Leading Chronic Complainers (11:1-35)
Neal Pollard
We had seen these tendencies in Israel when they were in bondage (Ex. 5:15), but also when they were facing the Red Sea with Egypt pursuing them (Ex. 14:10) as well as a couple of days past the parted Red Sea which God enabled them to successfully cross (Ex. 15:25). We are often amazed at how short Israel’s memory is, but too often we are like that. We worry in our crises despite clear evidence that God has been with us through previous trials. Perhaps we think, “That was then, but this is now.” Maybe that’s what the people here thought.
They are at a place they would call Kibroth-hattaavah (34-35), so named “because there they buried the people who had the craving.” But, let us back up and remind ourselves what the craving was and why it was wrong to have it. Facing this challenge on earth was Moses, who had the burden of this people on his shoulders (11). Seeing this challenge with sore disappointment, God deals righteously with the Israelites’ incessant complaining.
The complaining (1-3). For the first time in Numbers, we see the hard, unbelieving hearts leading the people to rebel and grumble. They focused on their misfortune, and the God who was caring for them responds by punishing those at the outskirts of the camp (1). Rather than leading them to repent, it intensified their dissatisfaction.
The craving (4-9). Scripture describes the instigators as “rabble” (4; cf. Ex. 12:38) and describes their craving as “strong” (4). This spirit of discontent was strong and it spread. The people whined at what they did not have (4). They actually long to be back in Egypt, where they had variety of foods that they fondly recall (5). They were sick and tired of having the same menu every day (manna), and they wanted something more and different.
The crying (10). In their self-pity, the people turned to tears. The weeping swept through the camp, making God angry and Moses displeased. Consider the height of their ingratitude!
The cross to carry (11-15). Moses assesses his situation as leader over this massive group of grumblers, overwhelmed at the sheer number of them united in dissatisfaction (21). He wonders why this burden has fallen on him alone, to manage all their vocal venom and to respond to their outrageous raging! He questions why he has this job and where he is to find the meat to meet their needs. He’d rather die than carry the burden of this people alone. What a powerful object lesson than leadership can be lonely. They often bear the brunt of people’s spiritual struggles, which can be very unpleasant to deal with. Seeing so many at their worst, Moses is discouraged and distraught.
The consecration (16-29). The compassion of God for His chosen leader is shown by His patient solution. There is a contrast between Moses’ complaint and the whining of the people. Moses’ is a spiritual trial, while the people are succumbing to their fleshly temptation. God responds by assuring that He will supply the meat the people so strongly desire, but He also supplies Moses with a viable solution to his excessive burden. He tells Moses to “Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you” (16). Then, he told Moses to “consecrate” the people, to prepare themselves for the gift of meat God would give. He also provided 70 men to help Moses bear the burden of the people, and God placed His Spirit on them to aid Moses’ work (24-26), including Eldad and Medad who remained in the camp. While Joshua saw this as a threat, it was a welcomed sight to Moses (29).
The consummation (30-35). So, God gives the people quail in extreme abundance (31), driven in from the sea by a wind He produces. The people gathered massive quantities of it, then started eating it. We read, “While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very severe plague” (33). God gives them an object lesson, showing them the cost of being driven by their flesh rather than their faith in Him.
This is the first of many object lessons, showing us God’s disdain for the chronic complainer. In light of His generous blessings, how does He feel when we overlook those to serve our cravings for “more” and “different”? This chapter reminds us that such craving and complaining is a heart problem and a faith problem. May we learn from them (1 Cor. 10:5-6)!
