June 24, 2019

When Miracles Aren't Enough 

Numbers 11:1–15

Joshua McDonald
Monday's Devo

June 24, 2019

Monday's Devo

June 24, 2019

Central Truth

Lack of contentment is often a reflection of one's walk with Christ. 

Key Verse | Numbers 11:9

When the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell with it.

Numbers 11:1–15

The People Complain

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. Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the LORD, and the fire died down. So the name of that place was called Taberah, 1 11:3 Taberah means burning because the fire of the LORD burned among them.

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! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”

Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium. 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. 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.”

Footnotes

[1] 11:3 Taberah means burning

Dive Deeper | Numbers 11:1–15

Oh, how quickly Israel forgot the great miracles of God! He had just brought them out of slavery in Egypt and destroyed their enemies through events only God could perform. They had seen supernatural event after supernatural event. In fact, they were experiencing the miracle of manna being brought to them every morning. Yet they complained, even while experiencing these marvelous acts of God.

Israel seemed to complain about everything. They complained about food, they complained about drinking water (Exodus 15), they complained about life in the desert (Exodus 16), and they even complained about leaving the desert and entering the Promised Land (Numbers 14).

When we see this from our perspective, it's easy to point out Israel's faults and ask why would they act like they did when God was doing amazing things right before their eyes. Hindsight is 20/20. God's mercies and miracles continue to be performed every day of our lives, yet we complain about so much. We are a very dissatisfied culture. Even as I type this, I am reminded of my own complaints of today's traffic jam, complaints that the map on my phone wasn't working fast enough, and even audible complaints to God about the rain. 

God's reaction can be seen early in chapter 11: His anger burned against the people. Moses also felt the people's lack of contentment. He cried out to God on behalf of the people because even he felt provoked. There is a clear difference between being unhappy with a specific situation in your life that drives you to better yourself and with being content with what God has provided. To grumble against God is almost to despise Him and what He has so graciously given us.

As Christ-followers, we are not promised a perfect life. We must learn to be content with what God has provided for us. If anyone had a right to complain, it would be Paul, yet he wrote, "Do all things without grumbling . . . that you may be blameless . . . ." (Philippians 2:14-15)

Discussion Questions

1. Write down or make a mental list of some things that you grumble about the most (traffic, technology, disobedient kids) and why.

2. In Numbers 11:1-15, we see that Israel takes the miracles of God for granted and even grumbles that they weren't enough. How do you think you can turn those grumblings you thought of in Question #1 into praises for what God has done? 

3. Write down or make a mental list of the daily blessings of God in your life. When you get to at least 20, stop and read over the list again, thanking God for each one. 

4. Read Philippians 2:14-15. Try meditating on this passage and ask God to show you areas in your life that can be turned from grumbling to praising God for what He has done.