people and not just one-himself. Then Moses in verse 29 states to Joshua that he desired for all of God's people to have the Holy Spirit upon them and would prophesy for the LORD.
After the seventy were endowed with the Holy Spirit, Moses and these men went into the camp. God brought in an enormous amount of quail on a strong wind. The quail was stacked waist high or more in the area. The people went out and collected the quail and distributed it evenly throughout the camp. The people gorged themselves on the quail and God sent a plague upon the people. Those who lusted for the meat died and they were buried at this place Moses named Kibroth-hattaavah.
Then the nation travelled from this place to Hazeroth, where they abode.
What lessons Moses and the people were learning from their disobedience and distrust of God. They had not learned yet that God is what they truly need above all else. Perhaps this is why He gave them a daily diet of Manna, so that they would realize that food is not what sustains them but YHWH. A varied diet that they had to cultivate and work for would get their eyes off of YHWH and trust in themselves and their own skill at producing food. They even could not eat of the flocks since these were for the sacrifices and for them to bring into the promised land. They were to resist temptation, but had difficulty with that
The complaining of the people always cause God to be angry with them. He was their portion and was able to fill them with what He knew they needed. The people complained to God and His holy fire went and burned those in the outskirts of the camp. They cried out to Moses to get YHWH to stop the fire. Moses interceded and God stopped the burning fire.
Among the Israelites were people who were mixed-some were of Israeli/Gentile parentage; others were gentiles. These mixed peoples began to lust for meat and for the type of diet they enjoyed in Egypt. The Israelites joined them in this lusting. They complained in their tents where only God would know. They complained with weeping about the manna being the only food before their eyes. Moses went about the tents and heard them weeping and complaining.
Moses was fed up. He was overwhelmed. He was discouraged. He was so low that he asked God to kill him so he would be free of the burdens of his life. Is there a hint of Moses believing in an afterlife free of wretchedness in vs. 15? The verse says that Moses considered it to be favored of God to be killed to be freed.
Regardless, Moses was unable to bear the burdens of the needs of the people any longer. He was at the breaking point, equating the burden of the welfare of the multitude to that of mother of multiples whom she was trying to nurse each and everyone to satisfaction. Nursing and infant is not very much of a burden. It is necessary for the child to consume what the mother alone could supply by God's design, but when a pregnancy results in triplets, quads, quints and more, one mother just cannot successfully meet the nourishment needs of all of them. .. cont. to pt. 2
I've read many of your comments in theses forums. Seems to me you have quite an insight.
What you say makes sense to me. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.
It seems to me by reading the chapter that they did not eat of their flocks and herds, but were being sustained by the manna that fell each night. The sheep, goats, and cattle were reserved for the sacrifices laid out at Sinai (Book of Leviticus Ch. 1-70). By following these sacrificial requirements, there would be multiple sacrifices offered daily. The flocks and herds needed to be kept for these sacrifices and to keep breeding for them to have livestock when they arrived and settled in Canaan. Likely, also, they did not eat the turtle doves or pigeons they must have kept as tamed animals they raised and breed.
The people were growing tired of manna every day. They had not been too long out of Egypt where they could have a fresh memory of the varied diet there. Their fleshy self was unsatisfied with the diet God had provided for them without any labor on their part to grow it. They just had to collect it, grind it and make it into bread. Even though the manna was completely sufficient to satisfy the nutritional needs of their bodies, the Israelites wanted more than what God had ordained for their sustenance. He must have set apart the meat of their livestock for sacrifices and giving them only manna to eat as a test to them. Would they be satisfied with the manna when they saw their livestock daily and being sacrificed to God daily without being permitted to slay some for meat to eat. Would they be satisfied with what God had commanded and provided or want their own way instead? As you read on in the chapter, God had it literally "rain down quail" so plentiful that they would become sick of eating it, though they lustily consumed it to the point of gluttony. Also, God sent some sort of plague upon them from consuming the quail. So, thought the Israelites craved meat and got it from the Lord, it was not a blessing, but a punishment for their grumbling against God and his provision and rule of law.
Bob W
( 1 Corinthians 10:13
Then James 1:13-14 just stating that God is not the one tempting.
God Bless you sister.
That is two different things!