The Complaints

Studies in Numbers

II Failure

A The Commencement

3 The Complaints Text: 11:1-12:16

INTRODUCTION

According to one commentator Israel just started their journey and almost immediately there were three rebellions. The whole history of Israel in he wilderness is a story of murmuring and complaining. Unfortunately, we are guilty of the same thing, and often in less stressful conditions. Observing this, Mark Twain humorously suggested, “Don’t complain and talk about all your problems–80 percent of people don’t care; the other 20 percent will think you deserve them. It doesn’t take much to make us complain as an anecdote told by Charles Spurgeon wisely observed, “A heavy wagon was being dragged along a country lane by a team of oxen. The axles groaned and creaked terribly, when the oxen turning around thus addressed the wheels, “Hey there, why do you make so much noise? We bear all the labor, and we — not you — ought to cry out!” Those complain first in our churches who have the least to do. The gift of grumbling is largely dispensed among those who have no other talents, or who keep what they have wrapped up in a napkin.” Remember the warning of Paul in I Corinthians 10:10 & 11, And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. Here in this passage we have the worst in sinful human nature exposed in the grumbling, grievances and grudging of all the people.

I THE GRUMBLING

The grumbling is mentioned in verses 1-9, 18-23, and 31-35, Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the Lord and the fire died down. So that place was called Taberah, because fire from the Lord had burned among them. The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!” The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin. The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a handmill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into cakes. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down…“Tell the people: ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you wailed, “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!” Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will eat it. You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it—because you have rejected the Lord, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?” ’ ” But Moses said, “Here I am among six hundred thousand men on foot, and you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’ Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?” The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you.”.. Now a wind went out from the Lord and drove quail in from the sea. It brought them down all around the camp to about three feet above the ground, as far as a day’s walk in any direction. All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers. Then they spread them out all around the camp. But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the Lord burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had craved other food. From Kibroth Hattaavah the people traveled to Hazeroth and stayed there. Note three things here: the complaints were petty the provisions were plentiful, and the result was punishment.

A PETTY

The pettiness of the complaints can be seen first in the people’s favorable reminiscences of Egypt. They were slaves there and terribly mistreated, yet they yearn for the delicacies and non-essentials, first, fish, and then, even worse, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. I love those things too, but were they worth the price of freedom? Then God sends them meat in the form of quail and we read that while it was still between their teeth and not yet swallowed they were already ungrateful and God was angry.

B PLENTIFUL

The manna came down in great abundance. In Exodus it is said to have resembled wafers mixed with honey. It was remembered by Israel throughout their generations. After John’s account in chapter of Jesus’ feeding of the 5000, we read in verses 30-33, So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Then the quail came in such abundance that God said it would come out of their nostrils and they would grow to loathe it. Talk about the punishment fitting the crime!! I remember when our son was little he became enamored of “Malt Balls,” a sugary chocolate-malt confection. He wouldn’t leave them alone, so my wife brought a bowlful to the table and said now eat those. He did, he was sick, and that was the end of the problem. Over 40 years later I think he still doesn’t like them.

C PUNISHMENT

That leads us to the punishment which went much farther than a loss of the ability to appreciate the gift. The Israelites had a prosperity gospel. Believe in Jesus and everything will be hunky-dory. You will be rich and healthy and happy. They seemed to think that they were going to go to the promised land without any problems the way some Christians think they should not have any problems on their pilgrimage. In one sense your problems just start when you become a Christian, just as your problems start when you join the army and go to war. They were what C. T. Studd, the pioneer missionary, would have called, “Chocolate Soldiers” who melt in the heat of battle. Many of them died, not from the privations or difficulties, but because they angered God and He sent fire to consume them. Generally men do not realize that their murmuring is against God. They have no intention to accuse His providence. It is of other men they complain, who come in their way; of accidents, so called, for which no one-seems to be responsible; of regulations, well enough meant, which at some point prove vexatious; the obtuseness and carelessness of those who undertake but do not perform. And there does seem to be a great difference between displeasure with human agents whose follies and failures provoke us, and discontent with our own lot and its trials. But in the end all we are doing is criticizing God’s creation and providence. This is a tacit opinion that the world is not well made nor well ordered, even if we try to hide it.

II THE GRIEVANCES

Moses was not exempt from this attitude as we learn in 11:10-17 and 24-30, Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance to his tent. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. He asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers? Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.” The Lord said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone…So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the Tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took of the Spirit that was on him and put the Spirit on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did not do so again. However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the Tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp. A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ aide since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!” But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp. From this passage we see that Moses was not above discouragement and complaining. In his case it was not about daily privations, but rather the burdens of leadership. It is indeed difficult to lead people who have absolutely no appreciation for your leadership and are constantly criticizing you. But God was on his side, and I have heard that God and you constitutes a majority. But Moss was a sinner like us and like the people. In this he closely resembles Elijah. In I Kings 18 we see one of the great victories of the Old Testament when Elijah defeats the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel as the Lord sends fire from heaven in response to Elijah’s prayer. Yet in chapter 19 Elijah is running away from Ahab and bemoaning the fact that he is the only loyal believer left. God still had seven thousand faithful but Elijah is convinced otherwise. He is grieved and sounds like Moses. Why have you done this to me? Take my life and be done with it. Yet in the case of both Elijah and Moses God has an answer. Both went on to accomplish great things for God because they knew their place. They knew who they were. When push comes to shove and when the chips are down, they both come through. We see here why Moses is called the meekest man on earth for in verses 27-29 in a situation that others thought should bring jealousy and pride, Moses simply says that he wishes that all of God’s people would be favored as he is, A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ aide since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!” But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”

III THE GRUDGING

In Chapter 12 we have a different source of complaint. Like all the worst complaints it comes from those who are near and dear, Moses’ own family. Moses’ sister and brother are envious and begrudging of his preeminence, and we read in verses 1-16, Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this. (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the Tent of Meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them came out. Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the Tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them stepped forward, he said, “Listen to my words: “When a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them. When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam—leprous, like snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had leprosy; and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “O God, please heal her!” The Lord replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.” So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back. After that, the people left Hazeroth and encamped in the Desert of Paran. Friends, what we have here is three students being called to the principal’s office. God calls them all because the two offenders must be confronted in front of the offended, and that includes Moses, but also God Himself. Notice that God calls them “at once.” Those who would recoil at the severity of the punishment of Miriam certainly have an ally in Moses himself. Aaron pleads with Moses, but he has the wrong judge. The offense is measured by the dignity of the person offended, and in this case that is the Lord. It is a direct attack on the wisdom and governance of God Himself. Moses’ dignity proceeds from his God-given office, but God’s dignity is inherent in His person. Miriam was a prophetess, Aaron was a priest and a spokesman for his brother Moses. But there is nobody like Moses because God spoke with him in a clear and intimate manner like no other man. No dreams, no visions, no prophetic ecstasy, just words. Moses pleads with God and gets what appears to be a small concession, namely, Miriam will be healed but not for seven days. This gives her time to think about what she has done and is also a lesson to everyone. You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.