Numbers 11 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Numbers 11

The People Complain

11:1 And the people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes, and when the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. 2 Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the LORD, and the fire died down. 3 So the name of that place was called Taberah,¹ because the fire of the LORD burned among them.

4 Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. 6 But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”

7 Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium. 8 The people went about and gathered it and ground it in handmills or beat it in mortars and boiled it in pots and made cakes of it. And the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil. 9 When the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell with it.

10 Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the LORD blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased. 11 Moses said to the LORD, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? 12 Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,’ to the land that you swore to give their fathers? 13 Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ 14 I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. 15 If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.”

Elders Appointed to Aid Moses

16 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. 17 And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone. 18 And say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing of the LORD, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was better for us in Egypt.” Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you shall eat. 19 You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, 20 but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the LORD who is among you and have wept before him, saying, “Why did we come out of Egypt?”’” 21 But Moses said, “The people among whom I am number six hundred thousand on foot, and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month!’ 22 Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, and be enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, and be enough for them?” 23 And the LORD said to Moses, “Is the LORD’s hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not.”

24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. 25 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.

26 Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” 29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD’s people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!” 30 And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

Quail and a Plague

31 Then a wind from the LORD sprang up, and it brought quail from the sea and let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits² above the ground. 32 And the people rose all that day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail. Those who gathered least gathered ten homers.³ And they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. 33 While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD struck down the people with a very great plague. 34 Therefore the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah,⁴ because there they buried the people who had the craving. 35 From Kibroth-hattaavah the people journeyed to Hazeroth, and they remained at Hazeroth.

Footnotes

[1] 11:3 Taberah means burning
[2] 11:31 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
[3] 11:32 A homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters
[4] 11:34 Kibroth-hattaavah means graves of craving

Commentary

v1-3: Even though the Lord had delivered the people, and constantly guided them, they complained. There were hardships, but such that were sent by the Lord to encourage dependence upon Him. Moses' intercession here stopped God's further punishment.

v4: The "rabble", or mixed multitude, indicating Egyptians and Midianites who had joined with the Israelites, either in Egypt, or along the way. They brought in a bad influence, of unbelief and grumbling. Whilst the church is open to others, the influence of unbelievers, uncommitted, or ungodly can be damaging. The Lord Jesus spoke of the mustard tree allowing the birds of the air to nest in it.

v5: Worldliness - desiring the food of the Egyptians; they wanted to go back! These foods gave taste but little sustenance, they offered much but delivered little like clouds without rain. The thinking of the people had been changed, and they had become deceived.

v6: In addition, the people had become dissatisfied with God's provision for them.

v7-9: Even though the people grumbled, God continued to provide the manna, as He had promised.

v10-15: Moses' reaction was one of displeasure, having been worn down by the people's constant grumbling. He did, however, take his complaint to the Lord.

v11-12: Moses recalled that God had given him the task of leading the people. Sometimes our task seems especially burdensome. We need to look constantly to the Lord.

v13: The people's desire for meat could not be fulfilled; see Mark 6.37.

v14: Compare Ex 18.21, which was less than one year before this time. Moses had perhaps taken back the burden of leadership. Such burden is heavier if not shared. Perhaps he found that delegation led to unwise decisions.

v15: Moses' solution to the problem; even the most godly of men make unwise statements.

v16-17: The Lord's solution was quite different. The 70 elders, "who are known to you as leaders and officials", i.e: who had proved themselves, were anointed by God to share the burden of leadership. It is not right that one man carry the people alone.

v18-20: The people would receive what they had requested, but that would be a punishment, in that the meat would become loathsome to them, see Ps 106.14-15. Such is the effect of lives lacking commitment, or harbouring complaints, or tolerating bad attitudes, or desiring material things rather than spiritual reality.

v21-22 Even Moses struggled to grasp God’s power, in His ability to fulfil His own promises.

v23: In answer to Moses' doubt (v21-22), the Lord said that He would ensure that His own words were fulfilled. There were two specific issues, one was the mass provision of meat for 600,000 men, plus women and children; the second was that the Lord would anoint 70 men with His Spirit. These words point us to Christ's words in Mark 2.8-11. Our doubts are answered by the Lord's omnipotence, His ability always to fulfil His own promises.

v24: Moses told the people what was to happen.

v25: The 70 elders prophesied, declaring God's words, and proclaiming His glory, rather than specific predictions.

v26: The incident about Eldad and Medad, who were listed among the 70, but remained in the camp. The Spirit came upon them, and they prophesied also, perhaps to the fear of some.

v28: Joshua's response, having heard about the incident, was to try to stop them. He seemed troubled by the lack of order.

v29-30: Moses was delighted that God had poured out His Spirit in this way. His prayer was for more; that the Spirit would be upon all the people, and that they might all prophesy. This is a foretaste of Pentecost, from when all who belong to Christ have the Spirit within.

v31-32: At the same time, the Lord sent the quail, easily caught by the people. But this was a judgment, as well as a sign of God's great power.

v33-34: They 'yielded to craving', desiring only material satisfaction, and not giving thanks to the generous God. Such desire leads to sin, and sin to death (James 1.15).

For the Christian, such desires result in a lack of fruit in our lives; we should expose such things in our lives, and deal with them.