Numbers Chapter 11
The people of Israel had already left the Sinai, and chapters 11 and 12 reported events accruing in his march to Kibroth hattaavah. When problems arose, the people complained. Herein sinned, and his experience brings us important lessons.
Whenever the people complained, the Glory of the Lord appeared. He disliked their complaints. We can be sure that He is displeased with too many believers living criticizing and complaining today. They are always finding faults, and nothing satisfies them.
Whether the fire of the LORD consumed only some stuff that was around the camp, and also hit people. Anyway, it was a warning, and to have become extinct when Moses prayed for the people, it was clear that it was of divine origin. Taberah means burnt.
The rabble that was among them were crossbred with Israel Egyptians. They could not join one of the tribes because they knew they belonged, had not quite sure if they were doing well to follow along with the people, being the product of mixed marriages. Having Egyptian blood, they felt homesick that land.
Our churches are full of them: they want to walk with believers, go to church and have a high standard of moral life. During the week, walk and live like the world. Do not know right where they belong, not sure if they have been born again. Most often, these are originating rebellion and discontent within the churches. They like to have a feast in the church, but do not come to Bible studies. They do not feel well or at church or in the world.
The discontent of the populace has contaminated the Israelites and their attention is diverted from what they had received (freedom, nationality, the law, the priesthood, and a land that was waiting at the end of the trip) and started to focus their attention on other things like that have: a varied menu with fish and vegetables nonexistent in the desert. It was the lust of the flesh, spreading like a disease, making them cry like children in front of their tents. They forgot the yoke that had loaded in Egypt in exchange for this food.
Before condemning the so should meditate on what occupies our attention most of the time: we are grateful for what God has given us, and the wonderful things that He has prepared in heaven, and we are always thinking about we're losing, and the things of this world that would like to have?
Every morning (except on Saturdays) the people of Israel opened their tents and witnessed a miracle: the bread that God gave them. The Holy Spirit describes the manna again for us in this passage. It was a wonderful food, containing everything they needed for their livelihoods, and contributing to their health as well. For example, we read through your entire journey through the desert, their feet swelled not (
Deuteronomy 8:4). But now, aiming to beef about everything despised the most excellent and versatile manna.
Manna is a picture of the Lord Jesus, and the Word of God that reveals to us. Many in our churches, unfortunately also get tired of learning from Christ and have no great desire to study His Word:
indisposed it already! They try to eat something else, ignoring what God gave them.
The anger of the LORD was kindled greatly, and Moses found himself again in the position of intermediary. His patience was, apparently coming to an end. He complained to God that he would rather be dead than continue to bear alone that people unhappy. It's a feeling that pass by many pastors in churches, leading some to give up his ministry.
Moses erred in claiming so the LORD, because the load was not his: the Lord is that he was not just carrying people but he also. Besides, the Lord had given the Holy Spirit to strengthen you. We also have this privilege, and we must remember that the work of the Lord is His, and not assume that we must take the load on our shoulders.
The Lord, however, patiently selected seventy men from the elders, who were superintendents of the people, and put them on the Spirit that was upon Moses, there was no more power than before, but more equipment! Moses complained of the weight of the burden of responsibility that led but God, distributing the burden, showed that the power of Moses had always been enough in proportion to the weight of that burden.
This principle of having continued seventy leaders through history to the Sanhedrin in the time of Christ, who sentenced him to death. The Old Testament was also translated into Greek, reportedly, two centuries before Christ, in Alexandria, a group of seventy, so calling this version of Setuaginta. The word bishop means overseer and elder is equivalent to elder. Christian churches should be led by a group of superintendents (not an individual), also called elders.
The LORD also told Moses to tell the people to sanctify (dedicate) for the next day, because they send enough meat for a whole month, to eat ad nausea This is because the LORD had rejected and regretted having left Egypt. They "gave themselves up to lust, in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. Granted them their request, but sent leanness into their soul" (
Psalm 106:14,15).
We make our prayer with thanksgiving (
Philippians 4:6), because we know that He will answer us, but we must be satisfied even when the answer is no, what often happens because we ask can not be good for us. If we complain, He can give us what we want, but our soul will languish because we hurt.
Having witnessed and even participated in so many miracles, it seems surprising that Moses showed incredulity when told that the Lord would give them much meat. We also sometimes forget that He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or think (
Ephesians 3:20). It's easy to trust God when we see His mighty works (the Israelites had seen many), but after a while, the routine of life, His power does not seem so great. Our vision of him is changing, not Him
Two of the elders had not attended the meeting - perhaps with good reason - but by no means let the Lord to give them also the Spirit. Moses was not jealous of them, on the contrary, said he would like all the people were prophets, that the Lord of His Spirit to all! God can work through whom He will: take care lest we obstacle to his work because of jealousy!
The LORD gave them all the meat they wanted, and much more. It came in the form of quail, flying about 90 cm tall, easily caught in a cloud of more than twenty-five miles in length and width, which covered the camp for two days and one night. What took less, managed 3.5 meters cubic of birds. Hunting, after salt, was extended in the sun to dry (did not freezer!) Around the camp.
But when they began to eat, felt ill and many died, for the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people. The evil was not much to miss a meal varied, but his desire to set her above all else, to the point of despising what God was giving them. God knows our desires, and we are judged by Him, even now. So the Word of God tells us that we should judge ourselves, lest we be judged - but when judged, we are disciplined by the Lord, not to be condemned with the world (
1 Corinthians 11:31-32).
The dead were buried, and the place was renamed Kibroth hattaavah (Graves of Desire).
