7/16/2004 07:11:18 AM|||Laura|||

And the people were evil, as those complaining in the ears of Jehovah. And Jehovah heard, and His anger was kindled. And the fire of Jehovah burned among them and devoured in the outermost parts of the camp. And the people cried to Moses. And when Moses prayed to Jehovah, the fire was put out. (Numbers 11:1-2)

That's a pretty big indicator, right there, of what happens when you complain to God for no good reason. Why do I say no good reason? They were set free from slavery. Their former captors loaded them down with riches. They were handed what is arguably the biggest military victory EVER. Much later, before they enter Canaan, Moses recaps this little road trip:

And He humbled you and allowed you to hunger, and then He fed you with manna, which you did not know, neither did your fathers know it, so that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of Jehovah man shall live. Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell, these forty years. (Deuteronomy 8:3-4)

True, they were walking in the hot desert, but God took care that their feet did not even swell. But they grumbled, God zapped them, and still they didn't have the good sense to straighten up and fly right. Proof that Darwin's theory is dead wrong, because even today, people are STILL this stupid. They were right back at it, this time about food.

We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic. But now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all besides this manna before our eyes. (Numbers 11:5-6)

Oh, the drama! Their very soul was dried away! How sad. Here is how Matthew Henry describes the "mixed multitude" (Exodus 12:38) who was doing the griping:

They were hangers on, who took hold of the skirts of the Jews, and would go with them only because they knew not how to live at home, and were disposed to seek their fortunes (as we say) abroad. These were the scabbed sheep that infected the flock, the leaven that leavened the whole lump. Note, A few factious, discontented, ill-natured people, may do a great deal of mischief in the best societies, if great care be not taken to discountenance them. Such as these are an untoward generation, from which it is our wisdom to save ourselves, Act_2:40.

The Jews permitted and even followed this "mixed multitude" and so were included in God's punishment. Now Moses loses it, to the point of asking God why God didn't just kill him rather than make him deal with these knuckleheads. As to the knuckleheads, since being recently zapped with fire from God did not do the trick, God said "You want meat? I'll give you meat. You'll wish you had never HEARD of meat."

And a wind went forth from Jehovah. And it cut off quails from the sea and let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and about a day's journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits high upon the face of the earth. (Numbers 11:31)

Two cubits is around 3.5 feet deep. That's a LOT of quail.

And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of Jehovah was kindled against the people, and Jehovah struck the people with a very great plague. (Numbers 11:33)

Lusting after the things of the world, even if you get them, or maybe especially if you get them, will just bring unhappiness. Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible in this chapter:

We hear of such punishments, and yet walk in the same way, presuming on God’s mercy, while we continue to provoke his justice. Let us settle it in our minds as an indisputable truth, that God is better acquainted with our wants than we are ourselves; that he knows infinitely better what we need; and that he is ever more ready to hear than we are to pray, and is wont to give more than we can desire or deserve.

|||108999205832549871|||Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there...