Old Testament

Numbers 12:1-16
Unclean and Shut Out Of the Camp

As is always the case with stories like this one today, there are several levels of things going on. There is obviously the true narrative which actually occurred. Along with that, there are moral lessons which can be derived from the text which are always good for life application sermons. There are also pictorial representations of other things – normally pointing directly to Christ, and often adding in other aspects of redemptive history. And tied in with that third is a fourth, prophetic, aspect of the stories.

There are things which are prophesied in Scripture which are seen in mere shadows, which are then spoken forth as future events by later prophets, and which will be realized at various points of time in redemptive history. This account is no different. We’ll look at some of each of those details today. One of them stands out as an obvious tenet though right from the surface of the narrative.

Moses is said to have married an Ethiopian, and it says that Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of her. Although it’s not always plainly evident in Scripture because of rather hard words against certain people groups, one of the things which the Bible teaches is that all people are on the same level before the Lord when it comes to salvation. No person is exempt, and no one is favored over another. That isn’t always evident in churches too but it is explicit in Scripture, regardless of how the preacher or teacher attempts to manipulate the text to say otherwise.

Text Verse: “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. ²⁵ Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. ²⁶ And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, ²⁷ so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” Acts 17:24-27

God made all men from one man, one blood, and God has placed all men in the exact spot where they would be most likely to call out to Him and be saved. What this means is that the guy in Mongolia in AD1227 would be no more likely to seek out the Lord than he would have been if he was born in Sarasota in 1964. He has placed us all in a spot where the hope is that we will seek Him.

Miriam and Aaron didn’t like that their brother married an Ethiopian. That is what the surface text says, and so we can see that they were what we would today call racists. That will be explained as we go on. But that racist attitude is actually hiding a more deep-seated type of contempt in them. We will see that as we go on as well. Sometimes, negative attitudes against people, or peoples, come from places we may not even know exist.

We shut out the deeper animosities and express our hatred of someone or something in order to divert the attention away from something that others might find even more offensive. And if not others, certainly the Lord. A quick example would be hatred of the Jews. There are lots of reasons people say they hate the Jews. A couple days before I typed this sermon, some loser shot up a synagogue and killed eleven Jews because he said they were behind all kinds of crazy conspiracies.

Jews get blamed for a lot of conspiracies, but that is usually not the reason for people hating them. First, they remain isolated as a culture, and secondly, they tend to be extremely successful in whatever they do. Combine the two, and you have a recipe for real jealousy. No matter what the Jews do, they always seem to do it a bit better than the next guy. And because they collectively seem to excel as well, the world hates it. They can’t figure out the secret to their success, and so they blame them for … all types of crazy conspiracies. “Those Jews get ahead, but it can’t be because they have earned it. Therefore, they are cheating.” In the end, I would say the majority of Jew hatred is simply that – jealousy. It has festered since their inception, and it continues today. Whatever other reason for hating them, the main reason is found in jealousy. It’s the human condition.

That may have seemed like a pointless diversion, but it’s not. Jealousy is a green-eyed monster, and it is found not against only the Jews, but it is found in the Jews as well. Their jealousies are just directed in other ways. We might see a picture of that in our verses today. Maybe so. One thing is for sure, great things are to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Not So With My Servant Moses (verses 1-8)

Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses

va’te-daber miryam v’aharon – “and she started speaking – Miriam and Aaron.” There is an immediate stress on the misdeeds of Miriam here. First, the words, “then spoke” are in the feminine in the Hebrew, highlighting Miriam’s role. Further, Miriam is mentioned before Aaron. It is apparent from this, as it was from the account of the golden calf, that Aaron is a rather weak and indecisive figure. Miriam is the one who has taken offense, and she grabbed Aaron by the hand and led him into the sin of speaking against Moses. This is all the more certain based on the outcome of the events where she alone is punished with leprosy.

Despite this, Aaron is not innocent. First, because he didn’t immediately attempt to put out the fire that Miriam had started, and secondly, because in his not doing so he only urged the matter on further. This now becomes the greatest threat of all of those which had come, or would come, against Moses. Though seemingly not so, at all other times, Aaron has stood, or will stand, with Moses. But this is an insurrection which comes from within Moses’ own house, and from his two older siblings. It could presumably be a point where the two outvote the one. But more so, if this rebellion were to advance, it would compromise the entire structure of order which had been developed for the people on their trek to Canaan.

And further, Miriam was called a “prophetess” in Exodus 15:20. Though that is probably not an office, but rather a description of what occurred in relation to the song she had sung, she may have felt over-confident of her station because of the title. The fact that this comes after the granting of the Spirit that had rested on Moses to seventy others is not to be missed. Miriam was probably incensed that she did not receive any such favor, nor did Aaron. In this, they appear to be jealously responding to having not received something to which they had no right.

What “Miriam” means is not well agreed upon. It comes from two separate words marar which means either “bitter” or “strong” and yam which means “sea.” And so her name may mean “Bitter Waters,” or “Waters of Strength.” At this time, she is rushing forth as strong waters which are unbound and unrestrained, and this…

^1 (con’t) because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married;

The meaning of this is highly debated. The Hebrew word is kushi, the same word used to describe an Ethiopian. Some say this is speaking of Zipporah because of the location of Midian, where she was from, was actually once a part of land belonging to Cush. Some think Zipporah had died and Moses married another wife who was an Ethiopian. Or, it could be that Moses took a second wife who was from Ethiopia. The details don’t matter, other than to say that this is not Zipporah. That will be evident in a minute.

For now, whether Zipporah is dead or not is irrelevant. The only thing the text focuses on is that Moses had married an Ethiopian woman. In this, there was nothing forbidden. The only prohibition so far on marriages is found in Exodus 34:19. Speaking of the inhabitants of Canaan, it says, “and you take of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot with their gods and make your sons play the harlot with their gods.”

Cush, or Ethiopia, was a descendant of Ham, the son of Noah who had done something perverse to his father. His brothers included Mizraim, or Egypt of today, Put, who became some of the troublesome North African peoples, and Canaan, the son of Ham who was directly cursed by Noah. It is evident that Miriam felt superior to this woman and despised the fact that Moses had married down the social ladder.

However, Joseph had married an Egyptian, and their sons became two tribes of Israel. The disgust Miriam displays for Moses’ union to an Ethiopian stands as a sad testament to racial or cultural prejudice which continues on in the world. However, the Bible, on on several occasions, shows that the supposedly pure Jewish line is no better than that of any other. For example, a comparison between Israel and Cush, meaning Ethiopia, is made in Amos 9 –

“Are you not like the people of Ethiopia to Me,
O children of Israel?” says the Lord.
“Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt,
The Philistines from Caphtor,
And the Syrians from Kir?” Amos 9:7

That was a strong rebuke to Israel that they were no better than the supposedly lesser peoples who surrounded them. Miriam will be imparted this same knowledge indirectly through what occurs.

^1 (con’t) for he had married an Ethiopian woman.

The addition of this clause shows undoubtedly that this is not speaking of Zipporah. Even if someone was slanderously called a Cushite as a term of contempt like we use such terms today (and which actually seems like a likely pejorative of the time), the repetition of these words shows that this woman was, in fact, an Ethiopian. Whether Zipporah is dead or alive is irrelevant. The focus is on the animosity of Miriam towards the lowly Cushite and how she has taken it as offensive and degrading to Moses, and thus to her. If her younger brother had made such an unwise and socially poor decision, then it would mean his lofty position within the camp was not so lofty that they could not also partake of it…

² So they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses?

The words are emphatic, haraq akh b’mosheh, “only and solely through Moses?” They are not denying Moses’ prophetic office, but they are elevating themselves to that same level as seen with…

^2 (con’t) Has He not spoken through us also?”

Exodus 4:15 and elsewhere confirms that the Lord spoke through Aaron at times – either directly or indirectly. Exodus 15:20 shows that Miriam’s words were divinely inspired as well. However, those were rare instances, and they confirmed nothing concerning the office of prophet. They simply confirm that the Lord used them as His instruments for His own purposes. In 1 Chronicles 12:18, the Spirit is said to have come upon Amasai who then prophesied. However, it doesn’t follow that because of this he was a prophet. Again, this jealous streak was certainly aroused, not because Moses married an Ethiopian, but rather that was being used as a pretext for their jealousy which stemmed from them not being among those who received the Spirit which rested on Moses. Their attitude, however, is not without a greater audience…

^2 (con’t) And the Lord heard it.

Here is an ominous statement. It is true that the Lord hears all things, but at times He chooses to not hear some things. This complaint may have simply been between Miriam and Aaron. Regardless of the scope of those to whom the words were conveyed, the Lord heard and chose to hear.

This is in contrast to Moses, who confessed his displeasure to the Lord in the previous chapter. Despite that, the Lord chose not to hear, but responded in kindness and longsuffering with him. Such is not the case with what He now hears. Especially because…

³ (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)

Here is a new word in Scripture, anav. It can signify humble, meek, depressed in mind or circumstances, afflicted, and so on. It comes from the verb which means to be humbled or afflicted. The context drives the meaning, and here the context appears to be different than translations state. I say “appears” because I first held to one view, and then came to another. The preceding chapter spoke of Moses’ affliction because of the ingratitude of the people towards both him and towards God. No man had endured such responsibility, leading to affliction, that he had.

This is confirmed in his words when he appealed to the Lord. He had carried the pains and burdens of the people as if his own. It was he who found the very authority and power that he possessed as oppressive, and yet it was his own sister and brother who envied that same authority. They assumed that they could carry the burden as well as he could, but they had not been endowed with the Spirit which had rested upon him.

⁴ Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!” So the three came out.

Well, here you have it, the Lord spoke directly to the three of them. It doesn’t say that He spoke to Moses who then relayed that on to the two others. They knew the Lord’s voice, and they responded to it accordingly. The word “suddenly” was introduced in verse 6:9 when speaking of a person dying suddenly next to a Nazirite, thus violating their vow of consecration. In other words, there is a sudden, abrupt, and unusual call out to them. One can sense the displeasure and the foreboding of disaster in the use of the word.

When it says for them to come to the tent of meeting, that in no way implies “inside” of the tent. Time and again, people and offerings are presented at the tent of meeting without actually going into it. There is no violation of law in calling Miriam in this manner. They will stand before the tent, as is next seen…

⁵ Then the Lord came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle,

The same terminology was used in verse 11:25 where the Lord is said to have come “down in the cloud” to speak with Moses and impart the Spirit to the seventy elders. Further, the Lord is at the door of the tent, and therefore they are outside, not inside of it.

^5 (con’t) and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward.

The Lord’s voice obviously issued from the cloud, calling them to stand before Him. They would have passed the altar of offering on their way there. This is problematic, because Miriam has come forward bearing the sin of presumption, she has brought no offering, and she has had no sacrifice for her sin. She is in the presence of the Lord, but without the required atonement.

⁶ Then He said,

“Hear now My words:

shimu na davaray – “Hear, I pray, my words.” The meaning is obvious. “You have evidently not taken to heart My words as spoken through Moses. Now, please hear My words directly from Me to you.”

^6 (con’t) If there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision;
I speak to him in a dream.

