I recently watched a DVD in which the
speaker discussed miracles.
One of the miracles the speaker focused
on was the quail that the Lord sent His people in the book of
Numbers.
The speaker made this sound like a
wonderful thing for them.
He did this to imply that God will do
marvelous things for us if we but ask Him.
Unfortunately, the speaker neglected to
tell the entire story.
While everything God does is
miraculous, sometimes His purpose is correction.
The account of the quail really began
much earlier when the people complained about the Lord's provision.
In Exodus chapter 16, the people
complained to Moses and Aaron about hunger.
God told Moses that He would rain down
bread from heaven for the people.
He also gave Moses very specific
instructions.
The people were only to gather as much
as they needed for the day.
On the sixth day, however, they would
be able to gather twice as much so that the seventh day of rest could
be observed.
Moses instructed the people that they
were to keep none of it until morning.
Some, as if doubting that God would
continue to provide, gathered more.
What they kept overnight went bad.
This angered Moses.
So, each morning the people went out
and gathered their daily portion and returned.
On the sixth day, they gathered twice
as much as the Lord had instructed.
The people called this bread from
heaven “manna” and it was in this way the Lord provided for them.
Then, in Numbers chapter 11 we find the
account of the quail.
This was preceded by complaint as well.
The people missed the food they ate in Egypt.
They even believed they received it freely forgetting that they paid
for it by being slaves.
It was at this point that they openly declared their dissatisfaction
with what the Lord had provided.
Numbers 11:6 (NET) – But now we
are dried up, and there is nothing at all before us except this
manna!
One can almost imagine how that made God feel.
God informed Moses of what would take place.
He would give the people meat.
Numbers 11:19-20 (NET) – You
will eat, not just one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten
days, nor twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out your
nostrils and makes you sick, because you have despised the LORD who
is among you and have wept before Him, saying, “Why did we ever
come out of Egypt?”
The Lord then caused the wind to drive in quail from the sea which
fell around the camp to a depth of three feet.
The people eagerly gathered quail all that day, through the night and
all the next day.
That is when it happened.
Numbers 11:33 (NET) – But
while the meat was still between their teeth, before they chewed it,
the anger of the LORD burned against the people, and the LORD struck
the people with a very great plague.
The speaker on the DVD left that part out.
We really need to be grateful for God's daily provision.
Just as He provided His people with enough manna for each day He
provides for us.
Jesus echoed that sentiment.
Luke 11:3 (NET) - “Give us each
day our daily bread,”
It reminds me of something an old friend said to me years ago, “Be
needy, not greedy.”
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
0 comments :
Post a Comment