NUMBERS 11 - Fire and quail from the Lord 

NOTES BY VERSE

Note: each ** comment in this document is listed in numerical order according to the verse(s) from this chapter

** God's anger was aroused when His people complained about leaving Egypt

• God’s anger resulted in fire to the outskirts of the camp as a warning sign to the entire Israelite community

• God gave the people what they wanted – He gave them enough quail that made them sick and resulted in a plague that killed thousands

• Every defeat believers experience is ultimately rooted in unbelief  <R1795>

Numbers 11:1-2 NIV

[1] Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. [2] When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the Lord and the fire died down.

Numbers 11:18-20 NIV

[18] “Tell the people: ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you wailed, “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!” Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will eat it. [19] You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, [20] but for a whole month---until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it---because you have rejected the Lord, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?” ’ ”

** God responded to the Israelites who continued to question His ability to provide by patiently providing for them time and again

• There were also times when God demonstrated His anger

• For instance, His anger was displayed when destroying the sturdiest young men of Israel

Psalm 78:21-29 NIV

[21] When the Lord heard them, he was furious; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel, [22] for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance. [23] Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens; [24] he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven. [25] Human beings ate the bread of angels; he sent them all the food they could eat. [26] He let loose the east wind from the heavens and by his power made the south wind blow. [27] He rained meat down on them like dust, birds like sand on the seashore. [28] He made them come down inside their camp, all around their tents. [29] They ate till they were gorged---he had given them what they craved.

Psalm 78:30-31 NIV

[30] But before they turned from what they craved, even while the food was still in their mouths, [31] God's anger rose against them; he put to death the sturdiest among them, cutting down the young men of Israel.

Numbers 11:1 NIV

[1] Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.

** The ‘rabble’ in the group went to Moses to complain about only having manna to eat

• God’s cloud led Israel into the desert where people felt oppressed by the desolation and began to complain

• After only three days in the desert, the people focused on their ‘hardships’ rather than fixing their hopes on the good land toward which they were journeying  <R1795>

• Likewise, believers should exhibit faith in a future that God has orchestrated for us  

Numbers 11:4-6 NIV

[4] The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! [5] We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost---also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. [6] But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna! ”

Numbers 11:10-11 NIV

[10] Moses heard the people of every family wailing at the entrance to their tents. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. [11] He asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?

** A frustrated Moses asked God to relieve him of his responsibilities and God provided him with 70 elders

Numbers 11:13-15 NIV

[13] Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ [14] I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. [15] If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me---if I have found favor in your eyes---and do not let me face my own ruin.”

Numbers 11:25 NIV

[25] Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took some of the power of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied---but did not do so again.

** God's Spirit rested on 70 elders in the camp to prophesy while some in the crowd were jealous; it was by means of the Holy Spirit that Moses was able lead the Israelites  <M130>

Numbers 11:24-26 NIV

[24] So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the tent. [25] Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took some of the power of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied---but did not do so again. [26] However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp.

Numbers 11:27-29 NIV

[27] A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” [28] Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ aide since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!” [29] But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”

** God sometimes offers miraculous solutions when situations seem dire

Numbers 11:31-33 NIV

[31] Now a wind went out from the Lord and drove quail in from the sea. It scattered them up to two cubits deep all around the camp, as far as a day’s walk in any direction. [32] All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers. Then they spread them out all around the camp. [33] But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the Lord burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague.