Bereans Corner
Bereans Corner
Thru the Bible - #125 -Numbers 11 - The People Complain
Welcome to Berean's Corner, the podcast where we go through books of the Bible chapter by chapter and verse by verse, wherever you are in the world. Thank you for joining. Grab a glass of water, a cup of coffee or tea and let's get into today's lesson. All right, welcome back. Thank you for joining me. As always, open up your bible to numbers chapter 11. The title of today's lesson is the people complain. Now, for those of you who may be new, we always start out each lesson by bringing in the reader. He reads the chapter and then, after that, we go back into it and then we break down the chapter. So open up your bible and read along numbers chapter 11, and let's read numbers 11.
Speaker 2:Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the Lord and the fire died down. He prayed to the Lord and the fire died down, so that place was called Tibera because fire from the Lord had burned among them. The rabble with them began to crave other food and again the Israelites started wailing and said If only we had meat to eat. We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost, also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic, but now we have lost our appetite. We never see anything but this manna. The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin. The people went around gathering it and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into cakes, and it tasted like something made with olive oil. When the Jews settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down. Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance to his tent. The Lord became exceedingly angry and Moses was troubled. He asked the Lord why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you? That you put the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers? Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me? Give us meat to eat. I cannot carry all these people by myself. The burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you, the Lord said to Moses, are known to you as leaders and officials among the people, have them come to the tent of meeting that they may stand there with you. I will come down and speak with you there and I will take of the spirit that is on you and put the spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone. Tell the people consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you wailed. If only we had meat to eat. We were better off in Egypt. Now the Lord will give you meat and you will eat it. You will not eat it for just one day or or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wailed before him saying why did we ever leave Egypt? Why did we ever leave Egypt? But Moses said here I am among six hundred thousand men on foot, and you say I will give them meat to eat for a whole month. Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them? The Lord answered Moses, is the Lord's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you.
Speaker 2:So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke with him and he took of the spirit that was on him and put the spirit on the seventy elders. When the spirit rested on them. They prophesied, but they did not do so. Again. However, two men whose names were Eldad and Medad had remained in the camp, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders but did not go out to the tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them and they prophesied in the camp. A young man ran and told Moses Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp. Joshua, son of Nun, who had been Moses' aid since youth, spoke up and said Moses, my lord, stop them. But Moses replied Are you jealous? For my sake? I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit on them.
Speaker 2:Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp. Now a wind went out from the Lord and drove quail in from the sea. It brought them down all around the camp to about three feet above the ground, as far as a day's walk in any direction. All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers. Then they spread them out all around the camp. But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the Lord burned against the people and he struck them with a severe plague. Therefore the place was named Kibroth HaTavah, because there they buried the people who had craved other food. From Kibroth HaTavah, the people traveled to Hazaroth and stayed there.
Speaker 1:All right, welcome back Now. The last time we were together we uh, we talked about the silver trumpets and the tribes leaving sinai. Today we will deal with complaining people now, before I get into this chapter, it has always been very interesting to me how israel, who had the lord god right there in their midst, did all of this complaining. Now you and I can look up at the sky and sometimes there are people like us who may complain about certain things. We know the Lord can hear us, but we still look up and we complain about this or that. These people literally had the Lord God in a cloud by day, a cloud that they followed when it moved. They moved a cloud that stood still, unlike the clouds you and I look at that usually go from the West to the East. These people had that right there in their midst and they had the pillar of fire by night. All of it was the Lord showing that he was right in their midst, but still these people complained and and murmured and were upset and and and lashing out. It has always been very interesting to me, so I was going to throw it out before we start this section, this chapter, and we will break this down into seven parts. The first part the people grumble and the Lord's anger burns. We see this in verses one through three. Now the people became like those who complain of adversary in the hearing of the Lord. And when the Lord heard it, his anger was kindled and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. The people therefore cried out to Moses and Moses prayed to the Lord and the fire died out. So the name of that place was called Tebera, because the fire of the Lord burned among them.
Speaker 1:Now there are two things I want to point out about those first three verses that we just read number one the word complained in verse one, hebrew 5, 96, anan means to mourn, groan and whine. So, as I mentioned that, that's what the people did. When they said that, uh, the people became like those who complained. That's what they were doing. They were moaning, they were whining out to the Lord and what they were really doing is they were lashing out to Moses. But what they really were doing is they were they were lashing out, whining and complaining to the Lord. Second next thing is you can also see, uh, when I talked about that word, uh, complain. You can also see this in the Hebrew lexicon by William Jesenius on page 65. That would explain the same thing. Number two the word tovarah in verse 3rew 8404 means burning. Let's look at that one more time. Verse 3 sorry, lost my spot. So the name of that place was called tabara because the fire of the lord burned among them. So there's a few things I want to point out about those first few verses.
Speaker 1:Now part two there was grumbling about the food. We see this in verses four to nine. And the rebel who were among them had greedy desires, and also the sons of Israel wept again and said who will give us meat to eat? Now the Lord has already provided manna, provided food for them. But now they're saying who will give us meat to eat? Verse 5 we remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic. But now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna. I'm gonna stop right there real quick.