The words should connect the name Jehovah with “prophet” as Young’s translates the verse –

“And He saith, ‘Hear, I pray you, My words: If your prophet is of Jehovah — in an appearance unto him I make Myself known; in a dream I speak with him;’” Young’s Literal Translation

There are prophets, and there are false prophets. The prophet of the Lord will have the Lord revealed to him, a false prophet will not. When a prophet receives a message from the Lord, it is in an obscure way. The word “vision” is translated elsewhere as a “mirror.” It is a shadowy reflection, just as a dream is. There is no externally audible communication in such revelation. Rather, there is an internal voice issuing forth. They were themselves mere organs used for the purpose of transmitting the word. However…

⁷ Not so with My servant Moses;

What is being said here is that the revelation communicated to Moses is on a completely different level than that of any of the other prophets of the Lord. How this is so is yet to be explained.

^7 (con’t) He is faithful in all My house.

The Lord shows there will be a contrast between any prophet of the Lord and Moses, but before explaining that contrast, he says the reason for it – “He is faithful in all My house.” The words are picked up by the author of Hebrews concerning Moses, but they are also then contrasted to that of Christ Jesus –

“For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. ⁵And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, ⁶ but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.” Hebrews 3:4-6

The house being spoken of is the entire economy in which the Lord works. In the case of Moses, it is the house of the Old Covenant, which stretches out even until the coming of Christ. In the case of Christ, He is the Son over His own house, meaning the New Covenant. What this means then is that Moses was the only person in the entire Old Covenant economy who would ever have this particular type of communication. All other prophets would have a lesser form of revelation than that of Moses. It is this statement here, which then is the basis for what is stated in Deuteronomy 18 with these words –

“The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear.” Deuteronomy 18:15

This Prophet like Moses would be unlike any other prophet in that He would receive His revelation directly from the mouth of the Lord. This was what the people were referring to in John 1:21, and which was then confirmed to be Jesus by Stephen in Acts 7:37. The words now communicated to Aaron and Miriam are to be used to point directly to Christ. For now, the Lord speaks of Moses’ faithfulness, obviously in contrast to the unfaithfulness of Miriam and Aaron, and he then gives the contrast of thought concerning the regular prophet of the Lord under the Old Covenant…

⁸ I speak with him face to face,

peh el peh – “face to face.” This was first stated, and obviously well known to the congregation, in Exodus 33:11, which said, “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.”

^8 (con’t) Even plainly, and not in dark sayings;

Here is a new word, khidah, or that which is enigmatic, or a riddle. That comes from khud meaning “to propound a riddle.” All other prophets during the period of this covenant would receive revelation in an obscure manner, whereas Moses received his in an open and fully understandable way. This doesn’t mean that Moses knew all the pictures and patterns which the words he penned contained, but that the words themselves were not a curiosity or enigma as to why they were being received.

^8 (con’t) And he sees the form of the Lord.

The word “form” is the same word translated as “likeness” in the Ten Commandments when speaking of the likeness of anything in heaven, on earth, or in the water under the earth. Moses saw a likeness of the Lord which no other saw. Quite possibly he saw the physical manifestation of the Lord that the apostles later saw, and touched, and walked with.

^8 (con’t) Why then were you not afraid
To speak against My servant Moses?”

They knew these things, they had seen Moses ascend the mountain to meet with the Lord. They had seen him go to the tent outside the camp to meet with the Lord, they had seen him enter the tent of meeting daily to meet with the Lord, and they knew that the words he received there would come true as spoken for the people’s benefit, such as in the giving of manna. And yet, they spoke presumptuously against him. In this, it was not Moses that they actually spoke against, but the Lord Himself who spoke to them through Moses.

My Servant is faithful in all My house, it is true
With complete trust, in Him I am confident
No matter what the job, faithfully that He will do
Yes, in Him I know that my trust is well spent

He is as a Son over His house, doing what is right
And all things are tended to with perfect care
Never does He slack, through day or through night
Of every need He is perfectly aware

And so in Him, you too can be confident
He will be sure to tend to your needs, so it is true
When you trust in My Son, Jesus, your trust is well spent
For you when you call on Him, great things He will do

II. And There She Was, A Leper (verses 9-16)

⁹ So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them, and He departed.

v’yikhar aph Yehovah bam va’yelek – “And burned nostrils Yehovah against them, and departed.” The Lord’s fury, as described by burning nostrils, raised up. In this, the Judge determined His sentence, and without allowing them to even respond, He departed as if from the bench of judgment.

¹⁰ And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow.

The punishment of leprosy shows the terrible consequences of what she had done. The same penalty came upon Gehazi, the servant of Elisha in 2 Kings 5:27 for having violated his trust as a servant of the prophet of God. And again, the penalty of leprosy came upon the forehead of King Uzziah for attempting to usurp the rights of the priests by entering the temple of the Lord in order to burn incense on the altar of incense. Each of these trespasses was in relation to the sacred trust which they had been given, and each of them received the penalty for their actions. However, she was not the only one who was punished in this act…

^{10 (con’t)} Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper.

It is speculated why only Miriam was punished. That is not valid speculation. Aaron indeed received punishment. Miriam was the instigator of this, and yet Aaron did nothing to restrain her, showing his weak and malleable character. The punishment upon her would be a torturous punishment to him because of his failure to man up to the situation before it got out of hand. Secondly, he could not even reach out to comfort her without becoming unclean and violating his office. And thirdly, simply because of his office, he was spared the leprosy – an implicit rebuke to him came because of the office which necessitated his not being afflicted despite deserving it.

Miriam, however, received the punishment she was due for failing to come with an acceptable sacrifice to atone for her sins. Unlike the seventy elders who were called for the impartation of the Spirit, the Lord calling her to the tent did not negate the requirement that no person was to come before the Lord empty-handed. When the seventy were called, the Lord showed His approval of their presence by speaking to Moses. Here, Aaron and Miriam were called, and the Lord showed His displeasure by speaking to them and not to Moses. Concerning her leprosy, John Lange says –

“She would stand above Moses snow-white in righteousness, while she looked down on him as unclean. She would be a lady over the Church, for she dominated over Aaron, and now, even as a leper, she must be excluded from the Church.” John Lange

¹¹ So Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord! Please do not lay this sin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned.

Aaron’s words here show that the punishment inflicted on Miriam is a punishment upon him as well. He acknowledges his guilt, he acknowledges his sin, and he acknowledges his punishment – all united with that of Miriam – alenu, “on us.” Further, this is the second recorded time that Aaron calls his younger brother adoni, or “my lord.” The first was at the incident of the golden calf when he was clearly in the wrong. Now he again calls Moses “my lord.” His acknowledgment of Moses’ authority is once again highlighted.

The petition is directly to Moses as if he could pardon the offense, but it obviously means that Aaron wants him to go to the Lord and beg for mercy. He uses a new and rather rare word here, yaal, a verb meaning “to act foolishly.” Their actions were foolish, and though they deserved the punishment of fools, he petitions for the mercy of the all-wise God. Only a short while earlier, they had united in rebellion as if they could speak for the Lord, now all such thoughts are gone. His only hope is that Moses would go, as it was his right and duty to do so, and speak to the Lord, and so he continues…

¹² Please do not let her be as one dead,

This is the ceremonial aspect of leprosy. Though alive, the afflicted one is treated as dead. He is cut off from the congregation, and can have no contact with them. Thus, all lepers are also separated from fellowship with the Lord at His sanctuary.

^{12 (con’t)} whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb!”

This is the physical aspect of the leprosy. A leper wastes away, limb by limb and with a loss of flesh that eventually gives him the appearance of a stillborn child who has, for some extended time, remained in the mother’s womb. When it comes forth, it is a lifeless mass of corrupted tissue. Aaron knows the outcome of the disease, and he again petitions Moses directly, as if he can ensure the outcome, to heal her. And as one would expect, Moses acts…

¹³ So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “Please heal her, O God, I pray!”

The words in the Hebrew are in a most passionate form where Moses repeats himself – el na repha na lah – “God I pray, heal I pray, her.” The use of el, or God, signifies His mighty power. The word comes from ayil, or ram. Such an animal is the symbol of strength as it butts with its horns. Moses’ use of it here acknowledges His power, and petitions for Him to use it once again, for good and not for destruction.

¹⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not be shamed seven days?

The idea of one spitting in another’s face has not changed in our society from that of the Hebrews. It was an act of great contempt. It is seen in Job where the young men who once revered him now contemptuously would spit in his face. Further, it is referred to in Isaiah 50 when prophesying of those who would spit in the face of Christ. That prophecy is fulfilled in the words of Mark 14:65.

For a father to spit in his daughter’s face, the Lord says that she would be kalam, or ashamed, for seven days. It is a new word signifying being humiliated or insulted. If such was the case with a mere spit in the face by a close relative, how much more shamed should Miriam be when the Lord has afflicted her with the due penalty for her contempt of Him!

^{14 (con’t)} Let her be shut out of the camp seven days, and afterward she may be received again.”

According to Leviticus 13, a person who was confirmed to have leprosy was to be put outside the camp. Once that was healed they were to be checked again and if cleansed, certain rituals were to be conducted and they would be allowed into the camp, but not into their tent for another seven days. Whether the leprosy was healed by the Lord immediately, but the penalty for defilement caused her to be kept outside the camp, or whether she was not healed until the seventh day, either way, she bore the disgrace of having become unclean through the leprosy.

The irony was thick in her regard. She had challenged her brother who was the leader of Israel, thus placing herself above all others in the camp. Now, she would be shut out as defiled and in less regard than all who were in the camp. And so out she went…

¹⁵ So Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days, and the people did not journey till Miriam was brought in again.

It is obvious that any defiled people traveled with Israel, but not in the ranks of Israel. There would have been defiled people at any given time during their travels. Therefore, there must be more to this verse than merely waiting for her to be brought in again, as if it was necessary for the camp to move. Such wouldn’t be the case.

Rather, it is the fact that they actually waited for her to be brought in again that is of note. The entire camp was made aware of the reason for their delay. Miriam had offended the Lord, and she was being punished for it. First, the entire camp would know that she was reduced to a leper and disgraced. And second, the entire camp would share in the punishment of Aaron and Miriam as a warning to never oppose Moses in such a manner again. The word for bringing her back into the camp is asaph, or gather. Until they gathered her in, the camp would not move on.

*¹⁶ And afterward the people moved from Hazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran.

As noted in Chapter 11, Khazeroth means Villages. Paran means “Glorious.” Only after Miriam was asaph, or gathered in were the people ready to move into the wildness of Paran.

Oh! We have sinned and done so foolishly
We have not been faithful to You as we should
We have acted unfaithfully and acted jealously
Please forgive us, and do not cast us out for good

Oh! That You would forgive us of our wrong
We stand before You knowing that we have offended You
Please don’t let our punishment last very long
Restore us, O God, and to You we will be true

Take away our guilt and our shame
And restore us to Your favor, heal us in Your sight
We have done wrong and we have received the blame
Heal us, O God, and going forward we shall do what is right

III. Pictures of Christ

What we have in this passage today is a snapshot of what would happen to Israel after their rejection of the Lord. Moses here is typical of Christ. He has married an Ethiopian wife. In this case, it doesn’t matter if this is Zipporah or not. Moses has taken a Gentile as his spouse and brought her into his tent. It is the Lord’s sovereign act of grace that He has included Gentiles in His covenant graces.

Miriam here pictures the prophetic witness of Israel, and Aaron the priestly witness of Israel, both of which testified to the Person and work of Christ, but which Israel collectively has rejected. In other words, their jealousy of Moses is reflective of Israel’s jealousy of what was understood from their own law and the words of the prophets. But what is more is that, as noted, their hatred of the wife was merely a pretext for hatred of the fact that they did not receive the portion of the Spirit that the elders of Israel did previously. Both Christ and the apostles were hated because of their witness of the work of the Lord and the acceptance of a Gentile bride.

Israel saw the mysteries of God’s workings being revealed to the Gentiles through the apostles, and they hated that. They were jealous of it, and they fought against it. This is all revealed in the New Testament, much of it in Acts. The plague on Miriam is the curse upon Israel which happened because of the stand against Christ. However, Aaron the high priest begged Moses for relief and healing. This is just as Jesus called out, “Father, forgive them, Father, for they do not know what they do.” In this, Christ, the true High Priest, petitions for the healing of Israel. But a time of punishment must first be fulfilled.

The seven days of Miriam’s punishment is reflective of the words of Leviticus 26 where the Lord said He would punish Israel seven times for their sins if they didn’t heed Him the first time. Israel didn’t heed after exile to Babylon, they rejected Christ, and their second punishment is for seven times. Israel didn’t move on again for seven days until Miriam was gathered in again. And only after their extended second punishment of seven times over would Israel, the people, be gathered in. That has actually happened in our lives, and they are almost ready to move on.

As far as the location here, it is Khazeroth, or Villages. It implies a place of many villages, and thus many people. It is a fitting description of the land of Israel’s exile around the world among many settlements and a wide range of peoples. The people remained there until Miriam was gathered in. It is the same word, asaph, which speaks of the people of Israel having been gathered again into the land of Israel in the latter days. In type and picture, we are seeing a simple snapshot of what occurred after Christ’s ministry as was revealed in the previous chapter.

Israel didn’t want the manna, Christ. They lusted after other flesh which only brought death. They saw the witness of the seventy who prophesied. They came against their Prophet like Moses. They received their punishment, being defiled and unclean ceremonially, and in a state of corruption and death during their period of banishment. But they were eventually restored and gathered in again. They are heading into the Wilderness of Paran, or Glorious.

More snapshots of the history of Israel will be seen when they arrive there. God has selected these individual stories to show greater pictures of what lies ahead both for Israel, and for the world at large, in the future when Christ would come. Of Miriam and Aaron, think of Israel’s rejection of Jesus, when you hear John Calvin’s words about their attitude –

“…that they not only abuse the gifts of God towards the brother whom they despise, but by an ungodly and sacrilegious glorification extol the gifts themselves in such a manner as to hide the Author of the gifts.” John Calvin

If that doesn’t sound like the attitude of the nation as displayed towards Christ, I’m not sure what else would do better. They rejected Him and His apostles, they looked to glorify themselves through the law rather than through Christ, and they have done their best to hide the Author of those gifts. The patterns from Numbers look to the reality of the world in which we, even this very day, continue to live in.

Closing Verse: “For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
I redeemed you from the house of bondage;
And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.” Micah 6:4

Next Week: Numbers 13:1-25 After this next sermon, we’ll keep going till the chapter is done (A Taste of the Land of Promise, Part I) (23^rd Numbers Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It may seem at times as if you are lost in a desert, wandering aimlessly. But the Lord is there, carefully leading you to the Land of Promise. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Unclean and Shut Out of the Camp

Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses
|Because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married
For he had married an Ethiopian woman
From the standard Hebrew woman, his choice had varied

So they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses?
Has He not spoken through us also?”
And the Lord heard it
To His ears, their words did go

(Now the man Moses was very humble, not exalting his worth
More than all men who were on the face of the earth)

Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam
“Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!”
So the three came out
When the Lord spoke, there was no need for repeating 

Then the Lord came down
In the pillar of cloud and stood in the door
Of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam
And they both went forward, probably scared sore 

Then He said, “Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you
I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision
I speak to him in a dream, as I choose to do

Not so with My servant Moses;
He is faithful in all My house; he gets my top mark
I speak with him face to face
Even plainly, and not in sayings which are dark

And he sees the form of the Lord
Why then were you not afraid
To speak against My servant Moses?”
Why was your boasting not stayed

So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them
And He departed without further haw or hem

And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle
|Suddenly Miriam became leprous, as snow – so white
Then Aaron turned toward Miriam
And there she was, a leper – a terrible sight

So Aaron said to Moses
“Oh, my lord! Please do not lay this sin on us
In which we have done foolishly
And in which we have sinned by making such a fuss 

Please do not let her be as one dead
Whose flesh is half consumed
When he comes out of his mother’s womb!
And is ready even then to be entombed!

So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying
“Please heal her, O God, I pray!” To You my petition I am relaying

Then the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face
Would she not be shamed seven days?
Let her be shut out of the camp seven days
And afterward she may be received
———-after the punishment for her errant ways 

So Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days
And the people did not journey till was brought in again Miriam
And afterward the people moved from Hazeroth
And camped in the Wilderness of Paran

Lord God, we are even now in a wilderness
And we are wanting to be led by You
Without You to direct, our lives would be a mess
And so be our guide, O God; You who are faithful and true

We long for the water in this barren land
May it flow forth from the Rock, our souls to satisfy
Give us this refreshing, spiritual hand
And may we take it, and to our lives daily it apply

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to you for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

Numbers 11:16-35
Be Careful What You Ask For

A person becomes a true Christian by having faith in Christ. The requirement is given, and when it is met, he becomes a part of that holy body. But, unless you think a bit too highly of yourself, you’ll have to admit that you aren’t the perfect Christian. And in fact, every one of us is on a different level. Still speaking of saved believers, there are some very faithful souls, and there is any degree below that, right down to those who have fallen back into the world’s way, having even forgotten the commitment they made.

As Christians, we can find sufficiency in the Lord, or we can keep looking back to the world, hoping to find delight or satisfaction in something else. I’m not opposed to people buying a lottery ticket, especially when the jackpot gets up to a billion dollars. A two dollar investment could pay off rather well there. But there are people, including Christians, that seem to lust after the lottery, or the next big thing at work, like a promotion, or the next faster car that they can buy.

Having any of these, or countless other things, is not wrong in and of itself. It is the attitude concerning those things that can be, and usually is, wrong.

Is it wrong to eat quail? Is it wrong to think, “Gee, I’d like to have quail for dinner?” No. This isn’t wrong. But it would be wrong if someone said, “Ever since I became a Christian, I haven’t been able to afford a single quail for dinner. I used to have quail all the time. This deal stinks.” It’s not the quail; it’s the attitude.

Where we find our ultimate sufficiency is where we will find our fullest joy. If we really love quail, even if it is completely unavailable, but we are still content in Christ, then it doesn’t matter if we don’t have quail.

Text Verse: He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens;
And by His power He brought in the south wind.
²⁷ He also rained meat on them like the dust,
Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas;
²⁸ And He let them fall in the midst of their camp,
All around their dwellings. Psalm 78:26-28

The person who says, “I can afford the lottery ticket and this should be fun to see what happens,” is in a completely different position than the person who says, “I sure hope I win the lottery. That will pay off all my bills.” If you have bills you can’t deal with, the last thing you need to do is be buying lottery tickets.

But normally, the people who can afford them the least are those who will spend the most on them. When they get what they ask for, it will almost always turn into a curse. The number of lottery winners who are in worse shape than before they won is huge. They weren’t responsible before they had the money, and they won’t be responsible after they get it. They got what they asked for, and it didn’t profit them at all.

Today we will see a group of people who are unsatisfied with that which is of the highest value of all. In turn, their hearts turn back to what they first had, not realizing that what they want will never satisfy. If you can’t be satisfied in the One who made the quail, you sure won’t be satisfied with the quail He made. Let us remember that only the Lord can truly fill every need and desire we have. Anything less will disappoint. This is one of those important lessons we find in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. You Shall Eat Meat (verses 16-22)

¹⁶ So the Lord said to Moses:

It was in the preceding verses that Moses, overwhelmed with his duties and responsibilities, said that he was not able to bear all the people alone. He simply could not foresee any relief from the box in which he found himself, and so he poured out his anguish before the Lord. It is with this context being understood that we come to these words now.

Rather than, “So the Lord spoke to Moses,” it says, “So the Lord said to Moses.” As we have seen in the past, the subtle change in wording, from daber (spoke) to amar (said), indicates that the task requires a partnership and people working together. It may seem like trifling, but it isn’t.

^{16 (con’t)} “Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them;

Here we have two different distinctions being made. The first are the zaqen, or elders. The word comes from zaqan, or beard. It thus signifies someone who is old, recognizable because of his pronounced beard. Secondly, they are noted as shoterim, or officers. This word comes from an unused root which probably signifies, “to write.” Thus, they were old men who were also some type of magistrate or scribe. The only other time this word has been used was in Exodus 5.

The Lord is directing Moses to gather together seventy of such advanced and skilled men. They have years of experience, and they have skills already developed to conduct affairs necessary to bear authority over others. The Lord is not asking simply for Moses to gather together friends, but truly qualified men.

Of the number seventy, Bullinger defines it as “…spiritual order carried out with all spiritual power and significance. Both spirit and order are greatly emphasized.” The very context of the passage confirms this as being exactly what the number identifies. The seventy here in this verse are said to have been later used as the basis for the number which formed the Sanhedrin in Israel, seventy men with a leader, like Moses, appointed over them. It is also the same number that Jesus sent forth in Luke 10:1.

^{16 (con’t)} bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you.

The Lord has completely overlooked the plea of Moses which closed out the verses in the previous sermon. Moses had said, “If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now—if I have found favor in Your sight—and do not let me see my wretchedness!” Instead of rebuking Moses, He simply redirects him to a new path that will correct Moses’ inability to handle the congregation by himself.

This is evident because these men are being brought forward to the tent of meeting to stand together with Moses. This is the place of ordination as much as it is the place of seeking God’s mercy. That has been seen in the ordination of the priests and the Levites. Now a new group is set to be ordained for a new purpose…

¹⁷ Then I will come down and talk with you there. 

The Lord is already speaking to Moses, and so this seems like a superfluous statement, but this is not an unnecessary set of words. First, it is an act of honor to Moses that he would be addressed while these men were there. The Lord is still setting him apart even in the act of raising up those who stood around him.

Secondly, the fact that the Lord will speak to Moses while the leaders are at the tent of meeting is an assurance that they are acceptable to be there. As the Lord had said in the past, “…none shall appear before Me empty-handed.” And yet, they have not been asked to bring anything but themselves before the Lord. Instead of presenting a gift, they are presenting themselves, and it is they who will be given something…

^{17 (con’t)} I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them;

There is one Spirit, and He is indivisible. What is being conveyed here is not that the Spirit upon Moses will be lessened, but that the gifts which Moses is endowed with will likewise be endowed to these men in whatever measure the Lord determined. This is confirmed by Paul’s words which say –

“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. ⁶ And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 

It is the Lord who distributes to each one individually as He wills. He had willed to have His Spirit rest upon Moses in certain gifts, and now He would allow that same Spirit to rest upon these men. Just as the lamp in the tabernacle was lit, one lamp to the next without diminishing the light of the first lamp, so these men will receive the spiritual gifts of Moses without diminishing his. There is one fountain from which the Spirit proceeds. That fountain will now be directed to flow to these men…

^{17 (con’t)} and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone.

