But Moses replied, "Here I am among 600,000 men on foot, yet You say, 'I will give them meat, and they will eat for a month.' Sermons
I. MOSES IN HIS REPLY SNOWS AN IMPERFECT APPRECIATION OF WHAT GOD HAD SAID. 1. As to God's purpose. He had spoken in holy anger, promising flesh, but threatening retribution along with it. The threat is quite as emphatic's the promise, but somehow Moses does not heed. At Sinai, when the people made the golden calf, he was so oppressed with the sense of their great sin, and so solicitous for their pardon, as to beg if the pardon were not granted that he might himself be blotted out of God's book. Where was this anxiety now? His great concern is, not how God may be propitiated and the people spared, but how the people may be propitiated and he himself spared. Contrast Moses here with Christ at all times. Think of the Son's never-failing remembrance of the Father's glory. The Son saw and appreciated all things the Father showed him; hence the confidence with which we look to Christ for a revelation of all God's purposes concerning us, so far as it is right for us to know them. Jesus could ever go out and declare in fitting words and with proper emphasis all the will of God, for he had a perfect appreciation of that will himself. But how was Moses to go out and speak properly to the people when he himself had only half-heard, as it were, what God had said to him? Doubtless he repeated the message of God in the very same words; but one fears that while he made it quite clear to the people they should have flesh, he made it not quite so clear that God was sending it in anger. Let us ever get to the spirit of God's messages to us; never content till their fullness of meaning has passed into our heart, so that something like the fullness of service may pass out of it again. 2. As to God's power. History repeats itself. Unbelief, natural ignorance of God, slowness of heart to take in what he has spoken, - these repeat themselves in their manner of receiving God's promises. Moses talks here as the disciples did at the feeding of the five thousand (Matthew 14:15). And yet, after all his wonderful experiences, there should not have been the slightest difficulty in receiving what God had said. Of all possible convictions, this should have rested on solid ground - that what God had promised he assuredly had power to perform. Is not this one of the great differences between God and men? Men promise and forget, or fall short; God is always better than his promises, for they have to be spoken in defective human words, while they are fulfilled in complete Divine actions. II. THE CAUSE OF THIS IMPERFECT APPRECIATION. Can we not detect, and especially in the light of his subsequent language, something like doubt, something like leaning upon creature supports instead of God, in the invitation which he gave to Hobab? If this be so, we wonder little at his language of bitter complaint and despair (verses 11-15); and we wonder less that he so soon showed himself out of sympathy with the Divine purposes. The eye of faith had become dim; self-preservation, escape from an intolerable burden, occupied his thoughts. Was it astonishing that, unbelief having found a temporary lodgment in the heart of the leader, the followers should have failed to take in all the purport of God's message? Learn from this how carefully spirituality of mind needs to be guarded. We must not be seduced into leaning upon men instead of trusting in God. Men may solace and encourage us as companions; they are never to take the place of Providence. So neither are we to be terrified and paralyzed by sudden and stupendous revelations of human wickedness. In the midst of them all we hear the one voice speaking, "Be still, and know that I am God." - Y.
Gather unto Me seventy men of the elders I. THE LORD'S ANSWER TO THE APPEAL OF HIS MUCH-TRIED SERVANT.1. The number of the assistants. 2. Their selection. 3. The qualification imparted to them. II. THE LORD'S ANSWER TO THE APPEAL OF HIS PERVERSE PEOPLE. 1. Recognises the sinful character of their appeal. 2. Demands preparation for the granting of their appeal. 3. Promises the most abundant bestowment of that which they had so passionately and sinfully desired.Conclusion: Mark well — 1. The disgusting nature of the sins of gluttony and drunkenness. 2. The necessity of firmly controlling carnal desires. Even those animal appetites which are lawful must be kept subordinate to higher things. 3. The necessity of submissiveness in prayer. (W. Jones.) 1. A new want needed a remedy. 2. The remedy supplied. 3. The remedy for the want extraordinary. 4. The remedy had its counterpart in — (1) (2) II. THE HOLY SPIRIT STILL CARRIES ON THE SAME WORK. 1. The Church has new needs. She must pray as Moses prayed, and realising the presence of the Holy Ghost, set herself to meet these new demands on her energies, in scattered hamlet and crowded alley, where Christ Himself would come. 2. "Would that all the Lord's people were prophets!" Each Christian is a Spirit-bearer. Is he conscious of this dignity and responsibility? Each has his special gifts. (W. Walters, M. A.) (Bp. Babington.) O sweet God! Moses He will comfort by adding helpers unto him, and the people also He will satisfy in giving them flesh which they so lusted for, and that not ordinary flesh, nor gross meat, but quails, which to this day are accounted dainties. And not for a meal or two, or a day or two, but a whole month together, &c. How showeth this the truth of that Psalm which after in his time was made (Psalm 1.). Nay, how showeth this that whatsoever He will, that can He do both in heaven and earth; and therefore blessed is the man that putteth his trust in Him. Remember what you read in the holy gospel (Matthew 6:25). What dearth so great, what penury so pinching, wherein the Lord cannot help us either ordinarily or extraordinarily? Can He thus glut His great host with dainty quails, and cannot He send you and yours bread? Fear not, but cleave unto Him fast, and even past hope if the case should be such, yet under hope believe all the Scriptures, and that He will never leave you succourless that openeth His hand and filleth all things with plenteousness. Only consider that many ways He ever exerciseth the faith of His children and their patience, whose duty is to bear with contentment what He sendeth, praying to Him to remember mercy, and to lay no more upon us than we are able to bear, as He hath promised, use such means as you can by just and honest labour or otherwise; and be assured, in goodness He will step in when He seeth time.(Bp. Babington.) People Eldad, Israelites, Joshua, Medad, Moses, NunPlaces Egypt, Hazeroth, Kibroth-hattaavah, Paran, TaberahTopics Eat, Eaten, Flesh, Foot, Footmen, Hast, Hundred, Meat, Midst, Month, Sayest, Six, Thousand, YetOutline 1. The burning at Taberah quenched by Moses' prayer4. The people crave meat, and loathe manna 10. Moses complains of his charge 16. God promises to divide his burden unto seventy elders, 18. and to give the people meat for a month 21. Moses' faith is staggered 31. Quails are given in wrath at Kibroth Hattaavah Dictionary of Bible Themes Numbers 11:4-34 8726 doubters Library April 12. "They were as it Were, Complainers" (Num. xi. 1). "They were as it were, complainers" (Num. xi. 1). There is a very remarkable phrase in the book of Numbers, in the account of the murmuring of the children of Israel in the wilderness. It reads like this: "When the people, as it were, murmured." Like most marginal readings it is better than the text, and a great world of suggestive truth lies back of that little sentence. In the distance we may see many a vivid picture rise before our imagination of people who do not dare to sin openly and unequivocally, … Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth Exposition of Chap. Iii. (ii. 28-32. ) The Deaf Stammerer Healed and Four Thousand Fed. The Baptist's Testimony. Third Sunday after Epiphany False Ambition Versus Childlikeness. The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Third Sunday Before Lent Eastern Wise-Men, or Magi, visit Jesus, the New-Born King. Messiah's Easy Yoke Of Immediate Revelation. Blasphemous Accusations of the Jews. Appendix ii. Philo of Alexandria and Rabbinic Theology. Numbers Links Numbers 11:21 NIVNumbers 11:21 NLT Numbers 11:21 ESV Numbers 11:21 NASB Numbers 11:21 KJV Numbers 11:21 Bible Apps Numbers 11:21 Parallel Numbers 11:21 Biblia Paralela Numbers 11:21 Chinese Bible Numbers 11:21 French Bible Numbers 11:21 German Bible Numbers 11:21 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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