DBG - February 19 - Numbers 11-13

This chapter has the complaints of Israel that exasperated both God and Moses.

vs. 1-3 – The complaint here seems to be connected with the first journey.  Perhaps they had grown lazy after being camped at Sinai for so long or were displeased with the new camp location.  God sends immediate judgment through fire, which is stopped by Moses’ intercession.  Taberah means “burning”.

vs. 4-6 – The “mixed multitude” were those of combined Jewish and Egyptian descent.  J. Vernon McGee says they were Egyptian enough to want to be in Egypt and Israelite enough to want to head out in the Exodus.  Their complaint is about the diet of manna.

vs. 7-9 – Manna is described again.  See Exodus 16 for its initial description.

vs. 10-15 – Moses gives into despair at the grumbling of the people.  He is like Elijah in I Kings 19 when he complained about being the only man left serving the Lord. 

vs. 16-17 – God’s response is that Moses is to set up a council of 70 elders.  This must be different from the elders in Exodus 3:16, 18:21, or 3:16. 

vs. 18-23 – God says that he will send enough meat for the next month to satisfy the complainers.  Moses doubts, but God says it is coming.

vs. 24-30 – God fulfills His promise to empower the 70 elders.  They prophesied as proof of this.  Two men, Eldad and Meded, especially drew attention.  Joshua is jealous and asks Moses to stop them, but Moses refuses.

vs. 31-35 – God fulfills His promise to send meat.  A wind blows quails around the camp 3 feet deep.  The people gathered the birds ten homers,  which is thought to be about 100 bushels.  God is angered as they begin to consume the quail meat.  This event is recounted in Psalm 78:30-31 and 106:14-15.  The exact nature of the plague is not given, but the place is named Kibrothhattaavah (“graves of lust”).  They move on to Hazeroth.

This chapter has Miriam and Aaron complaining against Moses.

vs. 1-3 – Miriam and Aaron are moved by jealousy to speak out against Moses.

vs. 4-10 – God calls Miriam and Aaron on the carpet and confirms his choice of Moses to lead Israel.  Miriam is struck with leprosy.

vs. 11-16 – Moses intercedes for Miriam and God says she will be made whole after being cast out of the camp for seven days.  After these seven days are completed, the camp moves to Paran.

This chapter has the twelve spies sent into Canaan to survey it.

vs. 1-16 – Twelve spies are chosen to survey the Promised Land and report back. 

vs. 17-24 - This was not to ascertain if it could be taken, but to reveal the blessings in store for God. 

vs. 25-29 – The spies report back of the goodness of the land and the greatness of the enemies it contained.

vs. 30-33 – Two competing conclusions are presented.  Caleb and Joshua say that they should trust God and claim the land.  The other spies say it is too great a task and the enemies too mighty to overcome.

It is easy to cast stones at the Israelites and their complaints and lack of faith.  But are we not guilty of the same?  We must be careful to be satisfied with the blessings and provisions of God.

Charles Wesley penned our hymn for today, “Hoping and Longing”.  It is a uses the imagery of the spies surveying the land to us seeing the goodness of Heaven.

Come, Lord, and help me to rejoice,
In hope that I shall hear thy voice,
Shall one day see my God;
Shall cease from all my sin and strife,
Handle and taste the word of life,
And feel the sprinkled blood.

I shall not always make my moan,
Nor worship thee a God unknown,
But I shall live to prove
Thy people's rest, and saints' delight,
The length, and breadth, and depth, and height,
Of thy redeeming love.

Rejoicing now in earnest hope,
I stand, and from the mountain-top
See all the land below:
Rivers of milk and honey rise,
And all the fruits of paradise
In endless plenty grow:

A land of corn, and wine, and oil,
Favour'd with God's peculiar smile,
With every blessing blest;
There dwells the Lord, our righteousness,
And keeps his own in perfect peace,
And everlasting rest.

O that I might at once go up,
No more on this side Jordan stop,
But now the land possess;
This moment end my legal years,
Sorrows, and sins, and doubts, and fears,
An howling wilderness!

Now, O my Joshua, bring me in,
Cast out thy foes, the inbred sin,
The carnal mind remove;
The purchase of thy death divide,
And O, with all the sanctify'd,
Give me a lot of love!