NUMBERS

Numbers Chapter 11

• Numbers 11:1 And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. 

It didn't take long for the first love of the Lord to be second to the personal desires of the people. 

It is one thing to murmur against false doctrine, inhumane treatment of humans by those that oppress them, also opposing injustice and cruelty among the leadership, but when we have a godly leader and God has been good to us in the way He was good to Israel, murmuring and complaining is sin against God. 

• Numbers 11:2 And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.
• 3 And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them. 

We see here another judgment of God coming upon Israel and fire burning as the judgment. God is a God that wants good things for all. It is His will that all mankind is saved and inherit eternal life. However, He is also a God of judgment. 

In the book of Revelation we can read of the judgment of God upon those that persecute His people whether those people be Israel or believers among the Gentiles who were reconciled to Him through faith in Jesus. We read also of judgment against those who commit immoral sins such as idolatry, murder and sexual immorality. God still judges sin.

Sin destroys our soul. That is why Jesus came so that all who believe in Him can be free from sin and inherit eternal life. If He doesn't bring judgment though, sin will increase and influence future generations to also sin. One day God is bringing all sin to an end. That is why there is a place called hell because that is where all who have sinned and refuse to let God take away their sins, will end up. That is the place where all sin will be confined forever. 

• Numbers 11:4 And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? 

A mixed multitude could be those that were Egyptian or half Egyptian and their hearts were not fully turned to the Lord. It could have been any half-hearted individual who still desired the things of Egypt. It may have been ones like these who caused Aaron to make that calf when Moses was upon the mountain with the Lord. 

• Numbers 11:5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic: 

It is curious that most of the above foods were foods that have a strong smell. Although I use onions and garlic and have fish occasionally, the cucumbers and melons wouldn't have even tempted me to complain if I didn't have them. I don't like them. We see here that they forgot the sin, idolatry and bondage in Egypt and just remembered the food. They were sick of the manna that God provided. Wow this would be like slapping God in the face and throwing the manna back at Him. 

If they were patient, they would see that good times were coming when they possessed the land of Canaan. It was a land of milk and honey. A land of an abundance vegetables and fruits. 

• Numbers 11:6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes. 
• 7 And the manna was as coriander seed, and the color thereof as the color of bedellium. 
• 8 And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil. 
• 9 And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it. 

I'm pretty sure that this stuff was good and healthy. Speaking of health; it is what we eat especially here in the United States that is killing us. We eat so much and eat the wrong things. As a result we have heart disease, diabetes, strokes, obesity, and much more.

I can just guess here that God would have given them something very healthy and would have made them strong and live longer than if they had the foods they had in Egypt. 

• Numbers 11:10 Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased. 
• 11 And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favor in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me? 
• 12 Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou sworest unto their fathers? 
• 13 Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.
• 14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. 

Here we see the groaning of Moses. Every good pastor and leader of a congregation probably feels like this once in a while when their members murmur and complain about trivial things that have nothing to do with the salvation of the soul or the calling of God. 

I heard one preacher say that he feels like resigning every Monday. No matter how faithful or how hard they try to show kindness to people, there are always those that find fault and criticize everything they do. 

I'm not speaking here of false shepherds and those that preach false doctrine and fleece the flock for every spare cent they have, but the faithful shepherds who are in this thing for God and to fulfill the calling upon their lives that He has placed upon them. 

• Numbers 11:15 And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favor in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness. 

He felt like dying rather than to go one and be cast out by his people. 

• Numbers 11:16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee. 

Although the Lord always stood with Moses He could see that Moses needed some human help to be able to bear the weight of leading these people to Canaan. 

• Numbers 11:17 And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone. 

The seventy appointed elders would be filled with the spirit because without the spirit of God within us we cannot do anything for God. 

In the Old Testament we see only special called out people chosen to serve, were filled with the spirit. Knowing how God is though, I believe that any individual who took it upon himself to seek the Lord and desire His fellowship could have received the Holy Spirit. 

We see that in the New Testament period after the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ that the Holy Spirit was given to all who would receive Christ and obey Him. The Holy Spirit was available for men, women and children who had been cleansed of sin and born again by God's spirit. 

We live in a different dispensation. Now every single individual is called to be saints of God, and to be filled with the spirit. It is not just given to clergy. We all can be filled with the spirit. Jesus came to open the door to God for every single person who will believe and receive Him. 

