Num
11:4-6,10-11,14-20 (NIV) 4 The rabble with them began to crave other food, and
again the Israelites started wailing and said, "If only we had meat to
eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost — also the cucumbers,
melons, leeks, onions and garlic. 6 But now we have lost our appetite; we never
see anything but this manna!"
10
Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance to his
tent. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. 11 He asked
the Lord, "Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I
done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? ... 14
I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. 15
If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now — if I have
found favor in your eyes — and do not let me face my own ruin."
16 The
Lord said to Moses: "Bring me seventy of Israel's elders who are known to
you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of
Meeting, that they may stand there with you. 17 I will come down and speak with
you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on
them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not
have to carry it alone.
18
"Tell the people: 'Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, when
you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you wailed, "If only we had
meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!" Now the Lord will give you
meat, and you will eat it. 19 You will not eat it for just one day, or two
days, or five, ten or twenty days, 20 but for a whole month — until it comes
out of your nostrils and you loathe it — because you have rejected the Lord,
who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, "Why did we ever
leave Egypt?" '"
NOTE: There are really two issues in this
story. Both issues are a direct result
of the complaining about meat or the lack of variety in the diet. In the first case, Moses takes their
complaints personally and is overwhelmed by the load (this and probably other
issues). Secondly, God says that the
people's complaint is not against Moses, although it might be directed that way, but rather against God himself.
Basically, the real argument is that life was better in slavery in Egypt
than in freedom in the desert because at least in slavery we could feed our
fleshly appetites. Life revolves around
the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes, and not around freedom or
slavery. We really are a fickle people,
we really are never satisfied, at least as long as our affection is placed upon
the world and not upon the things of God.
God provides seventy
leaders to support Moses in the burden of leading this people. God also gives the people what they want
until they are sick of it and loathe it, which is usually how we feel about sin
after the fact. It is too bad we can't
loathe our sin prior to the action.
God forgive me when
I reject you by pursuing my appetites. I
want to be a man who loves you first and foremost.
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