With the Spirit imparted to them, the heavy burden which overwhelmed Moses would be relieved. That “spiritual order carried out with all spiritual power and significance,” as explained by Bullinger, would be sufficient to handle the burden so that Moses will never ask the Lord to take his life again.

¹⁸ Then you shall say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat;

In Exodus 19, the Lord instructed that the people consecrate themselves before His appearance to them on Sinai when He gave them the Ten Commandments. In Jeremiah 12:3, the prophet asks the Lord to consecrate (prepare) the people for the day of slaughter. The idea here is, “Prepare to meet your God” in the way that He determines. In this case, it is at the same time a mercy bestowed upon Moses, and it is also a judgment to be wrought upon the people. That is why the two accounts are interlaced as they are. That this is judgment upon them is next seen…

^{18 (con’t)} for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.”

The Lord heard their weeping, but it was a weeping of complaint where verse 10 said, “the anger of the Lord was greatly aroused.” They openly and directly lied when they said, “it was well with us in Egypt.” They may have had meat to eat, but things were not well with them. It is they who cried out in their bondage, and it is God who responded to their cries. They had meat while in bondage. Now they have no meat while in freedom. To show them how sinful their complaining is, he will show them the difference between the two…

^{18 (con’t)} Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat.

Their complaints were directed against the Lord, and in judgment, He would give them what they asked for, and more…

¹⁹ You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days,

In Exodus 16, the Lord sent quail to the people along with the manna. That appears to have been one day, and it was prior to the giving of the law. Despite complaining, they had not yet been given the law, and so the Lord graciously provided for them in their complaints. Now, after the law is given, he will righteously give them what they ask for in their complaints as judgment upon them. The counting of the days in an upward manner indicates this…

²⁰ but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you,

Whether the quail came for thirty days, or whether they were given enough quail to last them for thirty days, the Lord has promised that they would have quail sufficient for thirty days of meals. It would be such a vast amount that they would over-indulge in it and come to loath it. The words, “until it comes out of your nostrils” are probably both metaphorically and literally spoken, though at the time Moses conveyed the words to them, they would have only taken it metaphorically.

^{20 (con’t)} because you have despised the Lord who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, “Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?”’”

The idea here is that the Lord will remind them exactly why they came up out of Egypt. With the memory of the meat they ate wiped away because of it becoming so distasteful to them, they would no longer look back on what was positive, but instead would only remember what was negative. The bondage of Egypt would hopefully be seen for what it rightly was. And so the giving of the quail in this manner is a necessary step in order to cut the people’s dependency on desiring that which could never satisfy.

²¹ And Moses said, “The people whom I am among are six hundred thousand men on foot; yet You have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat for a whole month.’

He is incredulous. It’s clear that he believes what he just heard, but it would require a miracle. This is also one of those verses that shows that this was not recorded by some later writer. Instead of citing the exact number from the census, or instead of rounding that number up and including all the counted Levites, or even giving a superlative number which included all the women and children, Moses speaks out the number of those counted as ready for warfare, and he rounds the number down. This would hardly be what a later writer would record. Despite this, the amount of meat it would take to feed only six hundred thousand would be huge. Multiply that times thirty days, and what would be needed?

²² Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to provide enough for them?

Scholars here sharply chide Moses for failing to believe. That may be true to some point, but Moses hasn’t disbelieved. He only cannot understand how it could otherwise come about. They had flocks and herds. His question is whether that is the Lord’s remedy for it. If so, that would totally deplete the supply. What he asks reflects the words of the apostles who questioned Jesus at the feeding of the five thousand. They asked, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and given them something to eat?” In both, they are looking at what is expected of them more than how the Lord would otherwise resolve the matter apart from them. That second option is then explicitly stated by Moses…

^{22  (con’t)} Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to provide enough for them?”

The very fact that Moses asks this indicates that he knows it cannot happen apart from God. They are nowhere near the sea, and so it is something that would truly be miraculous to otherwise occur. He has been told to tell the people they will eat meat for a month, and he wants to be able to explain how when he goes to them. The stress of the complaints, and the pressure of the burden on him, causes him to want more than just the word that it will happen, but an explanation of how it will come about. But the Lord doesn’t give that, he simply proclaims that His word will be realized…

You shall know that I am the Lord your God
I will make it evident in the works I do
Be confident that as in this earth you trod
I have given sufficient evidence to you

I prevailed over the law, which no one else could do
I showed that I am the Holy One of Israel
And then I went to Calvary’s cross for you
And so of My works, you are to tell

I proved My sinless life when I broke death’s chains
In the resurrection, I proved that I have set you free
Now the only thing which remains
Is that You reach out your heart and receive Me

II. And the Spirit Rested (verses 23-30)

²³ And the Lord said to Moses, “Has the Lord’s arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not.”

It doesn’t say, “arm.” It says, “hand.” “Has the Lord’s hand been shortened?” The hand is what provides, it is what gives out, it is what demonstrates ability to sustain. The Lord rhetorically asks if His ability to provide and keep on providing has somehow become limited. The obvious answer is, “No.” It doesn’t matter how He will provide, the fact that He has spoken means that He will provide. Moses needs to simply accept Him at His word, and to trust that His word is true. And apparently, he does…

²⁴ So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord, and he gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tabernacle.

The words, “So Moses went out,” indicate that he had been conversing with the Lord in the tent of meeting. After that, he passed on all of what the Lord had said and gathered those chosen as elders together, placing them, as it says, “around” the tent. This probably means in a semi-circle in front of the tent, facing its front.

²⁵ Then the Lord came down in the cloud,

The cloud, which remained above the spot where the mercy seat was within the tabernacle, physically moved from there to confirm that His presence was absolutely there with them in what was about to occur. There could be no mistake that what would come about was purposeful. From there…

^{25 (con’t)} and spoke to him,

This is exactly what He said He would do in verse 17. It confirms that Moses is still set apart from those who are about to receive the Spirit, and it shows that the men are accepted before the Lord by the invitation of Moses. The speaking of the Lord to Moses is a foreshadowing of what is recorded concerning Jesus in relation to those with Him in John 12 –

“Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify Your name.”
Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”
²⁹ Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.”
³⁰ Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.” John 12:27-30

^{25 (con’t)} and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders;

Again, as He said He would do, the Lord performs His word. Each step is in confirmation of His words to Moses, and it is a purposeful event which could not otherwise be denied by any who saw it occur.

^{25 (con’t)} and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again.

Here is the first use of the verb nava, or prophesy, in the Bible. It comes from the noun navi, or prophet. We are not told what they prophesied, and so for us it doesn’t matter what they said or sang. It simply indicates an uttering forth of praise of, or of the will of God. What matters is that the same Spirit rested on all, demonstrating that the Spirit that was upon Moses was sufficient to meet the challenges he faced, even if he was not. Now, that same Spirit would be with the seventy who would work with Moses to meet the challenges as a united whole.

That they never prophesied again simply means that they were not called to be prophets. Instead, they were called to be assistants to the prophet. The Spirit is One, and He apportions the gifts according to His wisdom.

²⁶ But two men had remained in the camp: the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those listed, but who had not gone out to the tabernacle; yet they prophesied in the camp.

The name Eldad means Whom God Loves, in essence, Beloved of God. Medad means Beloved. A written notice, as the Hebrew indicates, had been made for them to come. However, and without giving the reason for it, they were still in the camp. But they were chosen, and the Spirit rested upon them, just as among the others. This was sufficient to show that the Lord was not constrained to the area of the tabernacle, just as Ezekiel’s calling showed that the Lord was not constrained to the area of Israel. Likewise, the book of Acts shows that the Lord is not constrained to any location or people group, but that His Spirit extends beyond any supposed borders which we tend to mentally impose on Him.

The names of these men seem to have been specially chosen by the Lord to show that whom God loves, and those who are His beloved, are never out of reach of the bestowal of His Spirit. As they are the only two named elders, they are thus representative of all of them.

²⁷ And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

The Hebrews says, “And the young man.” It doesn’t say who he is, but he is singled out by the definite article. However, it is likely that it is Joshua. The same term, naar, or “young man,” is used of him in Exodus 33:11, which was within the past year. Regardless of his actual age, he is considered a young man in relation to Moses.

What may have happened, is that Joshua, being Moses’ assistant, was the one who was sent out with the written names of the seventy chosen men. Sixty-eight had arrived, and Eldad and Medad were probably the last on the list. Before they even had a chance to gather themselves together and head to the tabernacle, the Spirit came upon them. In seeing this, he was so concerned about what had taken place that he made a beeline for Moses to tell him what was going on. This seems likely because…

²⁸ So Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, one of his choice men, answered and said, “Moses my lord, forbid them!”

The Hebrew doesn’t say, “one of his choice men.” It says He was Moses’ assistant “from his youth.” This verse explains the previous verse. Joshua had been Moses’ assistant from his youth, and he is still a young man who preciously guarded the relationship, desiring Moses to be held in proper esteem. For these people to be in the camp prophesying, Joshua must have thought that it disparaged Moses’ authority in the eyes of the people. This same general thing happened at the time of Jesus’ ministry, as recorded in Mark 9 –

“Now John answered Him, saying, ‘Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.’

³⁹ But Jesus said, ‘Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. ⁴⁰ For he who is not against us is on our side. ⁴¹ For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.’” Mark 9:38-41

At all times, one must contemplate who he is looking to honor. In the end, it is the Lord, above all else, that deserves that from us. Moses understood Joshua’s misguided passion, and he gently rebukes him for it…

²⁹ Then Moses said to him, “Are you zealous for my sake? 

Moses knew that Joshua was jealous of the gifts bestowed upon the men, possibly because he had been Moses’ assistant, and yet he did not receive the Spirit, but more directly because he was Moses’ assistant and he wanted Moses’ authority to not be diminished. But Moses felt otherwise…

^{29  (con’t)} Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!”

Moses was so far from having an ego, that he would have enjoyed full fellowship in the Lord with all of the Lord’s people. And in fact, it would have been a relief to him. The very grief he faced, and which had led him to the point of despair, would be fully lifted from him if this were the case. One cannot help to think that his plea here is actually given as a foretaste of what would occur in the giving of the New Covenant in Christ. His words are a hopeful anticipation of a time when this would come to pass. Sadly, however, though all of the Lord’s people have received of His Spirit, we still, more often than not, do our best to run our lives apart from HIM. Even Moses will be found to do so in the pages ahead. None of us are exempt from listening to our own selves and shutting out the word of the Lord and the leading of the Spirit.

³⁰ And Moses returned to the camp, he and the elders of Israel.

This is the last time that the role of these elders is mentioned. We have no idea how they assisted Moses, or under what circumstances. The account itself stands as a witness to the fact that it happened because Moses felt unable to bear the weight of the people of the camp alone. And yet, it testifies to the fact that the Spirit, whether alone on Moses, or spread out among many, was sufficient to the task. With the matter settled, the men returned to the camp to consecrate themselves for the next day, as instructed.

