Message preached Thanksgiving Sunday, November 23, 2014 from Numbers 11
Theme: The story of the people of Israel that we find in Numbers 11 teaches some things we need to know about a spirit of grumbling.
(Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version; copyright 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.)
Every Thanksgiving season, on the Sunday before we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday—and especially on the day when we enjoy our church family Thanksgiving potluck—I like to depart from our usual Sunday morning study and concentrate on a ‘thanksgiving’ theme from the Scriptures. My hope in doing this has been that it would set our hearts right for the upcoming celebration, and would encourage us to give true thanksgiving to our wonderful Provider God.
But I have felt led this Sunday morning to focus on the opposite of thanksgiving.
I have often thought that the opposite of thanksgiving is to simply neglect to say thanks. But I am growing to believe that a lack of active thanksgiving to God is simply the vacuum into which its true active opposite slips in. And that true opposite is a spirit of ‘grumbling’ or ‘complaining’. After all, if you were failing to give thanks to God, you could change that immediately; and begin to give Him the thanks He is due. But you cannot give genuine thanks to God, and have a grumbling and complaining spirit against Him at the same time. That’s why I think ‘grumbling’ is the opposite of ‘thanks’. One action displaces the other.
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Let’s talk for a moment about the Hebrew word that the Bible uses for ‘complain’. I thought it was interesting to discover that it is a word, in the Hebrew, that sounds like what it means. It’s the word ‘appô—and it’s a word that is used primarily to describe an action of the nose. When you have strong emotions about something, and your nostrils flare in anger or frustration, you ‘puff’ a little. You make a “humph!” noise. And that’s what this word refers to—that frustrated, almost undetectable, under-the-breath “puff” of complaint we make when we’re frustrated.
I’ll never forget the time when I was talking to an elderly lady once—a sweet little ol’ thing—about someone else we knew. I commented on how I was impressed with something that that someone had done, and what I thought was the Christ-like character they showed in doing it. And that dear older lady I was talking to—who apparently knew them better than me—simply issued forth a quiet little “Humph—!” She didn’t go on to tell me what exactly it was that they were ‘humphing’ about; but I got the message loud and clear.
That ‘puff’-sounding Hebrew word went on, over time, to take on the meaning of “a complaint” or a “murmur” of displeasure. And it’s the word that stands out most prominently in the Old Testament passage that I ask that we take a look at this morning—Numbers 11. It tells the story of something that happened when the people of Israel were led by Moses on their way to the promised land. To my mind, it gives us one of the most the most vivid examples in the Bible of how destructive a “grumbling” or “complaining” spirit can be.
And here is what I ask that we do this morning. I ask that we examine this Old Testament story carefully, and see from it some of the lessons that it has to teach us about a grumbling or complaining attitude. It may seem like a bit of a downer—especially just before we celebrate a Thanksgiving feast! But I believe we can best help ourselves get into a right spirit of true Thanksgiving before God this week—and maintain that spirit beyond the holiday—if we let this passage teach us about its opposite.
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Look at Numbers 11 with me. The first thing we see in it about ‘complaining’ is that . . .
1. IT DISPLEASES THE LORD WHEN HE HEARS IT IN
HIS PEOPLE (11:1-3).
The first three verses say,
Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. Then the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire was quenched. So he called the name of the place Taberah [which means ‘extinguished’], because the fire of the Lord had burned among them (vv. 1-3).
Now; it may seem, at first glance, as if God’s response to the complaining of the people was harsh. We’re not even told what it was that they were complaining about. But that’s why it’s very important that we establish the context of these first few verses. We can’t appreciate what is happening in this story if we don’t call to mind what happened before it.
One of the things that happened before it—a very significant thing indeed—is that God had delivered His chosen people from their long bondage in Egypt through His servant Moses. God had mightily afflicted their Egyptian slave masters, had set them free, and had led them through the Red Sea. He had provided for them wonderfully all along the way—leading them by the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. He provided for their daily needs by giving them ‘manna’—the food He provided for them from heaven. In fact, look on ahead in verses 7-9; and see what it tells us about the manna:
Now the manna was like coriander seed, 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, cooked it in pans, and made cakes of it; and its taste was like the taste of pastry prepared with oil. And when the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it (vv. 7-9).
God provided this manna miraculously for His people every day; so they never went hungry in their travels through the desert. He protected them from their enemies; and assured them that He was taking them to the land that He had promised to their forefathers Abraham, Issac and Jacob. God gave to them, and gave to them, and gave to them some more. There was nothing of what they needed that He had not provided.
