Num 11:1 And the people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes, and when the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp.
Num 11:2 Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the LORD, and the fire died down.
Num 11:3 So the name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of the LORD burned among them.
Num 11:4 Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, "Oh that we had meat to eat!
Num 11:5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.
Num 11:6 But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at."
Num 11:7 Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium.
Num 11:8 The people went about and gathered it and ground it in handmills or beat it in mortars and boiled it in pots and made cakes of it. And the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil.
Num 11:9 When the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell with it.
Num 11:10 Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the LORD blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased.
DISATISFIED
The people of Israel were not content with what God had provided for them. God provided them with food and they were not happy with the kind of food that God gave them. Maybe it was too bland after a while. How often do we do that same thing? God provides for our needs and we just complain that it is not good enough. You needed a vehicle and God gave you a Honda and what you really wanted was a Cadillac. You needed lunch today and all that was available was Brussels sprouts and you wanted a grilled steak. God will always provide for His children. It is not always the way we expect though. Perhaps you say what about all the people around the world that are starving to death. I believe wholly in the sovereignty of God and although I may not understand this but the way He provides may be to take some up with Him to heaven. The key to all this is to be content in whatever circumstance you may be in. Even the little things like what you have for lunch.
DISASSOCIATED
As you begin to complain and grumble about all of your circumstances your relationship with God suffers. If you don’t believe that God is giving you what you think you need then your view or your respect of God changes. He begins to become a little less God. A little less God is no God at all. It is not God that has changed; it is you and your perspective of God. If you cannot believe that God can properly supply your needs than how could you possibly believe that He can save your soul or do anything else that the Bible says that He has done or will do. I am not saying that you should not ask for anything but you still have to accept what He does give. Matthew Henry’s commentary says “Though God graciously gives us leave to complain to him when there is cause (Psa_142:2), yet he is justly provoked, and takes it very ill, if we complain of him when there is no cause:”
Num 11:18 And say to the people, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing of the LORD, saying, "Who will give us meat to eat? For it was better for us in Egypt." Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you shall eat.
Num 11:19 You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days,
Num 11:20 but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the LORD who is among you and have wept before him, saying, "Why did we come out of Egypt?"'"
Num 11:21 But Moses said, "The people among whom I am number six hundred thousand on foot, and you have said, 'I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month!'
Num 11:22 Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, and be enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, and be enough for them?"
Num 11:23 And the LORD said to Moses, "Is the LORD's hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not."
Num 11:24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent.
Num 11:31 Then a wind from the LORD sprang up, and it brought quail from the sea and let them fall beside the camp, about a day's journey on this side and a day's journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the ground.
Num 11:32 And the people rose all that day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail. Those who gathered least gathered ten homers. And they spread them out for themselves all around the camp.
Num 11:33 While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD struck down the people with a very great plague.
Num 11:34 Therefore the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had the craving.
Num 11:35 From Kibroth-hattaavah the people journeyed to Hazeroth, and they remained at Hazeroth.
DISAPPOINTED
The people had all they needed. They complained that they wanted better than what they were given. When they were given what they wanted it caused their death. What they wanted caused death in fire and in plague. So does that mean we should only eat bland food and never aspire to do better? I don’t think so. We have to look at the heart of the people. They were, at the time, separated from God by their discontentment. God was angry with them; I don’t believe it was because they wanted meat per say but more so because they were challenging the authority and sovereignty of God.
Don’t be too hard on the Israelites though. We would have done the same I’m sure. In some ways I have done the same thing in my life. God knows our hearts. He hears our complaining even when they are done in secret. We have to learn to pray to God to, as J.D. would say to give us some chocolate milk. But be willing and obedient to drink vinegar if that is the provision God has given us. That is the difference between complaining and asking. If you complain about the vinegar you may never get the chocolate milk and if you do it may just make you sick anyway.
Dissatisfaction Leads to Disassociation, which leads to Disappointment
