14: Complaint: Why did we ever come out of Egypt? (Num 11:1-20)

It didn’t take long for them to start complaining after experiencing God's glory in Mt. Sinai. The desire for strong-flavored food made them complain about the food from God

πŸ‘‰ Read Numbers 11:1-20

When people complained, it (              ) the Lord. When the Lord heard it, his (           ) burned, and so the fire of (            ) burned among them.


What was the reason for their complaint? (6-9, 20)


Moses also complained to the Lord. “Did I give (        ) to them? Why did you lay the (            ) of this entire people on me? I am not able to bear this entire people (          ), because it is too heavy. If you deal with me like this, (        ) me immediately.”


What were God’s responses to their complaints? (two, 16-17, 18-20)

 

Answers and Meditation

Displeased, anger, the Lord

Why our complaint displeases the Lord? It is not because we want something that God hasn’t given us. Our complaint comes from our unbelief.

 

They missed the foods in Egypt, which had strong-flavor

God’s provision for our needs is often less satisfactory than the way of this world. Video games are more fun than our worship. The addictive drug gives stronger pleasure than daily bread.

If you are not used to living by the ‘plain flavored meal’ of the Lord, you will return to this world's unhealthy and strong-tasted food. Thus, you would return to the world, abandoning faith.

Never regret your faith for the sake of pleasure of this world.

 

Birth, burden, alone, kill

Moses also complained to the Lord. Moses’ complaint also comes from his unbelief that God cannot feed them with meat.

God didn’t ask Moses to care for them but to deliver His message. However, Moses took more responsibility than what was given. Often, over-responsibility is the cause of burnout of ministers.

 

I will put the Spirit on the elders so you won’t bear it all alone.

I will feed them with meat until they are sick and tired of it, for they despised the Lord.

Wanting meat is not, but their complaint is bad. The complaint comes from despair that you wouldn’t get what you desire, ‘who will give us meat to eat?’ (18). Despair comes when we don’t trust God’s power and His goodness that He would satisfy our desire. If we believe in God, we will pray instead of complaining when we desire something.

God is merciful in answering their complaints.

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