The Book of Numbers tells the story of what happened one year and one month after God had brought them out of the land of Egypt. And the reason I point all this out is because it means that the story of the complaining of the people of Israel in these first few verses of Chapter 11 comes when the mighty works of God were still very fresh in their minds. They had seen—with their own eyes—what a marvelous, miraculous, mighty Provider God was toward them. And yet, it was shortly after they had seen these things that they grew to grumble and complain against Him.
Another thing we need to remember is that—before this story in Numbers 11—they had already had some times of complaining to God. And they saw God answer their complaints graciously. Shortly after they crossed the Red Sea, they complained to God that they didn’t have enough water. Imagine! They saw God part the Red Sea for them, and yet, they complained to Him about bitter water! God graciously provided for them then—even leading them to an oasis in the desert. But it wasn’t long afterward that they began to complain about food. God graciously provided food for them from heaven—and kept on doing so for them for all their time in the wilderness. But then, they went a little further and again began to complain again about water. Each time they complained, God graciously provided. But each complaint provoked God to increasing anger; because they did not seem to learn the lessons of His provision.
By the time we come to Chapter 11 in Numbers, God had entered into a covenant with them, and provided His good law to them. He gave them a tabernacle, and a priesthood, and formed them into well-organized troops. He was leading them into the land that He was providing for them. And no sooner did the armies of Israel begin to march to the land of promise—all mighty and glorious, with their banners flying and their enemies in fear—that they began to complain against God again!
And as we see from these first few verses, God heard the complaints of His people. They may have thought that they could complain and ‘humph!’ outside of God’s earshot; but He heard every grumble. And we also see that it displeased Him. It aroused His anger. Each time they had complained in the past, He had answered their complaints graciously. And each time He answered, they should have learned the lesson. And now, with each new complaint that He hears from them, He grows increasingly angry with them.
In the translation that I’m using, it says that “the fire of the LORD burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp”. But really, the original language doesn’t suggest that the fire actually consumed some of the people. It simply says that the fire from God consumed a portion of the edge of the camp. Perhaps a dreadful flash of lightning struck, and started a fire that warned the people of God’s anger—a warning from God, as it were, that He was not happy with what He was hearing, and that that it was high time for them to put a stop to it. And when they cried out to Moses, Moses prayed; and the fire was quenched.
When I think of this, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I think of what it says in James 5:9; “Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!” He hears every word that comes from our lips—even the faintest whisper. He isn’t far away. He is at the door! And it displeases Him greatly when what He hears from us is grouching and grumbling and complaining in the light of His goodness to us!
May it be that He ceases to hear such things from us—but instead, that He hears the sincere thanks that He is due from us!
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Now; as we read on, we find another thing that this chapter teaches us about complaining; and that is that . . .
2. IT QUICKLY SPREADS ITS HARMFUL INFLUENCE
TO OTHERS (11:4-6).
Look at what we’re told in verse 4; “Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving . . .”
Who was this “mixed multitude”? They were a group of non-Jewish people from the surrounding nations that attached themselves to the Jewish people at the time of the Exodus. They were ‘hanger-oners’ from the surrounding nations. They didn’t have the sort of commitment to the covenant of God that the people of Israel had. And here, it seems that they brought a negative influence upon God’s people. They started to complain; and pretty soon, they dragged the people of God down with them into their murmuring. We’re told;
. . . so 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; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” (vv. 4-6).
Now; imagine what it was that they were saying! They were saying that they would have preferred to eat the food they ate in Egypt rather than to eat any more manna during their journey to the promised land. But they are forgetting a few things! They are forgetting that they ate the fish and cucumbers and melons and leeks and onions and garlic of the Egyptians while they were their slaves! They didn’t sit down at fancy tables to each such things! They would have had to eat them as scraps that they dug out of the garbage cans of their slave-masters! And they were forgetting that the manna they were eating was only meant to be a temporary provision as they traveled to the rich and prosperous land that God was promising to give them—and that it was God’s intention that their travel would only be for a short while. But that’s what complaining does. It gets our perspective off of what God is doing in the long-term, and sets our attention only on what we want in the short-term.
Now; God tells us later in this chapter what He would do with their complaints. His punishment was terrible. But the thing I hope you notice most of all is how it was the complaints of the ‘mixed multitude’—the people who had not rightly entered into a covenant relationship with God—that had contaminated the hearts of God’s people and brought them down into a spirit of grumbling as well. When I think of this, another passage that comes to my mind is Hebrews 12:14-15; where we read;
Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled . . . (Hebrews 12:14-15).
Let’s beware of two things, dear brothers and sisters. Let’s be very careful who it is that we listen to—especially being on guard against a complaining spirit in others; and especially from those who have no relationship with our heavenly Father. And let’s also be aware that a complaining spirit in us spreads like a virus and contaminates the spirit of others around us!
