Numbers 11-20

11.

The Israelites, although free from the captivity, are discontent and reminisce about their past years in Egypt. Forgetting the hardships which they faced, they are happy to remember those luxuries such as flesh, fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. Although God has been supplying them with manna (food in a dry desert!), they are very thankless (wailing and complaining) for they had been eating manna for a while – ground, baked, or beaten. In other words, they faced temptation in the desert.

It’s not just they who faced it, but also everyone who are in such ‘desert’ situations, a time when we are particularly vulnerable. Being a follower of Christ doesn’t eliminate us from being tempted. Even when we are strong, we will always find that the grass is greener on the other side. But instead of finding deficits and causes of complaints, we must thank and praise God for His blessings and mercy.

Moses is fed up with the Israelites and cannot understand why he should be responsible for them. God decides to divide Moses’ responsibility and blesses 70 elders from the 12 tribes with His Spirit. Moses doesn’t feel jealous by this action, although his supporters are miffed.

When the Israelites complain about food, the Lord decides to give them (stuff them, actually!) flesh. God sends quails by using natural elements. So, although He can intervene directly, He does use factors and humans as his vessels of implement.

When Moses assumes that the herds must be slaughtered to provide food, God asks whether His power is limited. But this is what we often do- we picture God as a human with restricted abilities.

12.

Moses’ wife was an Ethiopian.

God usually speaks to prophets via visions and dreams. But to Moses, he spoke directly.

Moses was very meek and enjoyed a close relationship with God- which Aaron and Miriam couldn’t have due to their pride. When the Lord communicated with Aaron and Miriam, they complain to Him about Moses. We can often see this in the ministry scene, where the complaining is motivated by jealousy and spite. When Miriam is punished with leprosy, Aaron admits his sin to Moses and asks forgiveness. Moses not only forgives them, but also cries out to the Lord asking Him to heal her.

14.

Upon hearing about the fearsome Canaanites, the Israelites are scared and resume grumbling that it would have been better if they were dead. They consider appointing a leader and returning back to Egypt. Do we do this when faced with troubles or rumours of troubles? Canaan was a land flowing with milk and honey, chosen by God as the dwelling for His children. It was literally the light at the end of the tunnel, within easy reach. Caleb and Joshua try to encourage them by reminding that since God is with them, they needn't fear the Canaanites.

God has wonderful plans for us, which we tend to be unaware of. But despite the uncertainty, we can either follow His plans or make our own silly moves. In this text, we find that the Canaanites were fearsome and seemingly undefeatable. But the Israelites were to overcome them with God’s help. Just sitting still by the border wouldn’t bequeath Canaan to us - we are to go ahead and make our move, with the fullest knowledge that God is with us. God has made numerous promises and He never breaks any nor does His word change. We are to believe in the same promises and in His guidance- all we need to do is to follow Him.

God is fed up by the disobedience of Israelites, so much that He tells Moses of His plan to disinherit them, and make Moses’ descendants a greater and mightier nation than them. But Moses intercedes for the Israelites, appealing to God’s mercy and forgiveness. God pardons them but is not pleased with the Israelites’ grumblings for they had witnessed God’s miracles and glorious victory and guidance so far. It is these grumblings which condemns them to wander in the desert for 40 years. Those who eventually saw Canaan were those who followed the Lord wholeheartedly.

15.

God wants us to be holy and to be obedient to Him.

17.

God doesn’t like us to grumble.

In the OT, access to Him was via the Levites. After Jesus’ death, we don’t need any such intercessors. Each sin required atonement- usually involving a blood sacrifice. Jesus was the final blood sacrifice who made atonement for all.

20.

The Israelites grumble again! But when God tells Moses to speak to the rock, Moses smites it twice instead.