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1 And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

4 And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic:

10 Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.

11 And Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favor in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?

12 Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?

15 And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favor in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

Golden Text: The mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic: but now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, besides this manna, before our eyes.—Numbers 11:4–6.

Does your church have a complaint department? Unfortunately, most churches do have such a department, which is staffed by one person: the preacher.

The preacher hears it all. The music is too loud. The church is cold; the church is hot. The sermon was too long. There is a misspelled word in the bulletin. There’s no toilet paper in the men’s restroom. Someone left a light on downstairs. The new carpet is a dreadful color. And on and on and on.

People sure seem to find plenty to complain about! Traffic, coworkers, weather—you name it, and there is someone ready to grumble. This complaining occurs in the most technologically advanced, prosperous, and safest society that has ever existed in the history of the world!

Complaining has a long and extensive history. The Bible itself is full of complainers and gripers. One of the more startling examples, though, is found in the history of Israel during God’s transplanting of the nation from Egyptian bondage to the promised land. The Israelites were promised a place that flowed with milk and honey. But when we read the book of Numbers, we are tempted to conclude that the Israelites spent most of the time griping and grumbling on the way there. This lesson will look at one such incident. By examining it, we will better understand God’s perspective on our complaining.

The book of Numbers takes up the story of Israel a little more than a year after the departure from Egypt (Numbers 1:1), or about 1445 bc. The nation was still encamped in the “wilderness of Sinai,” meaning the area around Mount Sinai where Moses received the tablets of stone from the Lord (Exodus 24:12; 31:18).

The book of Numbers derives its name from the lengthy census data that occupies the first few chapters. Yet there is much more to the book than lists of numbers and names. It has a great deal of narrative, telling the story of the various adventures of Israel while in the wilderness period. Moses was clearly the leader of the nation, although his leadership was challenged from time to time (as in today’s lesson).

Within a few weeks of the beginning of the book of Numbers, the Israelites left the area around Sinai and relocated to the “wilderness of Paran” (Numbers 10:11, 12). Eventually, they seemed to settle in the “desert of Zin” at a place named Kadesh (Numbers 20:1, compare Deuteronomy 1:46). This exact location is unknown today, but it would have been somewhere in the southern extremity of modern Israel, perhaps in the vicinity of the town of Beersheba.

Israel at this time was a very large group of people, with traditional estimates placing their number at more than two million. To camp in such an isolated place created enormous logistical problems in meeting daily needs for food and water. The food needs were met through a miraculous provision of God called manna. This was a bread-like substance that appeared in the camp in sufficient quantities to feed everyone.

Manna was white and had a honey-like flavor (Exodus 16:31). It was processed in various ways and seemed to have had oil within it (see Number 11:8). This was Israel’s primary diet for the 40 years in the wilderness before entry into the promised land (Exodus 16:35). God also made miraculous provision at various times for the people to have water while in the wilderness (example: Exodus 17:1–7).

We can imagine that this was a terribly frustrating period for many Israelites. True, they had been rescued from being a nation of slaves and had witnessed mighty acts of God in their deliverance. But few people play the waiting game very well. The Israelites found themselves parked in the middle of nowhere (literally) without a clear understanding of their future. Their focus quickly shifted away from God and His mighty works to their own plight. This is the backdrop for today’s lesson, where the focus of grumbling was the marvelous manna itself.

1. And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

The exact nature of this particular complaint is not stated. But it probably is directly critical of God, for it causes His anger to be kindled. God’s anger is manifested as a supernatural fire on the fringes of the camp; the fire is of such a nature as to kill some of the Israelites. It is among these “fringe dwellers” that the criticism is probably the deepest, so that is where God directs His anger.

The primary purpose of God’s actions, however, is not to dispense justice. Rather, the main intent is to get the attention of the people concerning a serious problem that needs to be corrected.

My brother-in-law was a minister in rural and small-town churches in Iowa and Illinois. Members of these congregations often included farmers. As a result, my brother-in-law became acquainted with various farming attitudes. One man in particular often was given to complaining. If the rains did not come, he complained about the drought. When the rains did come, he complained about the humidity. If the corn crop was good, the farmer complained about the beans. If the beans were good, he complained about the wheat.

One year, however, everything was about perfect. All his crops yielded bumper harvests, and the prices for his livestock held up. Talking with this farmer near the end of the growing season, my brother-in-law remarked that things apparently had gone well. But the farmer complained, “A year like this sure takes a lot out of the soil.”

Unfortunately, this farmer is not the only one with this kind of mind-set! I serve as an evaluator for an association that accredits universities and colleges. In the visits I have made to different schools, students always complain about the cafeteria. They complain about the quality of the food. (I have eaten in most of these cafeterias, and my experience does not match their complaints.) They complain about the lack of variety. They complain about the seats or the shape of the tables (round, rectangular, oval, or whatever). Some things never change; the ancient Israelites would find many kindred spirits in our world today! —J. B. N.