What we have in these verses is a snapshot of Christ’s ministry. He had, in the first 15 verses of the chapter, been pictured in the manna. The people had rejected that and lusted after other flesh. That was reflective of Christ’s words in John 6:27. He told the people not to labor for food which perishes, but for the food – meaning Himself – which endures to everlasting life. He is the manna pictured in the wilderness. Israel rejected that and wanted something else, something temporary and corruptible.

During that same earthly ministry, Jesus appointed seventy to go forth and tell of Him and His kingdom. They were given the ability to perform His work on His behalf, just as these men are appointed to assist Moses. As I noted, there were only two named elders and thus they are representative of them.

In the New Covenant, believers are called both Beloved of God and Beloved throughout the epistles. They represent those who have been endowed with the Spirit. They were first given a special dispensation of it for the time of Christ’s earthly ministry, but that eventually went out to all followers of Christ after His work was complete. The parallels are given to show us these patterns to lead us to understand that Christ is the fulfillment of the pictures found in Moses and the Old Covenant.

The flesh which God has sent, it is food indeed
It is sufficient to fill us and give us life anew
And when we have partaken, we will then follow at the lead
Of our Lord, who has given Himself for me and you

The dew of heaven has left behind a gift for us
There is bread enough for all to eat
And this only pictures the coming Messiah, Jesus
Oh my! How delicious is this Bread… so very sweet

Thank You, O God, for filling our souls in such a way
You have granted us life through Your Son
And so we will exalt You through Him, each and every day
Until when at last this earthly life is done

Then we shall praise You forevermore O God
As in the heavenly Jerusalem we shall forever trod

III. Graves of Craving (verses 31-35)

³¹ Now a wind went out from the Lord,

v’ruakh nasa me’et Yehovah. It is the same word, ruakh, used to indicate the Spirit in the previous verses. It is not coincidence that the Spirit and the wind are both mentioned and which use the same word in these passages. The connection should not be missed. This is a divinely appointed wind which is intended to instruct the people in no less a way than the Spirit was also given to do.

^{31 (con’t)} and it brought quail from the sea and left them fluttering near 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 above the surface of the ground.

The Hebrew here is highly debated, but what is certain is that there was a whole o’ heap of quail, regardless of how it is translated. In this is a new and very rare word, guz. It signifies “to pass over (or away) rapidly.” The wind which arose came and it came suddenly. The birds were completely caught up in it, and they were deposited all around the camp. They were probably so exhausted from the turmoil of the wind, that they would be easy pickings, hardly even able to flutter away.

The selav, or quail, is only found four times in the Bible. Once was in Exodus 16, twice here, and once in the 105^th Psalm while referring to this time in the wilderness. The word is derived from shalah, meaning “to prosper.” That idea comes from a root meaning “to be quiet” or “to be at ease.” The connection between the words is that quails are fat and slow in flight because of their weight, and so they are given this name.

These would have blown up from the region of the Red Sea, but what is miraculous is that it occurred exactly at the time the Lord said it would, and in the amount that made His promise possible. A day’s journey on either side and all around would be miles and miles of quail, worn out and ready to be captured, plucked, and laid out for drying…

³² And the people stayed up all that day, all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers);

One thing we know for certain is that it is not a Saturday. Other than that, we can only speculate about much of what is said. The Lord sent so many quail that the people were gathering for as much as 36 hours. A homer is the largest measure used in the Bible, and it is used at times, such as in the piling up of frogs during the plague of Egypt, to indicate a massive amount.

The number ten is used several times in Scripture to denote a large, indeterminate amount as well. Therefore, the idea is that the one who gathered the least gathered great heaps. In their gathering, they would catch the bird alive and wring off its neck, draining its blood, and then adding it to their ever-increasingly large pile.

The excitement of the gather, however, would be replaced with a sense of loathing soon enough. Like anything, too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing.

^{32 (con’t)} and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp.

Here is another new word, shatakh, or “spread.” It is used of casting out grain, or spreading out one’s hands. It is used twice in this verse and just four more times in Scripture. In this, they took the quail and spread them wherever there was space for them to be dried out in the sun.

³³ But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was aroused against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very great plague.

The account goes directly from the gathering to the eating and its resulting plague. There are various ideas about when this occurred. Some say “before it was chewed.” Some say, “before it came to an end,” meaning before all of it was consumed. No matter what, their cravings eventually caught up with them. Here the word “plague” is makah. It is one of the promised punishments first noted only weeks, or at best a couple months, before in the explanation of the punishments the people could expect for disobedience. In Leviticus 26:21, it said –

“Then, if you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing to obey Me, I will bring on you seven times more plagues, according to your sins.”

This was a foretaste of what lay ahead for Israel when they would walk in a manner contrary to the Lord. They lusted after the things of the world, the lust of the flesh, and they suffered because of it. So much so, in fact, that it says va’yak Yehovah ba’am makah rabah meod – “and struck Yehovah the people plague great very.” The superlative nature of the words indicates that many fell. The people would not only loathe the quail because of overindulgence, but because it had so greatly plagued those who died among them.

³⁴ So he called the name of that place Kibroth Hattaavah,

Qivroth ha’taavah means, literally “graves the lusting.” Qivroth comes from qever, a grave, or a place for burial. Ha is the definite article, and taavah means desire. That was first used in Genesis 3 –

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.” Genesis 3:6

It isn’t by chance that this is the second use of taavah in Scripture. Just as Eve looked to the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, instead of being obedient to the Lord, here the people have looked to the lusts of the flesh and not to the provision of the Lord. His manna, picturing Christ, and the quail of Exodus 16, provided as a picture of Christ’s death, was replaced with an unhealthy lusting for something more.

In Exodus 16, they complained due to hunger, not yet having the manna. Further, that was before the law was given. Here, they complained despite the manna, and it was after the giving of the law. They left the Lord and turned their hearts back to Egypt, even after He had fully provided for them. In this, the people forfeited their lives as examples of what we too can expect in turning back to the world and away from God’s provision found in Christ.

^{34 (con’t)} because there they buried the people who had yielded to craving.

Here the verb form of grave, meaning “to bury,” and the verb form of craving are both used, giving the basis for the name of the place. The avah, or craving, is first used here, and it is the basis for taavah. The naming of the place is, as often happens for places and for people, the result of the surrounding circumstances.

³⁵ From Kibroth Hattaavah the people moved to Hazeroth, and camped at Hazeroth.

As noted, Kibroth Hattaavah means Graves of Lusting. Khazeroth is the plural of khatser, or village. Therefore, it means “Villages.” The people were probably immensely happy to depart from their first sad stop along the way to Canaan. There, the Lord burned among them, and then He caused the plague to destroy many. Their yielding to the lusts of the flesh, and their inability to trust the Lord and to be satisfied in His provision was a memorable lesson.

In the end, the lesson of the quail needs to be explained. The quail are mentioned in only two accounts, Exodus 16 and here. Other than that, the Psalms merely reference what occurred here. In Exodus 16, the quails came at specific time of day which looked forward to Christ’s cross. In the morning, they had manna, a picture of Christ’s body given for us. It was a one time, and for all time, sacrifice, after which it was expected to be sufficient for the people. But here, they lusted again for meat, not finding sufficiency in Christ. This is why the manna was highlighted in verse 6. There it said, “but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes.”

They had come to partake of Christ in an unworthy manner and they suffered because of it. The parallel is found in Paul’s word to the Corinthians that we remind ourselves of every week during the Lord’s Supper –

“Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸ But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹ For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. ³⁰ For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. ³¹ For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. ³² But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.”

Israel failed to accept the provision of the Lord. They failed to find sufficiency in Him. And, they lusted after those things Egypt provided. The scholar Keil notes that –

“God purposed to show the people His power, to give them flesh not for one day or several days, but for a whole month, both to put to shame their unbelief, and also to punish their greediness.” Keil

That practically matches what Paul said to those in Corinth. He said, “Therefore, when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk.” The people complained and the Lord burned among them. They complained against the manna. Moses couldn’t bear the weight of the people, despite the ruakh which was on Him. The Lord took of the ruakh which was on Moses and placed it on seventy others. But Moses was excited by the prospect of all the Lord’s people having the ruakh. After that, the Lord then sent a ruakh to bring quail to the people. The people ate the quail and many died.

When the ruakh went out from the Lord, it brought what the people complained after. Those who were ungrateful or uncaring about the Lord paid the penalty for their disobedience. The lesson for us is to be careful what you ask for. James says –

Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? James 4:4, 5

These types and shadows from the Old are intended to instruct us on life in the New. Now, every one of the Lord’s people has been given the Spirit, and that Spirit yearns jealously. Let us not crave what the world provides, but let us find sufficiency in Christ alone. He is the Bread from heaven, and He is fully capable of satisfying our souls, if we will simply accept His provision.

Please, turn your hearts to Christ, be satisfied in the Lord, and have faith that what You have is exactly what He desires for You. This doesn’t mean not to strive to be your best and to attain the best, but to do so knowing that the Lord is sufficient for you as you strive ahead. Seek Him first and all good things will be added to you, according to His wisdom, not yours.

Closing Verse: “So they ate and were well filled,
For He gave them their own desire.
³⁰ They were not deprived of their craving;
But while their food was still in their mouths,
³¹ The wrath of God came against them,
And slew the stoutest of them,
And struck down the choice men of Israel.” Psalm 78:29-31

Next Week: Numbers 12:1-16 Being defiled is its own marked stamp (Unclean and Shut Out Of the Camp) (22^nd Numbers Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It may seem at times as if you are lost in a desert, wandering aimlessly. But the Lord is there, carefully leading you to the Land of Promise. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Be Careful What You Ask For

So the Lord said to Moses:
“Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel
Whom you know to be the elders of the people
And officers over them; as to you I now tell

Bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, this thing you shall do
That they may stand there with you

Then I will come down and talk with you there
I will take of the Spirit that is upon you
———-and will put the same upon them, so to you I submit
And they shall bear the burden of the people with you
That you may not yourself alone bear it

Then you shall say to the people
‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat
For you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying
“Who will give us meat to eat?

For it was well with us in Egypt, it was a culinary treat
Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat 

You shall eat, not one day, nor two days
Nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, it’s true
But for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils
And becomes loathsome to you

Because you have despised the Lord who is among you
And have wept before Him, saying
“Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?
These unhappy words to me you were relaying

And Moses said
“The people whom I am among are on foot
———-six hundred thousand men
Yet You have said, ‘I will give them meat
That they may eat for a whole month! Tell me that again! 

Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them?
To provide enough for them, so I ask
Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them?
To provide enough for them… that is one major task!

And the Lord said to Moses
“Has the Lord’s arm been shortened a little or a lot?
Now you shall see whether what I say
Will happen to you or not

So Moses went out and told the people
The words of the Lord
And he gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people
And placed them around the tabernacle, according to the word 

Then the Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke to him
———-and took of the Spirit that was upon him
And placed the same upon the seventy elders – these chosen men
And it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them
That they prophesied, although they never did so again

But two men had remained in the camp:
The name of one was Eldad, yes – Eldad it’s true
And the name of the other Medad
And the Spirit rested upon them too

Now they were among those listed
But who had not gone out to the tabernacle
Yet they prophesied in the camp
Their gift of prophecy they did tackle 

And a young man ran and told Moses, and said
“Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp
———-by the Spirit they are being led!

So Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant
One of his choice men, answered and said
“Moses my lord, forbid them!
They are prophesying as by the Spirit they are led

Then Moses said to him
“Are you zealous for my sake?
Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets
And that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!
———-that He would this move make 

And Moses returned to the camp, so we know
He and the elders of Israel, to the camp they did go

Now a wind went out from the Lord
And it brought quail from the sea
And left them fluttering near the camp
About a day’s journey on this side and on the other side
———-about a day’s journey

All around the camp, yes all around
And about two cubits above the surface of the ground

And the people stayed up all that day, all night
———-and all the next day
And gathered the quail, but not by the pound
(he who gathered least gathered ten homers)
And they spread them out for themselves in the camp all around

But while the meat was still between their teeth
Before it was chewed, so the account does state
The wrath of the Lord was aroused against the people
And the Lord struck the people with a plague very great

So he called the name of that place Kibroth Hattaavah
Because they buried the people who had yielded to craving there
From Kibroth Hattaavah the people moved to Hazeroth
And camped at Hazeroth, yes that is where

Lord God, we are even now in a wilderness
And we are wanting to be led by You
Without You to direct, our lives would be a mess
And so be our guide, O God; You who are faithful and true

We long for the water in this barren land
May it flow forth from the Rock, our souls to satisfy
Give us this refreshing, spiritual hand
And may we take it, and to our lives daily it apply

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to you for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

Numbers 11:1-15
Moses’ Heavy Burden

I knew I was in trouble at 8:45 on Monday, 15 October. I did my morning devotional work in the book of Hebrews and got that posted, and then around 5:15 to 5:30 I started typing this sermon. I left for about 45 minutes to clean the mall and 7-11 and then came back home. By 8:45, I thought that I had finally finished the first verse. That was about 2 or 2 ½ hours of typing. Once I got into verse 2, I realized that verse 1 was incomplete.

If I was to get 15 verses done at that pace, it would be well into Tuesday morning, without any more breaks, before I got them finished. Fortunately, not all were as complicated as verse 1. But it seemed like it was more than I could bear. Now imagine Moses. He didn’t just have his duties as the leader of the people who were all in one accord. Rather, as the account today shows, they were not only not in one accord, they were all over the place.

People were inciting the multitude into rebellion, and there was – literally – nothing that Moses could do to appease them over what had them riled up. If you’ve ever supervised a group of people, you know how difficult it can be. Every person is an individual who possesses his own biases, pet peeves, neuroses, desires, hopes, faults, failings, and shortcomings. Toss that one in with 10 or 20 of the same, and it is a recipe for difficulty. Now imagine what Moses had to deal with!

Text Verse: “And the Lord said to Moses, “Has the Lord’s arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not.” Numbers 11:23

Our text verse comes from the same chapter in which we are looking at, but it’s not cheating. Rather, we won’t get to that verse until next week. However, it is a good reminder to us now as we begin these almost mournful verses today. Moses has one victory with the Lord which is followed by – quite possibly – the lowest spot of his entire life. He will be found wanting elsewhere, and will be punished for that, but it is probably a more difficult thing to deal with his shortcomings here than it is with his failings later. His obvious care both for the people and for the glory of the Lord’s name is a point which will weigh heavily on him. His inability to correct the situation will bring him almost to ruin.

If you are facing, or if you come to face, any situation which seems to be absolutely overwhelming, this passage is a great place to come to in order to see that you are not alone. It is also a great place to come to know that the Lord has it all figured out, in advance. All we have to do is remain faithful and place the really complicated stuff in His capable hands. He will tend to it because He cares for you. This is a marvelous lesson we can learn from His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Taberah (verse 1-3)

Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; 

This seems like a simple set of words to open up the chapter, but it is actually hard to be dogmatic about what is being said. The Hebrew reads v’hi ha’am kemitonemim ra b’azene Yehovah – “and it happened the people complainings evil in ears of Yehovah.”

The Hebrew can say either as the NKJV, “Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord. Or it can say, “Now when the people complained of their hardship in the hearing of the Lord.” Or it can say, “And it happened the people sinfully complained in the ears of the Lord.” Or, it can even be, “And it happened that the people were evil complainers in the ears of the Lord.”

The word ra, or “evil,” can be attributed to the bad things which happened to the people, causing them to complain. It can be ascribed to the evil attitude of the people. It can be that the people were evil because of their complaints. Or, it can be attributed to how it is negatively received by the Lord. Sergio looked at it and ascribed the evil to the people. He said, “And it happened that the people were as evil complainers before the Lord” (SLT).

Young’s Literal Translation may give the most precise rendering. He says, “And the people is evil, as those sighing habitually in the ears of Jehovah.” First, the word “when” is not in the Hebrew. Next, the verb “complain” is plural, it says “complainings.” Third, it says, “in the ears of Yehovah.” It is as if a constant whining from an evil people is coming into His ears, deafening out anything else. Adding to this is a new and extremely rare word which is translated as “complain,” anan. It signifies to complain or murmur. It is used only here and in Lamentations 3:39, and nowhere else –

“Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass,
When the Lord has not commanded it?
³⁸ Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
That woe and well-being proceed?
³⁹ Why should a living man complain,
A man for the punishment of his sins?”

Like in Lamentations, the Lord determines the path and the outcome, and yet there is complaint against what He has determined. We don’t need to be told why the people complained, we are simply told that they did, and that their attitude is evil in that they did so. If for no other reason, the context of the passage’s placement shows this. The people have been brought out of Egypt, they were brought to Sinai and the Lord made a covenant with them, they have been taken care of for over a year as the tabernacle was being built, they have received a priesthood, they have been given the Lord’s laws, and they have been divided up into their individual armies. After these many wonders have been brought about, the very last thing recorded was the departure of the people on their way to Sinai as they are led by the pillar of cloud. Nothing has been recorded concerning any hardships. They are still receiving manna, and they are simply on the march to the Land of Promise. And yet, the very first recorded thing after their departure is that the people have sighed habitually in the Lord’s ears. Literally, in the turning of the page, it is the very first recorded thing to happen – they are found to be evil complainers. It becomes more certain that it is the people’s complaints which are being described as evil with the next words…

^1 (con’t) for the Lord heard it, 

v’yishma Yehovah – “and heard Yehovah.” There is no “for” in the words as if it is explaining something. It only says that the complainings of the people were evil in the ears of the Lord, and the Lord heard it. All we need to do is think of the disobedient child in the grocery store. Everything he needs or wants has been, or will be provided, and yet the little whiner just keeps on whining.

He had breakfast, he is assured of food in the hours ahead, he has a great home awaiting him, and he will be taken there when the trip to the store is done, he has mom to care for him, and so on. There is literally nothing else that could be given him to satisfy him any more than he is right at that moment, and yet he whines through the entire time they are there, he whines through the entire trip back, and he whines about everything that happens in the process. Mom may be able to block this out, but dad just happens to be out with them today, and he is hearing what he cannot believe…

^1 (con’t) and His anger was aroused.

v’yikhar appow – “and burned His nostrils.” It is as if fire shot out of His nose over the whining which was going on. “Ooh, it’s too rocky.” “Oh me, it’s so hot.” “Waaa, all this dust.” The whining was unending as if dealing with spoiled democrats, and the Father simply fumed at their attitude.

^1 (con’t) So the fire of the Lord burned among them,

v’tivar bam esh Yehovah – “and burned among them the fire of Yehovah.” We are not told what the “fire of the Lord” is. In fact, John Lange says, “The punishment is as obscurely expressed as is the charge of fault.” In other words, just as obscure as the first few words of the verse were, so is the vagueness of the punishment levied upon the camp. We can only speculate what it means. The same idea, however, is found in 2 Kings and in Job. In Job, it may refer to lightning. No matter what it is, it is a directed fire which is destructive and it is ascribed directly to the working of the Lord.

^1 (con’t) and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp.

The word akal means “to eat,” and thus it seems likely that people were consumed. Rather than just tents, it seems to be saying that there is loss of life. And the fire is directed to the qatseh, or extremities of the camp. A few things must be considered here. The first is that of the severity of the judgment which came upon them. Time and time again during the Exodus and on the way to Sinai, the people murmured against the Lord and against Moses. And yet, there was not an outburst of this sort from the Lord. However, now the fire of the Lord has gone out and destroyed them. This is similar to what occurred with Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, and uses the same general terminology. The law has now been given, and in the giving of the law, there is the imputation of sin, and then expected judgment. In Hebrews it says –

“For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, ³ how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation.” Hebrews 2:2, 3 

The word of law was spoken, and now every trespass and disobedience will receive its just reward. The people can no longer expect the same treatment that they had received before they agreed to the terms of the law. This is reflected again in Hebrews where the author there must have been thinking of this very account in Numbers –

“For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.” Hebrews 10:26, 27

And again in Hebrews 12, after telling the people, “For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven…,” He goes on to say, “For our God is a consuming fire.” The people of Israel learned this for the first of many times in their history, and it is just a moment after their departure from Sinai.

The second point about these words begs the question, “Why the outskirts of the camp?” Some people say it is because this is where the “mixed multitude” was, as if Israel was pious and noble, and that it was the mixed multitude who were the only ones complaining. There is nothing to substantiate this in either regard. Others have their own explanations concerning it, but the answer falls in the fact that the camp is marching as a military procession.

When an enemy attacks an army, he will start at the outskirts and work his way in. By attacking there, the people will move away from the danger and cluster together. What is obvious here is that the fire coming upon the outskirts then bears a two-fold significance. First, the Lord is acting as an enemy would, working as the author of Hebrews says, in fiery indignation. However, He is also working as a leader of the people He has redeemed, urging them to cluster more closely around Him. In this, it is as if He is saying, “Close to me is safety, but as you depart further from Me, there is danger.” The events of this account are recorded for us by Paul in 1 Corinthians in order to teach us the lessons of the past –

“Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. ⁷ And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.’ ⁸ Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; ⁹ nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; ¹⁰ nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. ¹¹ Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” 1 Corinthians 10:6-11

The complaining of the people is a sign of distrust in the provision of the Lord. It is an offense to Him, and it demonstrates a lack of faith in His goodness towards those whom He has redeemed. As Paul uses the wilderness account as typology for us, let us take the lesson to heart, and not provoke the Lord through our distrust of His goodness. He has made His promises, and we shall benefit from each and every one of them in due time. What happens in the interim is simply life. It is what we are expected to endure, be it rocky, hot, dusty, or otherwise. But even in our times of forgetfulness and complaining, there is mercy to be found…

² Then the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire was quenched.

We’re just now getting to verse 2. Maybe you can see why that particular Monday sermon typing was so difficult! It is remarkable that the people cry out to Moses. There is a definite understanding that they must go through a mediator. And in this, they find Moses, not Aaron, as the appropriate one to mediate. Though the law has been instituted, and though Aaron is designated to mediate, they still defer to Moses. Moses is loved and trusted by the people, and they know that he is loved and trusted by the Lord. Aaron is the one to handle the technical aspects of the law, such as sacrifices. However, Moses is the one who speaks to God, and he is the one through whom the law came. He is thus filling the type of Christ to come in this regard. It is Jesus who speaks directly to the Father, and it is He through whom the New Covenant has come. Jesus will also handle all of the technical aspects of the priestly duties set before Him. But in this case, it is Moses who more accurately reflects Christ for us in such a time of need.

