26. MEAT FOR ISRAEL
"Who shall give us flesh to eat?"
Aim
To show that God will provide us with our needs. He is able to do everything and will look after those who love Him
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Synopsis
God had brought His chosen people out of Egypt and given them a Law and a great leader. They became a nation, the nation of Israel, and Yahweh was their King. The people set to work to build a Tabernacle "according to the pattern" given to Moses, so that the God of their Fathers might dwell with them. They were to worship only Him. They were to be "holy," or "set apart", and were to live according to His Law, showing to the nations round about that they were the people of Yahweh - called by His Name (Deut. 28:9-10). God promised: "If ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people, for all the earth is Mine" (Exod. 19:5-8).
Numbers 9:15-23; 10,11 and 12
THE TABERNACLE ERECTED: Num. 9:15-23
After six months spent in carrying out God's instructions for the making of the Tabernacle and its furniture, everything was ready.
On the first day of the first month, in the second year after leaving Egypt, the Tabernacle was set up at Mt. Sinai (Exod. 40:17-19).
God showed His presence among His people by a cloud above the Tabernacle during the day, and the appearance of fire over it by night (Exod. 13:21-22). "When the cloud was taken up from over the Tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in their journeys; but if the cloud was not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up" (Exod. 40:36-37).
ISRAEL DEPARTS FROM SINAI: Num. 10:1-13,33-36
Moses had been told by God to make two silver trumpets, which the priests would blow to gather the people together for various reasons. They were blown, for example, to give them the signal to set out on their journeys.
"On the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year after leaving Egypt, the cloud was taken up from off the Tabernacle." This was a sign to Israel that they were to leave Sinai, where they had spent eleven months (Exod. 19:1; Num. 10:11). The Ark and all the furniture was carefully covered by Aaron and his sons. No-one else was to touch them or to look at them. The Tabernacle was taken down piece by piece and all the parts were carried by the Levites (Num. 4:15, 20).
When the people heard the sound of the silver trumpets, they had to get ready to go on their journey. The cloud would lead them and show them the way. Israel always moved in a special order as commanded by God; each group of the tribes under the standard (flag) of their leader. Judah always led the way and the Ark was carried in the midst of the marching people Whenever they marched, they began and ended the day with a prayer to God given by Moses (Num. 10:35-36).
ISRAEL COMPLAINS ABOUT THE MANNA AND LONGS FOR THE THINGS OF EGYPT: Num.11:4-5,31-33
It was only an eleven days' journey by way of Mt, Seir to the border of Canaan (Deut. 1:2), but it took Israel about ten months to travel from Sinai to Kadesh on the southern border (compare Num. 10:11 with Deut. 2:14).
The way was through dry, harsh desert country and the people became discouraged and discontented. They forgot that God had given them freedom from slavery and had brought them out of Egypt; and they stopped thinking about the Promised Land ahead - "a good land and a large land flowing with milk and honey" (Exod. 3:8). They began to complain. They complained about the manna and longed for all the different foods they had enjoyed in Egypt. "There is nothing at all beside this manna before our eyes", they grumbled. "Who shall give us flesh to eat?" (Num. 11:4-6). They looked back to Egypt instead of forward to the Promised Land. Moses was displeased and troubled when he heard the people actually weeping in their tents. God was angry with them and their complaining. He would give them flesh to eat if that was what they wanted. Not just for one day or two days or five days or ten days or twenty days but for a "whole month until it come out at your nostrils and it be loathsome unto you" (vv. 19-20). He sent a strong wind that brought quails to their camp. Eagerly they gathered them up and began to eat, but they ate greedily, forgetting that God had given them this food and that they should thank Him for it. While the food was still in their mouths, God showed His anger by sending a plague among them and many of the people died. The name of this place was called Kibroth-Hattavah which means "the graves of the greedy".
THE JEALOUSY OF MIRIAM AND AARON: Numb. 12
The grumbling and complaining of the people even affected their leaders. Even Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses. They said, "Hath Yahweh indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath He not spoken also by us?" (v.2). God had to show them that it was very wrong to be jealous of Moses. He called Moses, Aaron and Miriam to come to the Tabernacle of the congregation. There He spoke with them from the pillar of cloud: "If there be a prophet among you, I, Yahweh, will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him I will speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of Yahweh shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" (vv.5-8). As a sign of God's anger, Miriam was struck with leprosy. Aaron pleaded for forgiveness of their sin and Moses prayed to God, beseeching Him to heal Miriam. God answered his prayer, but commanded that Miriam be shut out of the camp for seven days, after which she could be received in again.
Moses showed true meekness - he knew that God had chosen him as the leader of Israel, but he was not proud or boastful at all. He only did what God said. He did not get angry with his jealous brother and sister, but trusted in God to put things right. Aaron and Miriam learned their lesson, for they never again questioned the authority of Moses.
LESSON FOR US
God requires faith (which means we must believe what God says) and obedience to His commands. Let us not be faithless and complaining, as the Israelites were in the wilderness. Let us rather be like Moses, God's servant, who never doubted that God would care for Israel.
QUESTIONS Short Answers
1. Who was the man appointed by God as the leader over Israel?
2. How did the people know when to set out on their journey through the wilderness?
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What tribe always went first when they journeyed?
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Who carried all the parts of the Tabernacle and its furniture?
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How did God show the people the way?
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What did God send for the people to eat when they complained about the manna?
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Why did God send a plague upon the people as they went gathering and eating the quails?
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What did Miriam and Aaron say when they spoke against Moses?
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What kind of man was Moses?
Detailed Answers
1. The people of Israel journeyed from Mt Sinai towards the Promised Land.
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How did they know when to march and when to stop and set up camp?
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How did God show them the way?
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Who carried all the parts of the Tabernacle and its furniture when they journeyed?
2. Tell what you know about the Israelites' murmuring and complaining after they left Mt Sinai.
Additional Answers
3. Miriam and Aaron were jealous of Moses. Tell what happened and what God had to say about Moses.