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Now; one of the saddest parts of this story is how the complaints of the people affected their godly leader Moses. As we read on, we see that . . .
3. IT CASTS A TERRIBLE BURDEN UPON THE WORK OF THE LORD (11:10-23).
My heart goes out to Moses when I read what we find in verses 10-15;
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. 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? 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? 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.’ I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. 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!” (vv. 10-15).
I have to tell you, dear brothers and sisters; every pastor and ministry leader and church volunteer knows something of what Moses felt. To the best of their ability, they have followed the call of God on their life for the service of God’s people. It’s hard work; and they give their all to it. It truly stretches them beyond their own strength. And then, to feel as if all they hear from the people they serve is complaint after complaint . . .! It truly makes their service to the Lord a burden that is almost unbearable.
Now; God was merciful to Moses. We read;
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; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, 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; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone (vv. 16-17).
I don’t believe this diminished Moses’ authority. I believe it’s just like when I have a candle, and I use it to light the candles of others who are around me. It doesn’t diminish my flame. It just spreads the power of the light all around. I believe that’s what God did for Moses. He spread his authority all around, so that the burden of the ministry was shared with others. But then, God goes on to say what He would do with the people—and with their demand for the food of Egypt. He told Moses;
“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.” 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, 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?”’” (vv. 18-20).
Terrible, isn’t it? But that’s the high cost of complaining before God. And look further at how their complaining affected Moses. His burden isn’t now just with the people. It’s with himself. He began to get his eyes off God—and to look only at himself and at his own frail abilities.
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.’ Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to provide enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to provide enough for them?” 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” (vv. 21-23).
I love what God tells him; don’t you? God’s arm is not too short. His power is not so weak that He cannot do what He purposes to do. Those words have been a great encouragement to the saints thorough the ages. But the thing I hope that you notice is what the complaints of the people began to do to Moses. God had made him their appointed shepherd; and if they had trusted God, then Moses’ work would have been much easier to do. But their complaints added a burden to his work that was beyond his ability to bear.
Once again, this reminds me of another passage. It says in Hebrews 13:17;
Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you (Hebrews 13:17).
It’s amazing how much easier our work together for the kingdom becomes when we put away all complaining—and learn to support each other with a thankful spirit toward our Master!
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Well; God did what He warned He would do in response to the complaints of His people. And this shows us a final lesson we learn about complaining from this chapter; that . . .
4. IT PROVOKES THE LORD TO DISCIPLINE THE GRUMBLERS (11:31-34).
In verse 31, we’re told;
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 about a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the ground (v. 31).
This wasn’t a matter of the birds being blown onto the land and piled up three-feet high for miles in either direction. Rather, it simply means that they lit upon the ground and fluttered and hopped about at such a low level that they were easily caught by all the people within the regions of the camp. But what the people did next in their greedy lust for meat was horrible—and I’m sorry we have to read about it before a potluck!
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); and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. 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. So he called the name of that place Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had yielded to craving (vv. 32-34).
How dreadful! The name of the place came to be called “Graves of Craving”; because the people were so greedy in their lust for meat that they ate the birds improperly prepared and in an irreverent way before the Lord; and many died. The Lord struck them; and what it seems that He struck them with was the consequences of what they wanted to do in their complaints against Him.
That’s what God often does to punish those who complain against Him. He allows them to have what they want. That’s what it tells us that God did in Psalm 78:26-31;
He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens;
And by His power He brought in the south wind.
He also rained meat on them like the dust,
Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas;
And He let them fall in the midst of their camp,
All around their dwellings.
So they ate and were well filled,
For He gave them their own desire.
They were not deprived of their craving;
But while their food was still in their mouths,
The wrath of God came against them,
And slew the stoutest of them,
And struck down the choice men of Israel (Psalm 78:26-31).
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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ; just consider from this passage what complaining does. It greatly displeases our Lord. It spreads it’s influences to others and contaminates them. It makes the work of the Lord a horrible burden that is too great to bear. And in the end, the Lord won’t put up with it. It provokes Him to discipline those who won’t repent of it—even by giving them what they want, and allowing them to suffer the consequences. Complaining is not at all in keeping with who we are as God’s blessed people!
I can’t bring things to a close in any better way than to read the words of the apostle Paul from Philippians 2; where he writes;
Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain (Philippians 2:14-16).
This Thanksgiving, let’s be sure that we put the opposite of true thanks far way from us. We can’t celebrate Thanksgiving as we should unless we allow God to search our hearts and rid us of any trace of a complaining spirit—so that then, we may truly be thankful to our great Provider God.