In this verse is another new word in Scripture, shaqa, which means “to sink down.” It is rather rare, being seen just six times. The fire which came was from the Lord, and the quenching, or sinking down, of it is also from Him. At the petition of Moses, the Lord responds accordingly.

³ So he called the name of the place Taberah, because the fire of the Lord had burned among them.

The name Taberah means “Burning.” It comes from the word ba’ar or “burn” which was used in verse 1 and then again here in this verse. At times, the word is used in regards to purging evil from among the people. That is the intent here. It is a lesson that the people have been evil, and the Lord’s intent is to purify them through this fire.

An important point about this location is that Taberah is not the name of a place of encampment. In Numbers 33, where the stops on the way from Egypt to Canaan are recorded, no such place as Taberah is named. Therefore, the location of this encampment is what is given in verse 34 of this chapter, Kibroth Hataavah, or Graves of Craving. The name Taberah is the place within the encampment where the burning took place. It is representative of hell itself, the place of burning in the graves of craving.

The flesh which God has sent, it is food indeed
It is sufficient to fill us and give us life anew
And when we have partaken, we will then follow at the lead
Of our Lord, who has given Himself for me and you

The dew of heaven has left behind a gift for us
There is bread enough for all to eat
And this only pictures the coming Messiah, Jesus
Oh my! How delicious is this Bread… so very sweet

Thank You, O God, for filling our souls in such a way
You have granted us life through Your Son
And so we will exalt You through Him, each and every day
Until when at last this earthly life is done

Then we shall praise You forevermore O God
As in the heavenly Jerusalem we shall forever trod

II. The Manna (verses 4-9)

⁴ Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving;

Here is a word found only once in the Bible, asaphsuph. It is a reduplication of the word asaph which signifies to gather together, or take away. Translating this as “the mixed multitude” is misleading. The “mixed multitude,” who came out of Egypt and who are mentioned in Exodus, is a completely different pair of words. It is obvious that the different word is intended not to speak of that group, but of a gathering together of miscreants. One could think of any modern gathering of democrats and socialists who do nothing but incite violence and stir up rage and anger. This is the idea that is being relayed here.

Another new word is given, avah, or desire. It is an intense desire, and even a craving. It can be good or bad. In Isaiah 26, the prophet says the people desire after the Lord. It is as if they had an intense craving for Him. Here in Numbers, it is not for the Lord, but for something else. Here, there is a group of people who crave after what they do not have, and they will incite the rest of the people to a state of agitation as well…

^4 (con’t) so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat?

The rabble led the entire congregation, referred to here as “the children of Israel,” to also join them in their cravings. The words, wept again, don’t make any sense. The last time that any weeping was recorded was in Leviticus 10 at the time of the deaths of Nadab and Abihu. The word is shuv, and it indicates to return or turn back.

What is happening here isn’t that they are weeping again, as if connected to the account in verses 1-3. Instead, they “turned back and wept.” In other words, the coming words of verse 5 explain the “turning back.” It is in memory of what they once had in Egypt. In their weeping, they ask for basar, or flesh, to eat. It is any type of meat, not specifically what they will ask for next…

⁵ We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic;

The people’s craving is for what they once had, but which they no longer can obtain. They first say that the fish came freely. They were so abundant and cheap that it was as if they were free. They also mention five types of plant which they remembered with passion. All five of these are new to Scripture, and only one, leeks, will be seen again. The other four are mentioned only once in the Bible.

To understand the connection to us, the symbolism of Egypt needs to be reconsidered. That was a picture of life in sin. Israel was redeemed out of that. It pictures what Christ did for us when He redeemed us from a life of sin. Their desiring flesh to eat, and the delicacies of Egypt, is a picture of us when we are tempted back into sin. Paul refers to this in Ephesians 2 –

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, ² in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, ³ among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.”

However, in this instance, the people had been redeemed out of sin to life under law. It led to constant failure, because by the law is the knowledge of sin. Our redemption is far greater, because we are not under law, but under grace. As we are under grace, we are not to remember and long for those things which we have left behind, but we should want to live out our lives, not desiring the lusts of the flesh and those things which tempt us. Rather, we are to desire Christ, and be content in Him alone. The opposite of that, however, is seen in the next verse…

⁶ but now our whole being is dried up; 

The words are hyperbole. The things they have described – flesh, fish, and tasty fruits and vegetables – would be juicy and refreshing. They have been in the desert where there is nothing either juicy or refreshing in that regard, as will be explained. Again, think of life before Christ and what your soul lusted after. Those things were tempting, and they satisfied, but only for a moment.

As soon as the melon is eaten, you are hungry again. That is why the people left Egypt. They were never fully satisfied. If they were, there would have been no need to leave. But leave they did. Now they have forgotten. Let us never forget. We now have that which fills forever, and which will forever satisfy…

^6 (con’t) there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”

Of these words, the supposed scholars at Cambridge say, “No account has been given in this chapter of the sending of the manna; and it is possible that the writer means to describe not a miraculous food from heaven but a natural phenomenon of the district.” It is as if they purposefully want to destroy the narrative and pick apart Scripture. First, the fact that the manna is mentioned here is exactly an account of the sending of the manna. Secondly, if they had read their Bible in full even just once, they could not help to remember these two passages –

“And the children of Israel ate manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.” Exodus 16:35

“Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year.” Joshua 5:12

It is as if they took Hebrew lessons, learned the language, and then were told to write a commentary on the Bible – not because they are Bible scholars, but because they knew Hebrew. The manna was given for the entire time Israel was in their wanderings. Will one person call out what the manna pictured, please? The explanation is found in John 6 –

“I am the bread of life. ⁴⁹ Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. ⁵⁰ This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” John 6:48-51

The manna is a type of Christ to come. The picture, then, is that Israel fed upon that which never ceases, Christ. It is as He said, His flesh. They wanted the flesh of Egypt, but God offered Himself to them. And yet, they found Him bland, unfulfilling, and tedious. No wonder the reaction of the Lord later in this chapter is what it is. He has provided for them from Himself, and they have rejected His gracious offering.

The manna which came for forty years is only mentioned in Numbers in these two verses, and so as we continue through the rest of the book, let us remember that everything that occurs does so while the manna continues to be provided. Every evil that Israel will face is a self-inflicted wound based on their rejection of the Lord. And every day of every account which is given is to be considered one more jab in the eyeballs of the unscholarly folks at the University of Cambridge.

Now, to show that what the Lord provided was not an unfair allowance, but one which demonstrates the ungrateful, perverse nature of the people, a description of the manna is once again provided in the narrative. It was first described in Exodus 16, but because we are as slow to learn and as quick to forget as Israel, we are given our own review of it…

⁷ Now the manna was like coriander seed,

v’haman kizra gad – “and the manna was like seed coriander.” The word for coriander seed, gad, is only used twice in the Bible and both times it is used to describe manna. All translations agree that it is coriander, but some scholars don’t. However, it still is sufficient to describe the size of it, which is small and round. We can now wave goodbye to the word gad, or coriander.

^{7 (con’t)} and its color like the color of bdellium.

Bdellium is a whitish transparent wax-like resin. Along with these two descriptions, Exodus 16 gave a little more information on the manna. First, it said –

“…in the morning the dew lay all around the camp. ¹⁴ And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground.” Exodus 16:13, 14.

There, the word translated as “lay” was shekavah, which means “an emission.” It seems like a risque word to be used to describe the food of the people, but nothing sexual should be inferred. It is defined by scholars as the “(seed of) copulation” (HAW). It then would imply “that which gives life.” And that, in turn, perfectly fits with Jesus’ words of John 6 –

“Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” John 6:32, 33

The term “a small round substance” gives us clues into the manna. The word for “small,” daq, literally means “thin.” The word for “round” is khaspas, and it means round, but not round like a ball. Rather it is round like a scale. And so we get the idea of a round thing which is very thin.

Also, the word for “frost,” kphowr, indicates “to cover” as in the frost covering the ground. That word comes from kaphar, which means to appease, atone, forgive, be merciful, etc. It is again a picture of Christ who covers our sins in His mercy. The daily receiving of the bread by Israel looked forward to our atonement and the sustaining of our salvation as we walk in this fallen world. As long as we are here, we can and must continue to rely on the true Bread from heaven to sustain us until we enter the Land of Promise, which is also exactly when Israel’s manna ended.

As the Manna only became visible when the dew had lifted each day, it explains the enigmatic expression used by Jesus in Revelation 2:17 where He promises those who overcome “some of the hidden Manna to eat.” Until the dew lifts, it remains hidden. Finally, in the same chapter of Exodus, it said –

“…and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.” Exodus 16:31

It was described as having the taam, or taste, of wafers with honey. But if you think of it, if someone didn’t know what wafers and honey tasted like, they would be in the dark about the taste of manna. However, honey is a food that is found pretty much everywhere throughout the entire world. This is because honey bees have been domesticated in all places. Further, honey doesn’t spoil and so it can be transported anywhere. This probably isn’t coincidence. The taste of the very substance which is described as “bread from heaven,” and which pictures Jesus Christ, is pretty much universally known.

And therefore, we have another revelation from God’s word. The word is used to describe Jesus and it is said to be “sweeter than honey” to the mouth. Jesus is the Subject of the word and is described in picture through the manna as having the taste of honey. It is like a beautifully wrapped package which has been given to the people of the world.

And so, with all of these images given both here and in Exodus, we can have a pretty good idea of what it looked like. As coriander seed is small and unnoticeable, it forms a picture of Christ – small in the eyes of the world and yet the only Source of true nourishment for the world. The color white would signify His purity, without any defilement at all.

⁸ The people went about and gathered it, 

A new word is used here, shuwt, or “go about.” It signifies roaming from place to place. The gathering of the manna would have been like going out for blueberries. You’d start picking it up here, see a bigger pile there and go to get that. It would be a process of work, but not in the sense of labor. It would be something to anticipate and enjoy, like looking for Christ in the many passages of Scripture, which is exactly the idea that seems to be conveyed here. The gathering itself is explained in Exodus 16 –

“‘“And Moses said to them, “This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. ¹⁶ This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: ‘Let every man gather it according to each one’s need, one omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.’”

¹⁷ Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less. ¹⁸ So when they measured it by omers, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one’s need. ¹⁹ And Moses said, “Let no one leave any of it till morning.” ²⁰ Notwithstanding they did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. ²¹ So they gathered it every morning, every man according to his need. And when the sun became hot, it melted.”’” Exodus 16:15-21

^8 (con’t) ground it on millstones or beat it in the mortar,

This was never mentioned in Exodus, and it is giving us new insights into the manna. It was hard enough, meaning not sticky, so that it could be ground on a millstone, thus powderizing it so that it could be made into various things – from bread to soup stock, to whatever else cooks use powderized stuff for.

The odd thing is that though it melted as the sun rose and became hot, that was only if it wasn’t gathered. When it was gathered in the morning, it apparently became hard like some type of grains so that it could be ground.

If not ground, it could be beaten in a mortar. The word is duk, and it is only found here. One can get the sense of beating in a mortar by the sound of the word – duk, duk, duk. This would make the manna so that it would be soft and malleable for rolling up into taco shells, although they probably didn’t call them taco shells. They probably called them shawarma as they do today. It could be beaten into anything else that a mortar is used for as well.

