Blessings and Curses of Freedom | Numbers part 11
When a Blessing Feels like a Curse | Numbers 11:1-9
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, 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.
Numbers 11:1-9
When we read about the people complaining about their travels, it really should reinforce the truth about human nature. It can be really difficult for us to just be happy. They have seen the Lord work miracles getting them out of Egypt, at the foot of Mt. Sinai, and now as they travel, food literally appears seemingly out of nowhere. But now, they are tired of the manna.
The first line of the text says quite a bit. The people complained “about their misfortunes.” What misfortunes? They are the most blessed people in the world at this point. Their blessings feel like a curse because now they have to do the work.
Last week, as we took a look at the trumpets and their deeper meaning, I made the point, “God’s people are promised a blessed ending, not an easy journey.” Here, we see the hard part of the journey…though certainly not the hardest. Later, they will be put to war. This particular part is recognizing the journey God has put them on will take work on their part—and not comfortable work.
They lament about the fish, cucumbers, melons, and vegetables they had to eat in Egypt, but they say something very foolish—“that cost nothing.” You may have heard the saying, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” There is always a cost. How quickly do they forget they were slaves in Egypt!
Sinful thinking has this affect on us. We think of all the good parts of slavery to sin and forget all the costs. When we think with our sin nature, we are like the addict who wants the high but disregards the toll on his mind and body. Consider how Hebrews describes the faith of Moses.
By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.
Hebrews 11:24-26
There is a choice we have to make every day, and that is whether we will continue to chase the fleeting pleasures of sin or chase the greater reward of Christ. You may have heard the Bible says somewhere, “Sin is pleasurable for a season, but its end is destruction.” It’s a nice saying, but it isn’t actually in the Bible anywhere. The closest thing is the verse we just read. There’s actually a whole book called Ecclesiastes that reminds us chasing anything in this life—good or bad—that isn’t the Lord will only lead to dissatisfaction.
The Israelites are complaining because they have lost sight of why they were brought out of Egypt and who brought them this far.
They have also lost sight of God’s provision. He rains manna down on them each morning, and they snub their nose at it. The miraculous has become commonplace, and so they complain.
Church, it is an absolute miracle that any of us are saved and that any of us can stand before the throne of God. Do not let this fact become so commonplace that we lose sight of its profound power.
When Leadership feels like a curse | Numbers 11:10-15
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. 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? 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? 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.’ I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. 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.”
Numbers 11:10-15
Here, we have a raw and clear picture of leadership. Moses has been set apart to lead the people which has brought him great blessings and privilege. It was Moses who got to stand before pharaoh. Moses lifted his staff to part the Red Sea. Moses was able to climb the mountain and stand before the Lord. Unfortunately, it is also Moses who has to deal with the complaints, and Moses who has to find food for the ungrateful bunch. Moses has lost any joy he might have had in his privileged position because the people are too wearisome. He tells God, “If you love me at all, you’ll kill me now and end this whole thing.”
When we compare Moses’ lament with the people’s lament, it brings up an interesting question. Are we allowed to complain to God? God’s anger is kindled when He hears the people, but in a second we will see the Lord give provision for Moses’ complaints. So what’s the difference in the complaints?
If you look again at verse 2, you’ll notice the people aren’t complaining to the Lord, they are complaining about the Lord. God hears it (because He’s God), but the people aren’t actually taking their prayers to God. Moses goes straight to God with what is going on, and more importantly, in the next verses, we will read that Moses listens to God’s response.
The problem with airing out our problems isn’t so much the complaining part, as it is the “not going to God with your problems” part. Peter tells us:
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7
Your problems are not too big for God, and your complaining is not too big either. Perhaps you have legitimate problems, or perhaps you are being selfish. Either way, your problems won’t go away until you take it to the Lord. Because when we go to the Lord, He will show us how to deal with them.
Big or small, God cares enough about you to listen to your complaints.
Now, there is another application to this passage that is for anyone who would dare to take a leadership role in God’s Kingdom. Know what you are signing up for. It is a privilege to serve the Lord, especially in a church office. It is a privilege to serve in vocational ministry. There are days when I still get to say, “I get paid for this? Wow.”
But there are other days, when I go to God and say, “I’m not sure there’s enough money to deal with this.” In every job, there are things you get to do and things you got to do. Christian, whether you are paid for ministry or not, we cannot expect the journey to be easy. Jesus said the world hated him, so don’t be surprised when it hates us. In those hard times, we must go straight to our God who loves and cares for us.
We will end today on a cliffhanger. What will become of the people? What will become of Moses? Will they ever get to the Promised Land?
Of course, if you know the story, you know exactly what happens next. But as we close, I’d like to remind us again the reason the people are complaining. They have lost sight of the greatest blessing they could have: the Lord is with them.
When life feels like a curse, remember you already have the greatest blessing in Jesus Christ who promised to never leave you or forsake you.