If you read the first 10 chapters of Numbers, it is still very much related to the organization of the nation of Israel and the setting up of the tabernacle, the sanctuary. At this point, the children of Israel had camped at Mount Sinai for almost a year.

Numbers 9:1-2
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season.

• They had gotten comfortable being there but nevertheless it was time to pack up and move on, to continue to make their way towards Canaan.

Number 10:33-36
33 And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them. 34 And the cloud of the LORD was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp. 35 And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee. 36 And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel.

• So off the children of Israel went. Moses with them and the new Ark of the Covenant with them also. The cloud above them ensuring God’s presence was with them.
• Wouldn’t it be nice if we always made sure that God was with us before we left our rooms and left our houses for different activities and duties for each day?

Now as they move forward, what happens next?

• Numbers 11:1
  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.
• They hadn’t even gone very far when old habits started to surface again. They began to complain.
• We don’t know the reason for their complaint so far in this verse, but God did not just stand by patiently this time.
• In the very same verse what does God do as soon as they complained? He sent forth fire and it burnt them.
• Their complaining actually had eternal consequences! They were punished right away!

When they first complained at the Red Sea when Pharoah came chasing after them, God opened the Red Sea for them.

When they complained about the bitter water, God turned that water into drinkable water.

When they complained about no food, God gave them quail and manna every day for them to eat.

Every time the children of Israel had complained, God had seemingly provided for them. But it got to a point where maybe they thought that that was the right spirit to have whenever they weren’t happy with anything.

• However, God was being patient with them at the beginning because they didn’t know better. And it seemed like their complaining had caught up to them and they had received enough chances and now here in Numbers 11, they had crossed the line.
• So God sent fire to burn them and consume them.
• I think we need to be careful with constant complaining as well. We can go too far. We can wear out God’s patience. In His infinite wisdom He deals patiently and lovingly with us. But we can get to a point where what we are doing is not in the right spirit, it is not justifiable, and totally unreasonable.
• The children of Israel were clearly unreasonable in the past, but I guess God was hoping that love would change them. But it didn’t. So, God had to resort to stronger discipline and judgment.

However, God is still merciful. Let’s keep reading.

• Numbers 11:2-3
  2 And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched. 3 And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them.
• As soon as they cry out to Moses and Moses prays to God, the fire is stopped.
• It gives them this contrast with what they can do with their mouths. Instead of complaining, they can learn to pray. Or at least they can learn to bring their complaints to God in prayer rather than just doing it openly and letting it affect everyone around them.
• This is nothing new. We’ve seen this in the past.
• They cry to Moses and Moses cries to God.
• But have the children of Israel really learnt their lesson?

Numbers 11:4-9
4 And the mixt 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 garlick: 6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes. 7 And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium. 8 And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil. 9 And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.

• No sooner had the fire stopped burning that we are told that they being to weep. Now this wasn’t just any normal weeping for someone who is sick or dying. They were mourning over their food!
• They missed the food that they had in Egypt. The flesh to eat, fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. All those spices that made the food more tasty!
• They were tired and ungrateful of the manna that God was giving to them.
• And so this weeping, it was again complaining. They weren’t happy that they had miracle food come down from heaven for them.
• When you read about this manna, they could do so many things with it. They could mill it. They could beat it in a mortar. They could bake it or make cakes with it. This sounded like wheat without all the extra work of harvesting it, separating it out from the kernel!
• But yet they were displeased. They were not content. Complaining again but with more visible unhappiness – weeping away.

However, it seems like there was a particular group that was responsible for this complaining. It was the mixt multitude that we read in verse 4. Who are the mixt multitude?

• Exodus 12:38
  And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.
• When the Israelites came out from Egypt, it wasn’t just the Israelites themselves. There were some that came along who were Egyptian or from other races. They left because there was nothing left in Egypt for them. The country had been destroyed by the plagues. So the best decision left for survival was to follow the children of Israel.
• You see, this group didn’t leave and join themselves to the Israelites because they believed the true God. Their motives were selfish and were prompted by a desire for self-preservation.
• So we can begin to understand why they would complain as soon as there was no water or no food. And we can see that complaining is contagious. It affected the whole camp each time!

But now coming back to the story. How does Moses respond this time?

• Numbers 11:10-15
  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 favour 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? 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. 14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. 15 And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.
• God was unhappy to see the children of Israel like this. Moses was also unhappy to see them continually like this. He had had enough. To the point that if God didn’t send help, he asked to die.
• Even Moses had his limit. But in this instance he went too far.
• Had he turned to God for help as he always did, not only would God have worked for him as he had in the past, He would have continued to give Moses the strength to carry the burden.
• He himself said to God, it is too heavy for me.
• But God had helped him at the Red Sea. He had helped him when the children of Israel complained about the bitter water, and when there was no food left to eat and when they ran out of water. God had helped Moses at every step.

