Numbers 11:1-6 And the people complained in the hearing of
the LORD about their misfortunes, and when the LORD heard it, his anger was
kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some outlying
parts of the camp. (2) Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses
prayed to the LORD, and the fire died down.
(3) So the name of that place was
called Taberah, because the fire of the LORD burned among them. (4)
Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people
of Israel also wept again and said, "Oh that we had meat to eat! (5) We
remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons,
the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. (6) But now our strength is dried up, and there
is nothing at all but this manna to look at."
What does discontentment, complacency, ungratefulness and greed
produce, what does it lead to? This passage answers that question. The people
of Israel are once again displaying all these attributes and attitudes towards
God. In fact, they are so deeply entrenched in their hearts that even though
God sends down judgement and punishment they continue to behave in this manner.
Discontentment, complacency,
ungratefulness and greed produce complaints, specifically, they lead us to
complain against God and display contempt towards Him. We think that God is
mistreating us, not prospering us as He should, not giving us what we think we
ought to have, or is owed to us. We can even blame God for our circumstances,
thereby accusing God of evil, of having it in for us. In complaining against
God, we question God’s knowledge, wisdom, power, love and goodness. We are
saying to God, “Either You know and do not care, or don’t know and therefore
can not act, or You do know but lack the power, ability or desire to act. You
can see our plight, yet You do nothing, therefore You cannot truly love us.”
In their complaint against God, they
display contempt towards God and the manner in which God has chosen to work and
treat them. The people of Israel look back longingly to their former days, to
the days when they had so much “more”, the days of “prosperity”. They wish to
go back to them, to the days of plenty, but do they truly understand what they
are saying, what they are showing they are willing to do? Essentially, they are
saying, they would far rather sell themselves back into slavery, they would
rather go back to the cruel masters from which God set them free, they would
rather turn away from the Promised land, and go back to Egypt, to be slaves
once more. Life in Egypt as a slave is better than, more appealing to them,
than that which God had given to them or what God is promising to them. It is
selling their future in the Promised Land so as to be slaves once again.
When we complain against God, what or who
are we comparing to? Are we looking at the multi-millionaire who has so much
more than us? Are we looking at the celebrity, or those who seem to be so
successful? Are we looking at those who seem to be at ease, life is good for
them, they have all the nice things? We looking longingly at these and many
other things and we cry out in complaint. As we complain we fail to realise how
quickly we can move from complaint to contempt. In our attitude and complaining
we are behaving in a manner just like the people of Israel, for we question
God, His character and His works. We also see that which we are longing after
as being more desirable and more worth having than what God has promised us and
is preparing us for. We believe our wisdom to be higher than God’s, and our
understanding of what is good and right as being better than God’s. In fact,
whilst we do not say this, what our hearts are demonstrating is that we would
rather have these things, than to have that which God has given to us, that the
promise that these things hold is greater and more certain than the God’s
promises towards us.
It is sobering and frightening to know
that we can behave in such a manner towards God. As the Psalmist expresses it
so well, Psalm 73:21-22, “When my soul was
embittered, when I was pricked in heart,
(22) I was brutish and ignorant;
I was like a beast toward you.”
When we find ourselves starting to
complain against God, when that envy, greed, discontentment and bitterness
begins to rise in our hearts we need to address it quickly. We must remind
ourselves of all the riches that are ours in Christ, of how great our salvation
is, and that there is nothing greater than the hope we have in Christ. The
antidote to a heart filled with complaint and contempt for God is: To humble
ourselves before God’s throne, remembering who we are, our place before God,
how great and awesome our God is, the undeserved salvation we have received
through Christ, and the eternal hope which is ours in Christ. When we do this
God will help us to see clearly. We see this take place in the life of the Psalmist,
for after humbling himself, his perspective is restored to its right place, and
he is able to both honour and trust God again. Psalm 73:23-28, “Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. (24)
You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to
glory. (25) Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is
nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
(26) My flesh and my heart may
fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (27)
For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to
everyone who is unfaithful to you. (28) But for me it is good to be near God; I have
made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.”
Faithful Father,
You are exceedingly, abundantly good towards us, even when we are brutish and
embittered towards You. We thank You that You do not treat us in the same
manner that we treat You. This day we plead with You to forgive us for our
complaining hearts, for the many time with think with contempt against You. How
ungrateful and greedy we are! May You cause Your grace to abound to us and
forgive us. Help us by means of Your Spirit to fix our eyes upon You, Your
glory, Your kingdom and Your salvation, for when we do this, “the things of
this world will grow dim”. May we be satisfied in You, in all Your promises and
trust You to lead us safely into Your eternal Kingdom. Amen.
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