The spirit of complaining is transformed into a desperate cry for help. The people do not cry to God, however, but to Moses. Moses has to intercede for them with God. His prayer is effective, and the fire threat passes.

As happens at other times, this place is given a symbolic name: Taberah, which means “burning place.” This and other places are remembered as the sites of Israel’s disobedience and rebellion, where the nation provoked the wrath of the Lord (see Deuteronomy 9:22). Many centuries later, the apostle Paul will use some of these incidents as warnings to the Corinthians to stop their grumbling (see 1 Corinthians 10:10, 11).

4. And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

As dramatic and traumatic as the Taberah incident must be, it is quickly followed by another complaint. It is easy for us to condemn Israel for folly in this matter. Yet we should not think ourselves above falling into similar patterns of ingratitude.

The new round of grumbling is a lusting, but this has nothing to do with sexual desire. It is the lust for favorite foods. In particular, the people of Israel want a diet that includes meat. They are apparently unwilling to eat any of the livestock that remains from when they left Egypt (Exodus 17:3). Thus their only source of nourishment is the daily provision of manna.

These cravings for a steak or lamb chop are so strong that the people actually weep. Their behavior has passed the boundaries of rationality and moved to childishness. [See question #1, page 416.]

5. We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic.

The list of cherished foods includes many items that apparently had been common to them, even as slaves, in Egypt. Assuming that they are not viewing the past through rose-colored glasses in this regard, they remember having had plenty of fish, for the Nile produced fish in abundance. They also had grown juicy vegetables and fruits in their gardens. Some of the produce of Egypt could be cooked into stews to provide savory flavors. [See question #2, page 416.]

It is doubtful that the people of Israel loved these foods so dearly while in Egypt. They are like American travelers of today who may spend an extended time in an isolated country, and then long for a cheeseburger. It is not that the cheeseburger is such fine food; it is just familiar.

The underlying problem here is a spiritual problem. The people of Israel are deeply dissatisfied with the way God is treating them, and they use their lack of diet options to express discontent and, ultimately, lack of faith.

I am now old enough that I can join the refrain about remembering “the good old days.” I was a teenager through most of the 1950s, and I can remember the good times that that decade represented. The blue-collar community where I grew up was part of a major industrial area, and work in the factories was good. Our local schools were integrated, and there were no racial tensions. I was not aware of any illegal drugs. Churches thrived. I can identify with the positive, idealized presentation of 1950s life as depicted in the TV series Happy Days.

But the 1950s also had its problems. My dad was a carpenter who worked outdoors in house construction; when the weather got bad in the winter, he didn’t work and thus wasn’t paid. I remember suppers of thin potato soup because that was all we had. I remember wearing shoes with holes in the soles because we couldn’t afford new ones. I remember girls who dropped out of high school because of pregnancy. I remember gang fights. The decade of the 1950s was not ideal.

The Israelites idealized their past life in Egypt. They remembered (or thought they remembered) so many good things, but they forgot the slavery. They remembered the vegetables, but they forgot the whips. Human tendency toward having a selective memory hasn’t changed much over the centuries, has it? —J. B. N.

What if a restaurant today were able to offer authentic manna on its menu? The sky would be the limit as to what could be charged. Who would not want a bite of the miraculous, tasty bread from Heaven? Yet the people of Israel, who had this perfect food in inexhaustible quantities for free, become bored with it.

At one time, lobster was considered to be the food of poor people. When the first European immigrants arrived in New England, they found that lobsters sometimes washed up on the beaches in such quantities that they were taken for granted. Lobsters were even cut up and used for fish bait. The lobster, after all, was seen as a type of sea insect—to be shunned by polite society. Today, however, lobster is among the most prized of foods. Its subtle and delicious flavor is appreciated by gourmets all over the world.

Tastes in food may change, but there is no excuse for being ungrateful for God’s provision. For people to become distressed to the point that their souls are dried away over a repetitive diet is not acceptable. [See question #3, page 416.]

10. Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.

Despite the recent incident at Taberah, the people of Israel persist in their petty complaining. The complaint is universal, being expressed by every man. They are tired of manna! From our perspective, this all seems to be quite silly and childish. They are even shedding tears over this!

Yet, again, we must remember that at its core this is not a problem with diet. It is a spiritual problem, a lack of faith in Moses’ leadership and therefore in God. The Lord has a plan to create a people for himself. He will allow the Israelites to populate the land He had promised to Abraham, but the plan seems to be going awry because of the people’s attitude and behavior. This causes God’s wrath to be kindled anew.

We don’t know how Moses himself feels about eating manna every day, but he seems to have no complaints about it. His displeasure is the complaint of leadership, of having to appease his grumbling nation. See the next verse.

11. And Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favor in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?