Speaker 1:Now, these people who cried out to the Lord for 400 years. They were in bondage in Egypt, not 200 and some change, not 190 years, 400 years, 400 years. These people cried out to the Lord, generation after generation. The Lord rescues them, takes them away from their captives. And instead of them being grateful to the Lord, what do they do? They say, oh man, we had it so good in Egypt. It was good there. Yeah, we might have been slaves, we may have been captives, but, man, we had all the fish that we could eat, eat. We had the delicious onions and melons of the land. At least we got to eat. That's what's actually going on here. That's how disrespectful and ungrateful these people are.
Speaker 1:Pick it back up at verse 7. Now. The manna was like coriander seed and its appearance like that of uh, uh, uh, uh. Excuse me y'all, bdellium, the people, I got tongue tied there. Sorry about that verse 8. The people would go about and excuse me y'all, bedelium, the people, I got tongue tied there, sorry about that verse eight. The people would go about and gather it and grind it between two millstones or beat it in the mortar and boil it in the pot and make cakes with it, and his taste was as the taste of cakes baked with oil. And when the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna would fall with it. So it goes on to explain a little bit about the manna and what that was, which brings us to part number three.
Speaker 1:Moses is exhausted with his calling. We see this in verses 10 to 15. Now Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, each man at the doorway of his tent, and the anger of the lord was kindled greatly and moses was displeased. So moses said to the lord, why has thou been so hard on thy servant and why have I not found favor in thy sight that thou has laid the burden of all this people on me? Hey, moses is getting tired of these people. I mean, moses is like lord. I mean you've done all these great things for these people. You use me to do it, and yet these people keep grumbling.
Speaker 1:Verse 12. Was it I who conceived all these people? Was it I who brought them forth that thou should have said to me carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing infant, the land which thou didst swear to swear to thy fathers. Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep before me saying give us meat that we may eat. I alone am not able to carry all these people because it is too burdensome for me. So if thou art going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once if I have found favor in thy sight and do not let me see wretchedness. Listen, moses is tired. You know Moses is. Moses is not understanding why these people don't get how good the Lord is, how sweet the Lord is. They're grumbling. They, these people, have seen the Lord do things with their own eyes. You and I have the scriptures to show us the things the Lord did. But these people have have seen these things with their own eyes. They, they witness these things yet and still they are grumbling, and every time they do it's just a burden on to Moses. It's very understandable, which brings us to part four.
Speaker 1:God tells Moses to collect 70 elders. We see this in verses 16 and 17. The Lord therefore said to Moses gather for me 70 men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people, and their officers, and bring them to the tent of meeting and let them take their stand there with you. Then I will come down and speak with you there and I will take of the Spirit who is upon you and will put him upon them. They will bear they excuse me, they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you shall not bear it all alone. Now that reminds me of something that moses father-in-law told him a while back, when moses stayed out judging people from morning to evening and moses came back dead tired, his father-in-law said listen to me, son, this thing you doing is a hard thing. You are not meant to bear this alone. Why don't you get some men who you trust to help carry the load? The lord has just given this to moses. You're going to get 70 men amongst the elders and they're going to help you out with this work.
Speaker 1:Part five god tells moses to give the people this message. Verses 18 through 23 tells us this and say to the people consecrate yourselves for tomorrow and you shall eat meat, for you have wept in the ears of the Lord saying, oh, that somehow will give us meat to eat, for we were well off in Egypt. Therefore, the Lord will give you meat and you shall eat. The Lord is letting them know. Okay, I heard you.
Speaker 1:Verse 19,. You shall eat not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor 10 days, nor 20 days, but a whole month, until it comes out of 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 ever leave Egypt? But Moses said the people among them I am are six hundred thousand on foot. Yet thou has said I will give them meat in order that they may eat for a whole month. Should flocks and herds be slaughtered for them to be sufficient for them, or should all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them to be sufficient for them? And the lord said to moses is the lord's power limited? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not.
Speaker 1:So moses is saying, in a way he's questioning the lord, saying lord, I mean, where is this going to come from? There are 600 000 people here. Lord, where are you going to get all this meat from? Are you going to literally wash all of the fish that are in the water up on the land for them? How is this going to happen? And the lord is telling moses hey, listen, you sit back and watch what I'm going to do. You know, this reminds me of something when the lord said uh. When the lord said back in. Uh, when the lord said back that they were going to have so much meat that it was going to come out of their nostrils verse 20 I'm sorry, while I was talking to you, I was trying to refine my place, but a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils, the lord is saying okay, you're crying and whining about meat. I'm going to give you so much meat that it's going to come out of your nostrils. This is what it reminds me of Back in 2023,.
Speaker 1:I have a niece who graduated out in Las Vegas and a couple of my family members and I went out there to her graduation and her parents treated everyone to a post-graduation meal, and the place they took us to I'm sorry, I don't remember the name of it, but it basically was a meat house, and what they did there was is that they kept bringing out different types of meat to your table. So the waiters and waitresses would come out and they would say, hey, do you want some of this, um, um, prime rib? Hey, do you want some of this roast beef? Do you want some of this beef wellington? I mean, it was all kind of meat and I'm ashamed to say that, uh, I ate so much meat, I really felt like the meat was coming out of my pores, like you know how you they.
