Death in Abundance

[Chief]

The Israelites despised what sustained them. "We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost, also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna" (Numbers 11:5-6). They remembered the seasoning of slavery and rejected daily sustenance in favor of a remembered appetite. Their complaint was not about hunger/deprivation but about desire. God had given daily bread; they wanted varied meat.

Moses, crushed under the weight of their ingratitude, asked God a question that revealed his own breaking point: "Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?" (Numbers 11:11). Even leaders stumble under the accumulated weight of chronic discontent. God replied by sharing leadership and the Spirit. Authority multiplied so the load would not crush one person. The solution was not pity for Moses but reconfiguration of responsibility.

To the complaining lot, God's response carried an edge. He would give them meat, not for a day or a week, but "for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it" (Numbers 11:20). The punishment would arrive wrapped as answered prayer.

The quail came in spectacular abundance, piled three feet deep around the camp (Numbers 11:31). The people gathered frantically, the least ambitious collecting ten homers, roughly sixty bushels (Numbers 11:32). But "while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the Lord burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague" (Numbers 11:33).

They named the mass grave Kibroth Hattaavah: the graves of craving (Numbers 11:34). The lesson cuts simply: provision exposes what is inside us. God may grant our demands while denying our good. Satisfying a desire is not the same as healing it. What we grasp for can become our burial plot. Desire, unchecked by gratitude, digs its own grave and calls it answered prayer. Seek gratitude before appetite.

 

[rob]

The Israel were sinning the sin of presumption,

you cannot ask God in faith for anything you like - especially for selfish reasons to gratify your attitudes or emotions

Adam for example ate of the fruit believing God would overlook his lack of faith - Presumption

The thought eating manna (a symbol of faith) was boring because it lack emotions of excitement - the food was boring.

How would you define boring? I hate people who get bored because it means they are ungrateful for the blessing of faith God gives them.

Watch a kid opening over a dozen Xmas presents despite the costs, gets bored with everyone. And sits and ponders it that all there is this year?

The Devil is clever in his presentation of faith, his faith foods are designed to stimulate the taste buds to the max - hit the sweet and sour buds together with equal opposite force,
So you get sweet and sour, garlic chips soaked in fat. Perfect.

God's foods in not like this. First God would require you to fast so your old nature is forgotten and the tongue learns the subtle buds of thousands of flavours at the same time.

Like in PNG there are over 60 different mangoes with different taste, from things I cannot compare the taste to. My favorite is eating a black muscat grape, left on the vine until that unusual taste is rich in your mouth.

When we stand on the mountains during Greater Time of Trouble, does the Lord allow the birds of the air to bring us burgers with meat in it? Or simply the manna from heaven, that has no emotions just the faith of trusting God, but not whacking your taste buds ?

If you want to develop this faith in God you have to learn the basics of asking God for little things in your life, daily. Like as I do:

"Lord let me speak your words and not mine"

Mrs White calls this a "precious promise"

She says "take this precious promise to yourself" that is how genuine faith works. We ask
and later we praise Jesus for His power in us doing as we asked. It's simple.

Shalom