The endless wave of complaining overwhelms Moses. Thus he joins the ranks of the complainers. Moses takes his complaint directly to God, asking why the Lord has saddled him with a nation of grumblers.

Moses understands this to be a personal matter. He believes that Israel’s dissatisfaction is a sign that he, Moses, has fallen out of favor with God. The experience is so negative that Moses sees leadership as a burden rather than a privilege and a responsibility. [See question #4, page 416.]

12. Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?

Moses’ litany of complaints grows deeper as he lays bare all of his frustrations before the Lord. In effect, he is saying, “This is not what I signed up for.” That’s the attitude behind the questions Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them? All this is as if to ask, “Am I their father?”

The answer to this question obviously is no, he is not their father. The only one who fits the role of father is God himself. Moses is tired of babysitting these whiners. So he too gives in to the spirit of complaining. [See question #5, page 416.]

13. Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.

Moses then confronts God on the practical level. He knows the people are clamoring for flesh (meat) in their diet, but he has no solution. He cannot seem to quell their grumbling, and he has no resources to meet their requests.

While we may criticize Moses’ attitude at this point, we should appreciate that his impulse to turn to God is a step in the right direction. In church leadership roles, it is tempting to turn first to our own skills; it is easy to think that we have all the answers, that we should be able to fix all conflicts in short order. Or we simply turn a deaf ear to complaints and hope they will go away.

Moses does neither of those. Instead, he takes the concerns seriously, turning to God for help. As with Paul, Moses understands his personal limitations, knowing that solutions can come only from God (compare 2 Corinthians 12:10).

14, 15. I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favor in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

Leadership can be thankless, isolating, and lonely. When it gets to this point, any leader will say it is too heavy for me. And that leader will be correct. No one is able to survive the pressures of leadership without help. In this case, the pressure has crushed Moses to the point that he longs for death. Again, he reminds us of Paul, who admits that in his circumstances he “despaired even of life” (2 Corinthians 1:8); Paul ultimately learns that “we should not trust in ourselves, but in God” (1:9).

If we read beyond today’s lesson text, we learn that the Lord directs Moses to create a leadership council of 70 elders to help him deal with the people (Numbers 11:16). God’s intention is that this group of men will “bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone” (11:17). It is never God’s intention to abandon those who are leading His people.

What about the grumblers? God takes care of them too. The rest of this chapter reveals that God causes a miraculous deluge of quail to fall on the camp so that the tasty birds are three feet deep (Numbers 11:31). Israel’s enjoyment of the meat is short-lived, though. Very soon—while the meat is “yet between their teeth”—God brings a “very great plague” on the people and many die (11:33, 34).

Don’t we have a right to complain? Don’t we have an obligation to complain? We all know people who have refined their complaining skills to a very high level. Such individuals seem to enjoy complaining simply for the sake of complaining. There are limits to this, though, as the people of Israel found out while in the wilderness.

God does not reward ungrateful complaining. Yet we should never hesitate to express our discouragements and hurts to the Lord, for He truly cares (1 Peter 5:7). It is difficult, however, to have much joy in our lives if we focus on our complaints. There is no more effective joy stealer than griping and grumbling. On the other hand, if we pause to reflect, then we will better appreciate the many ways God has blessed us and is blessing us.

The hymn writer Johnson Oatman, Jr. (1859–1922) advised Christians to “count your blessings, name them one by one.” Oatman knew that we would find blessings “wealth can never buy.”

Our materialistic world tends to equate blessings with wealth. We think we are blessed if we have abundant possessions. Yet this is not what the Bible teaches. Jesus teaches that material possessions are fleeting and perishable (Matthew 6:19–21). Jesus knows that we can become enslaved by possessions (6:24). The desire for money can become insatiable.

If we go through the exercise of counting our blessings, we may list some very mundane things. We have clothes to wear. We have homes to live in. We have food to eat. But our most precious blessings are nonmaterial. In God’s economy, we are truly wealthy if we are rich in relationships. We should never take for granted the blessing of family and friends. We should never minimize the power of loving others and being loved by them.

Even more important are the mighty spiritual blessings we have been given by the grace of God. He has bought our salvation through the blood of His Son, Jesus. God has given His Holy Spirit to comfort us in times of distress. He has given us His Word to guide us and help us understand His will for us. He loves us deeply. These are blessings that wealth cannot buy. When we tire, we are tempted to go into complaint mode. But we are better served and more acceptable to God if we resist this temptation and thank God for the many blessings He has showered into our lives.

God, from whom all blessings flow, we are too often guilty of letting life’s disappointments steal our joy. We become grumblers, never satisfied. May we be content with Your care. May You remove the spirit of grumbling from us. Keep us from falling into the sin of the Israelites in the wilderness, who were not satisfied with Your miraculous manna. We pray this in the name of the true living bread from Heaven, Jesus. Amen.