^8 (con’t) cooked it in pans,

The word translated as “cooked” signifies, “to boil.” The word for “pans” means something deeper than a flat pan. This is probably referring to how we make donuts, buy putting them in oil and letting them boil until both tasty and delicious.

^8 (con’t) and made cakes of it;

These would be bread that would be round like a disk, or heaped up into a loaf, and cooked like a cake on a hearth or a fire.

^8 (con’t) and its taste was like the taste of pastry prepared with oil.

In Exodus, it said it tasted like wafers made with honey. Here it says it is like pastry prepared with oil. There is no contradiction in this. One is speaking of it in its raw state, and the other when it was baked into cakes.

Here though, we have another new word, lashad, translated as pastry. It’s an important addition to what the manna was like when prepared. The word signifies juicy, or with moisture. In a person, it would be his vitality. It is only used here and in Psalm 32:4 where David said his vitality was turned into the drought of summer.

One might wonder why all of the detail concerning the different ways to prepare the manna, but if the reason for complaining is considered, it becomes obvious. The manna could be eaten plain, cooked, baked, boiled, and so on. As these are all of the ways of preparing any type of food one would eat, it shows that it was a universal basic staple to which anything could be added. If boiled, it could be boiled with spices. If baked, it could be baked with whatever stuffing could be dreamed up. And so on.

When prepared in a certain way, it would be juicy and bring vitality. Every want and need could be met with the manna, but the only true obstacle to overcome would be the thought of eating the same substance each day. Once one simply thought through the obvious though, it would not seem so burdensome. They got it for free, it was always available, it met every need, it came with a guarantee that it would outlast the trip to the Promised Land, and so on. In other words, it was, in its truest sense picturing Christ.

We can go roaming about in a thousand different directions, but wherever we go, He will be there. He offers Himself freely, He is always available for us, He meets every need, and He comes with a guarantee that He will outlast our trip to the Promised Land. He will never fail to appear, and He sustains us completely, wholly, and forever. And yet, how often do we turn our hearts back to Egypt, and turn our desires to that which can never satisfy.

The interesting thing is that no matter what is done to the manna, it always reflects Christ. If in its natural state, it tasted like wafers and honey. He is the word which is sweeter than honey to our taste. In its prepared state, it was like pastry prepared with oil. He is the suffering servant who was beaten and bruised, and yet He came forth with vitality and the full measure of the Spirit. In Him, there is never any lack, but only increasing delight and wonder.

⁹ And when the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.

The wording here shows that the dew came down, and the manna then came down on the dew. It says that the dew lifted in the morning in Exodus 16, and so there is a layering of the dew, hiding it and protecting it from any defilement. As I said earlier, that looks to Christ who gives the hidden manna of Revelation 2:17.

A heavy burden has been placed on me
It is greater than I can bear
Take this burden Lord, or kill me
To the land of the dead, please send me there

I cannot stand in the gap to handle all these things
I am overwhelmed and cannot do it, my Lord
I am ready to snap and my head rings
Here my petition, O God, hear my word

I know Your grace is sufficient for me, this I know
But that is enough for only me
How can I carry the load of others, how can it be so?
I am overwhelmed with my burden, O God can’t You see?

III. Moses’ Displeasure (verses 10-15)

¹⁰ Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent;

The picture we are to get here is that the rabble who got the people stirred up caused the entire camp to start grumbling, maybe over their manna as it was being prepared. From there, instead of just grumbling in their homes, they start going to the doors of their tents and moaning, “Hey Moses, we are sick – utterly sick – of this manna!” And then more people come out, and they go into a tizzy, casting dust up in the air, moaning, and weeping at their misery. And to think that none of this would have been the case if people simply stopped and considered. But being a society of infants, they collectively whined so much that the noise reached to heaven itself.

^{10 (con’t)} and the anger of the Lord was greatly aroused;

At the rejection of His provision, the Lord saw it as a rejection of Him. The two are united as one thought in the Lord’s mind. One cannot reject the word of God without also rejecting the God who gave His word. Such is true with the manna as well.

^{10 (con’t)} Moses also was displeased.

This is a connecting thought which stems from the people’s attitude toward him, and the Lord’s placement of the responsibility for the people on him. He is venting in two directions at once with seemingly nowhere to go to find relief.

¹¹ So Moses said to the Lord, “Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me?

Here we have the first of several instances where the prophet of God is utterly defeated in his spirit. It will happen with Elijah after he defeats the prophets of Baal. It will happen again with Jonah after he prophesies to Nineveh and they repent at his preaching. The same attitude of despair shows forth, and the same final request for relief is seen in each of them.

Moses has come to the point of utter frustration, and he cannot find it in himself to go on. The burden has become too heavy. It is actually reflective of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane who cried out, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me.” The burden was so great that only relief is sought.

¹² Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,’ to the land which You swore to their fathers?

When Moses says, “I,” it is emphatic. “Did I conceive?” “Did I beget?” He has been appointed over a people who are unruly, childish, and they are not even his own children. If they were, he could handle them as a parent, but he cannot. They are not his, and yet he has the burden of caring for them. Keil notes, however, that “This is the language of the discontent of despair, which differs from the murmuring of unbelief.” He is looking for deliverance, not questioning God’s plans or purposes.

One cannot help but see Christ in these questions of his. Did I conceive? “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: ¹³ who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12, 13). Did I beget? “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him” (1 John 5:1) Carry them … to the land which You swore to their fathers… “because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel” (Colossians 1:5).

Moses felt the burden and required help to do what was not his responsibility. Jesus felt the burden, but did alone what was required, because it is His responsibility. The promise has been made, and He will see it through to the end. This shows us the weakness of the law, both in its mediator and in its ability to accomplish what it was destined to do. It then highlights the infinitely greater New Covenant which accomplishes all that the law could never do.

¹³ Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’

Moses is chided by some for caving into the people’s desire for meat, as if he agrees that they have a valid case in that the manna is insufficient for the health, well-being, and happiness of the people. This is surely not the case. What Moses is concerned about is a riot and his own possible demise.

How do you quell the anger and distrust of several million people who are upset about their lot? Telling them to be satisfied with their manna may be true, but it will not improve his lot one bit. This is a rhetorical question in the same vein as those of the previous verse, nothing more. He is asking how he wound up in the position he finds himself, and he desperately needs relief because…

¹⁴ I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me.

In Exodus 18, Jethro had recommended that Moses divide the people into leaders of thousands, hundreds, and tens in order to take the burden off of him in his administrative and judicial duties. That is not a consideration here. This is something that cannot be delegated or decided upon in that type of capacity. It is an infectious growth of discontent which is probably agreed to by most of those leaders. And even if not, those leaders could do nothing about the matter.

Moses is not asking that his job be terminated. Instead, he is a man who is dealing with a matter which required more than a man could handle. Only God could resolve the matter which lays before him. The burden was too great, and the means of relief was not attainable through his abilities.

¹⁵ If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now—

v’im kakah ath oseh li haregeni na harog – “and if like this You are doing to me, kill me, I pray, kill.” The repetition of “kill” with the word na, or I pray, along with the form in which the second word kill is in, shows the impassioned nature of his request. His death would be welcomed in comparison to going on a moment longer. You can almost imagine him curled up on his knees before the ark, unable to lift his eyes, and simply crying out in agony. Again, the parallel to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane is striking.

This is what Elijah asked for, “Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” And it is what Jonah asked for, “Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!” The burden of the office crushed these men, but they each were carried through it for another day of the battle they were called to.

^{15 (con’t)} if I have found favor in Your sight—

The thought here is that death would be a grace in comparison to being left alive. And so as a grace, he begs for it.

*^{15 (fin)} and do not let me see my wretchedness!”

The final words today indicate experiencing the matter. “To see my wretchedness” means to live through it. Moses had come to his end, and he wanted no more than to be ended. It shows the truly caring nature of the man. He wanted the best for his people, and he wanted to do the best for the Lord, but in this, he could do neither. To do less than his best would be failure, and indeed in the eyes of the people, he would fail. Their desires could not be met by him.

We leave on this sad note, and it is a good place to do so. The Jews look to Moses as their great lawgiver, and he indeed is. But if they truly looked at the law, including Moses’ role in it, they would see that there is no hope in it, no hope in him, and only futility in pursuing either. The only place where satisfaction can come from is the Lord. The only place where contentment can come from is the Lord, and the only place where hope can come from is the Lord. Trusting in Moses, trusting in the law, or trusting in one’s own accomplishments under the Law of Moses will only lead to futility and dissatisfaction. And ultimately, it will lead to death.

The joy of life, and the joy found in eternal life, can only be experienced through the One whom Moses petitioned to take the burden from Him. That burden, in the ultimate sense, is the yoke of the law itself. And the one whom Moses petitioned is the One who also carried that burden up to the cross of Calvary and who at that place cast it far away. In its place is something better, something light and easy, and something glorious.

Closing Verse: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Next Week: Micah 5:1-5 Of the coming King the Bible does tell… (The One to Be Ruler in Israel) (Christmas sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It may seem at times as if you are lost in a desert, wandering aimlessly. But the Lord is there, carefully leading you to the Land of Promise. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Moses’ Heavy Burden

Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord
For the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused
———-so it did become
So the fire of the Lord burned among them
And in the outskirts of the camp consumed some  

Then the people cried out to Moses
And when Moses prayed to the Lord
The fire was quenched
According to his prayed word 

So he called the name of the place Taberah, as we have learned
Because the fire of the Lord had among them burned

Now the mixed multitude who were among them
Yielded to intense craving; they were in a state of defeat
o the children of Israel also wept again and said:
“Who will give us meat to eat? 

We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt
The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks
———–the onions, and the garlic; each meal was a prize
But now our whole being is dried up
There is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”

Now the manna was like coriander seed, have you ever seen some?
And its color like the color of bdellium

The people went about and gathered it
Ground it on millstones or beat it in the mortar also
Cooked it in pans, and made cakes of it
And its taste was like the taste of pastry prepared with oil
———-as we now know 

And when the dew fell on the camp in the night
The manna fell on it; what an amazing sight!

Then Moses heard the people weeping
Throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent
And the anger of the Lord was greatly aroused
Moses also was displeased, and so he had to vent 

So Moses said to the Lord
“Why have You afflicted Your servant? How did this come to be?
And why have I not found favor in Your sight
That You have laid the burden of all these people on me? 

Did I conceive all these people?
Did I beget them, that You should to me say
‘Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child
To the land which You swore to their fathers? Tell me, I pray

Where am I to get meat to give to all these people?
For they weep all over me, saying
‘Give us meat, that we may eat
Give me relief from this, to You I am praying 

I am not able to bear all these people alone, You see
Because the burden is too heavy for me 

If You treat me like this
Please kill me here and now and end this mess
If I have found favor in Your sight—
And do not let me see my wretchedness!”

Lord God, we are even now in a wilderness
And we are wanting to be led by You
Without You to direct, our lives would be a mess
And so be our guide, O God; You who are faithful and true

We long for the water in this barren land
May it flow forth from the Rock, our souls to satisfy
Give us this refreshing, spiritual hand
And may we take it, and to our lives daily it apply

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to you for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…