Speaker 1:You hear people talk about meat sweats. I kind of had that going on a little bit. You know, I was telling my son that that, uh, I asked him, was he getting it too? Because at one point he tapped out too and said, yeah, I've had enough. I mean, it was just meat after meat after meat. I mean they just did not stop coming until you told them. So that's what what this reminds me of. The Lord is saying okay, you want to complain? I'm going to give you so much meat it's going to come out of your pores, out of your nostrils, and the people are going to get exactly what they were asking for. Part six Moses responds. We see this in verses 24 through 30.
Speaker 1:So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. Also, he gathered 70 men of the elders of the people and stationed them around the tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him and he took of the spirit who was upon him and placed it upon the 70 elders. And it came about that when the spirit rested upon them. They prophesied, but they did not do it again. But two men had remained in the camp and the name of one was Eldad and the name of the other was Medad, and the spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those who had been registered but had not gone out to the tent and they prophesied in the camp. So a young man ran and told Moses and said Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp. Then Joshua, the son of Nun, the attendant of Moses from his youth, answered and said Moses, my lord, restrain them. But Moses said to him Are you jealous? For my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his spirit upon them. Then Moses returned to the camp, both he and the elders of israel, and you know, in other words moses is saying you know, leave them alone. They're doing the lord's work.
Speaker 1:Which brings us to part seven. The people get quail and a plague from the lord for their greed. We see, we see this in verses 31 to 35. Now there went forth a wind from the lord and brought quail from the sea and let them fall beside the camp and by the day's journey on this side and a day's journey on the other side, all around the camp and about two cubits deep on the surface of the ground, and the people spent all day and all night and all the next day and gathered the quail. He who gathered least gathered 10 homers and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp while the meat was still between their teeth before it was chewed. The anger of the lord was kindled against the people and the lord struck the people with a very severe plague.
Speaker 1:Listen, I'm gonna pause right there for a second. It's saying that they were literally still eating, like the meat was still between their teeth, like they didn't even get a chance to pick the meat out of their teeth that the Lord slapped his plague on them verse 34. So the name of that place was called Kibreth Hetivai, because there they buried the people who had been greedy from Kibrat, kibrat, kibrat, excuse me, hathavah. The people set out for Hazaroth and they remained at Hazaroth. Got to forgive me for that. Sometimes, when I am just reading to you all and I come across some of these Old Testament names and places, it literally catches me off guard. So you got to forgive me for that.
Speaker 1:But there is something we need to see, we need to see about this plague now, that plague that we just read, that the lord put on the people, where it says that uh, back, go back to verse 33. While the meat was still between their teeth before it was chewed, the anger of the lord was kindled against the people and the lord struck the people with a very severe plague. That plague right there. We need to see something about this plague. Turn in your Bible to Psalm 106. The book of Psalm, chapter 106. So we can see something about this plague, psalm 106, and we are looking at verses 13 through 16. Psalm 106, verse 13. They quickly forgot his works and they did not wait for his counsel but craved intensely in the wilderness and tempted God in the desert. So he gave them their request but sent a wasting disease among them when they became envious of Moses in the camp and of Aaron, the holy one of the Lord. So that is talking about. This is a sign of going back to what happened during this time when the Lord put the plague on them.
Speaker 1:I would like to close with a new Testament passage to show us how this grumbling from Israel of old can affect us today, in the age of grace. So how they're grumbling can have, not them grumbling, but how even us grumbling, how it can affect us, even in this age. I need you to go to the New Testament and go to 1 Corinthians. You don't have to save your spot because we are going to wrap up the lesson after this 1 Corinthians and go to chapter 10. 1 Corinthians, 10, verse 6. First corinthians 10, verse 6.
Speaker 1:Now, these things happen as examples for us that we should not crave evil things, as they also crave, drop down to verse 10, nor grumble as some of them did and were destroyed by the destroyer. Why am I saying that? Why am I saying that? Why am I saying that about us? Because what's happened in the Old Testament, what we read in Numbers, chapter 11, these things were written as an example to us, an example to us to let us know how things can go with us.
Speaker 1:The same way that these people grumbled to the Lord and the Lord said OK, you know what I'm going to give you, exactly what you asked for. Remember that still applies to us as well. That's what it's talking about here in First Corinthians. Ask for remember that still applies to us as well. That's what it's talking about here in first, corinthians, you and I can be ungrateful. Start crying out to the lord, asking lord why he's not doing this, why he's not doing that, and sometimes people something I taught my kids the lord's. The lord will give you exactly what you want. The problem is is that you think you want that thing, but you really don't. Now that brings us to the end of Numbers, chapter 11. As always, I hope you got something from this lesson. I hope that you are praying for me that I stay strong in this word and finish the race, and I am doing the same for you. That is all for now, god bless.
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