Skip to main content

Fire and Birds - Numbers 11

No, I didn't say Firebird. I know that was a car by Pontiac way back when. It may still be a model. That tells you how much I keep up with new cars these days. 

In Numbers 11, a lot is going on. It starts out with fire from God burning up some complainers. I can hear a few pastors saying, "Oh, that this was how God still did business!" However, if he did, I doubt that we'd be around to rejoice in the carnage. 

Numbers 11 goes from God sending fire, to him sending quail. I've heard that quail taste like chicken! I don't know that I've ever had any. The Israelites began to complain about the nasty old manna they had to eat every stinking day. "We want MEAT and leeks and garlic! Give us a break! We're Jews. We need seasonings!" 

Side note, can you imagine the same meal every day for forty years? We know that the people were wrong. But maybe if they'd have asked nicely? IDK. 

After their crying, God called a meeting. Seventy elders were going to hear what God was about to do. There would be meat for everyone. I love the way God put it in, Numbers 11, 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?"'"

He made sure that the elders understood precisely what he was about to do. The people would have meat, not because they deserved it, but because they would be judged by it. 

Moses' reaction is classic. It was like he was being told to believe in unicorns! 

“Excuse me, God, but, hellooooo! We're in the desert! There are no butcher shops nearby. And, even if there were... We'd need a ton, no, ten tons of meat for all of this hord!“

In verse 23, God gives us all understanding of his power when he says, "Is the Lord's arm too short?" Is there anything too hard for our God? 

You know the answer, and you know how this story turns out. God caused a wind to bring in the quail from who knows where and each person gathered 60 to 70 bushels of the birds. However, before the people could enjoy the meat, God struck them with a plague, and many died. 

God sent fire, then quail, then a plague. All very instructive and sobering. Quit your complaining! Ask God for his help in a way that shows that you rever him. He probably won't kill you if you don't. But then again, maybe he will. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tottering!

I was watching my one year old grandson, Brandon, today. He had on some baggy little shorts, weird flip-flops over his socks, and he was tottering. It made me think about how I often feel these days. Funny how that when we are little and "innocent" and tottering in our baggy pants, with our little potbelly sticking out from under our t-shirt we look precious. When we are older and tottering in our low slung trousers and the same potbelly, we looks pathetic! I guess that the two drastically opposite points of view are based on the viewer's chronological perspective. Brandon is growing and I'm dying. He is cute because the little guy has a lot to learn and we love to see him progress. The old guy has already had his chance at learning and what he is progressing toward is not quite so much fun to ponder. When I have these weird thoughts I praise my God because He never lets go of my hand whether a tottering little guy or an old one. And I found this verse to prove my po...
Post a Comment
Read more

What Are You Worth?

What are you Worth?  Have you ever thought about what you are worth? In investing circles there is a term used to gauge this exact question, it's called Net Worth. You take all of your assets, like property owned, funds in your bank account, clothes, jewelry, car, etc.. You total all of these things. You then take everything you owe, like mortgage, car loan, and credit card debt, and you subtract these items from the first total. This gives you your net worth. That number represents where you are financially. Most people never stop to think about this number because they don't understand anything about it. They never have two nickels to rub together. They live from hand to mouth and know (or at least believe) nothing will ever change so, they fall into the "daily grind" mentality. Psalm 49 should be a great encouragement to such as these. The sons of Korah write about them. These sons write about all of us. They call all people everywhere to listen to their wisdom. Bo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Church Isn't a Place

  Many times we say, I'm going to church on Sunday. What some fail to understand is that "church" isn't a building. I remember our pastor saying, "the church is an organism, not an organization." He was teaching us the Bible truth about the church. Jesus Christ is the head of the body, and the church is his body on earth. Another pastor once said, "God's hands have human fingers." This is a difficult concept for some to grasp, pun intended. However, it is important to understand that God accomplishes his work through human beings. He uses us, the church, to do his will and work. It's not that if we don't do his will that he is stymied. But he does use willing servants. To be in the church, one must be a part of the family. You cannot be in the church if you don't have the Savior. The church is not for the lost; it is for the edification of the saved. The lost can come and hear the message of salvation. But the church is made up of t...
Post a Comment
Read more