• Numbers 11:18 And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. 
• 19 Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; 
• 20 But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt? 
• 21 And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month. 
• 22 Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them? 
• 23 And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD's hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not. 
• 24 And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle. 
• 25 And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spoke unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. 

This is similar to the day of Pentecost when a whole congregation was filled with the spirit. They spoke in tongues and prophesied. In the case of the seventy though we do not see them speaking in tongues but we do see them prophesying. This is still happening today to individuals who seek the Lord and desire to be filled with the spirit. They speak in tongues and prophesy. 

Prophesy is speaking the works of God in a language that is understood by those that hear them. Speaking in tongues is praying or praising God in a language not understood by those present. It is a sign that something supernatural from God is among them. It is also praying in the spirit that only God can understand. Sometimes one can interpret the tongues and that is equal to prophesy because it will edify those that hear even more. 

• Numbers 11:26 But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp. 
• 27 And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. 
• 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. 
• 29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them! 

This is the attitude we need today. Moses was not jealous that God placed His spirit upon others beside Him. Instead his attitude was that he would prefer that all receive God's spirit and prophesy. Wow that is what I call perfect love. When we not only want to have God's Holy Spirit ourselves but desire that others also have the Spirit of God upon them, that is love. 

To just want a monopoly on the gifts of the spirit so that we can control others and lord over others by having them think we are more spiritual and above them is a temptation that has brought down many leaders who were once used of God. Rejoice when a brother or a sister receives the Spirit of God. Rejoice every time a soul is born again and their names are written in the book of life. Rejoice and be glad along with the angels in heaven even if we had nothing to do with the conversion ourselves and can claim no glory, we should rejoice with them that rejoice and sorrow with them that suffer sorrow. This is love. 

• Numbers 11:30 And Moses got him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel. 
• 31 And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth. 
• 32 And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp. 
• 33 And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague. 
• 34 And he called the name of that place Kibroth-hattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted. 
• 35 And the people journeyed from Kibroth-hattaavah unto Hazeroth; and abode at Hazeroth. 

They got what they wanted but it made them sick and they were smitten with a plague. God's judgment again falls upon those that sin. 

We must not take the mercy and grace of God lightly and use it as a cloak for unrighteousness. God also is a God who will judge and judgment is coming upon all that sin. 

The United States was once a great God-fearing country. We had our faults though, the days of slavery being one of them. It took a war to get rid of that abomination and we still had a long way to go. Still in all these things we honored God and feared His name. 

Now we see this once great country throwing God out of the classrooms, ignoring His commandments and allowing the murder of unborn children. Euthanasia in the form of government health care is just around the corner. We have sexual immorality that is rampant. The guidelines of the bible are ignored. Television is our teacher and God is outlawed as unconstitutional. Ruin is our fate if we do not repent. This country is doomed if we do not turn it around. 

God sees every baby that is cast out into garbage bags along with the rest of the trash. He sees when that beating heart stops not by His will but by the hands of those that call themselves doctors. It has been proven that those unborn children can really feel pain from what they are put through. Now we have those wanting laws to allow infanticide....a baby born at full term but be allowed to die without care if the mother doesn't want the baby. Some have discovered that some abortion mills are harvesting organs rather than just killing an unwanted child but it is still murder.

He sees us when we grieve more for an animal that is mistreated than a baby that is killed. I'm not advocating animal cruelty here, that too is sin, but I'm just showing a how we have changed our thinking. We care more for a tree than human life. 

Judgment is coming and only a national repentance can stop it. 

• 2Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 

Some people quote the above verse and leave out, "Turn from their wicked ways." 

There is a big "IF" to the forgiveness and mercy of God. If we turn from our wicked ways. 

Salvation through faith in Christ works the same. Some leave out repentance and have people just asking Jesus into their hearts. 

Asking Jesus into one's life will only work if one is willing to turn from sin at the same time. Salvation is turning away from sin and turning to Christ for cleansing from sin. Jesus came to save us from sin. That part is being left out and that is why there is so much sin in the church. 

Usually though when a person turns to Christ His sins are forgiven and it happens all at the same time. It is never a license to go back into sin and still be covered by grace. He died for our sins. If He did all that to give us eternal life, then we should not even think of returning to the sin God saves us from. 

All through the bible we see mercy and also judgment. We see God's compassion but we also see His wrath. If we have turned to God and have found peace with Him, let us not take Him lightly and forget all His goodness by murmuring and complaining about trivial things. We need to concern ourselves with the salvation of those that are lost and concern ourselves with being filled with God's spirit and obey the calling He places upon us. -DC