How does God respond?

• Numbers 11:16-17
  16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee. 17 And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.
• God asks Moses to choose seventy men and he would take some of the spirit that was upon Moses and put it on them.
• But not just that. What else did God do?
• Numbers 11:18-20
  18 And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. 19 Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; 20 But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?
• God would provide them meat to eat. He would give them so much to eat until it came out of their nostrils.
• Why? Why would God give them something that was not good for them? Because they were the ones requesting for it. He had to stand back and allow them to suffer the consequence of their own foolish decision.
• Sometimes when we hold things back from our children so many times without them realizing how hurtful it is to them personally, they don’t appreciate the restraint or even the provision. And so God had to do this and let them suffer for their own decision.
• But there was also a second reason why God did this. Let’s keep reading.
• Numbers 11:21-23
  21 And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month. 22 Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them? 23 And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD’s hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.
• Moses even was shocked. He was wondering how God would supply for everyone. How could he feed 600,000 men besides women and children? Basically, how could God feed over one million people?
• God reminds Moses that He was more than able to do what He said He would do.
• Moses had forgotten about the 10 plagues, the Red Sea, the healing of the waters and the raining down of manna. Moses had allowed the complaining of the people to give him temporary amnesia about all that God had done for them. His faith had faltered in the midst of all these issues that kept arising.
• Now Moses did not sin, but he had allowed doubt to creep in, to the point that he asked for the Lord to kill him!
• However, God providing all this food for the children of Israel was not in response to their complaining, but it was to prove again to Moses that He was more than able to sustain and to take care of them. He did not need Moses’ help. It seemed like Moses was instrumental in the other times where God had been there for them.
  • The 10 plagues – of course Moses was instrumental. He was constantly talking to Pharaoh and giving instruction to the children of Israel.
  • The parting of the Red Sea – Moses held up the rod.
  • The bitter water – Moses threw the plant in to heal it.
  • No water – Moses struck the rock.
  • No food – Moses called on God and He rained manna.
• But this time, God was giving the food to prove to Moses that it was nothing to do with him but everything to do with God. And God would provide and work in spite of Moses.

Numbers 11:24-25
24 And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle. 25 And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.

• So Moses gathers the seventy elders and God takes the spirit that was upon Moses and He places it on them. And the sign that they have receive the spirit is that they begin to prophesy. It was an obvious sign to everyone that were watching. This was done in the public for all the children of Israel to see.
• And not only that. What else does God do?
• Numbers 11:31-33
  31 And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth. 32 And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp. 33 And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.
• God would send the meat but eventually punish them for their complaining.

Now coming back to the elders. Where have we seen seventy elders before?

• Exodus 24:1
  And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.
• We don’t know if this is the same group or not. But it’s important to note here in Exodus that we have some sort of a hierarchy.
  • Moses – he was in charge.
  • Then Aaron, Nadab and Abihu – they were the priests with Aaron of course being second in command as the high priest.
  • Then we see the seventy elders.
• So if this is the same group, the seventy elders were part of the leadership. But there was a clear hierarchy. They were third or fourth in the leadership position.

However, when God takes the spirit that is upon Moses and He places it on the seventy elders and they begin to prophesy, what is taking place in the minds of the people?

• It’s almost as if they are getting a promotion. They are now being elevated above Aaron, Nadab and Abihu. And it seems like they are put on almost equal authority with Moses himself! We never read anywhere where Aaron, Nadab or Abihu receive the spirit that is on Moses.
• How was this different to the time when Jethro came and recommended for Moses to put others in charge?
• Well firstly, it was just a recommendation from Jethro for a more ordered system of government. And also, Moses wasn’t complaining.
• Moreover, the spirit of Moses was not placed on those leaders. There was still a clear hierarchy. There were people who were rulers over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. And then the hard cases were brought to Moses. It was clear that Moses was still in charge.
• But now what is happening is that the seventy elders are being put on the same level as Moses. And from this would result great evils in the future for Moses.
• There would arise insurrection in the future from leadership.
• Numbers 16:1-3
  1 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: 2 And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: 3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron…
• Certainly leadership was involved when they came to gather themselves against Moses and Aaron.

In a momentary lapse of his faith and trust in God to provide and sustain, Moses would reap the results of his own request in time to come. We must be so careful when we complain. But we must be even more careful in what we say and the decisions we make in time of discouragement or anger. God granted him his request which was not in His plan to do from the beginning. And he would suffer the consequence of his own decision.

No matter what situation you are going through today, don’t forget that God will help you, He will sustain you, and He will give you wisdom and strength for every situation. Faithful is He that has called you who will also help you to do it. Let us not think that our success is dependent on us. But rather let us always remember that all the sufficiency and all the power is from God.