1 Corinthians 10:6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.
Numbers 11:5-6; 34 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.” vs 34 Therefore the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had the craving.
The Apostle Paul’s admonition in 1 Corinthians 10:6 against desiring evil as they did, would seem to point to the obvious sins – lying, stealing, adultery, fornication, etc. – and following their deliverance from slavery, many of the children of Israel were certainly guilty of some of these. But this passage in Numbers describes a type of sin we don’t normally consider: it was simply their desire for the foods they ate in Egypt. The daily supernatural provision of angel food (manna) for every meal had become tiresome and even loathsome to the Israelites. The memory of their tasty diet under slavery actually brought about a wave of weeping among the people as each man stood at the door of his tent representing his family which was “fed up” with God’s Manna. Naturally speaking, it’s not hard to sympathize with people who long to enjoy such healthy and tasty foods as fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic.
Yet this complaint angered YHVH very much. Some may wonder at His anger, and judge it to be harsh and unreasonable. Shouldn’t people be allowed to expect variety and taste in their diet? Yet the sin of discontent and complaining about God’s provision and lusting after the food of their slavery ultimately brought severe judgment. Yes, the quail came in great abundance, [Numbers11:31-34], but with it, a severe plague which killed all who were convicted of greed, which the New Testament calls “idolatry” [Colossians 3:5]. The place where they were buried “Kibroth-hattaavah” translates to “the graves of greediness” or “the graves of lust”.
Can we be content with simplicity, and the repetitive sure provision of our Lord? Or will we complain in our lust for the pleasures of this world? The children of Israel were consumed by their lusts. Tasty food in and of itself is not evil. But greed and dissatisfaction are a great offense to the Lord, and a form of idolatry.
Paul spoke elsewhere, “I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. [Philippians 4:12-13 NASB] This weekend, may we abide in a state of contentment, abundantly satisfied with the Lord Himself and His perfect provision, humble as it might be.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.
How to display the above article within the Worthy Suite WordPress Plugin.
[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Tonight begins the feast of Purim, which celebrates the deliverance of the Jewish people from one of many of Satan's attempts to purge them from the world. Mordechai gave Esther a great challenge then, "and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
While I was in the States, I read several stories about Ronald Reagan that made me appreciate him as a person and as a leader. But one amusing story really caught my attention and made me smile. When he was a young man, Reagan worked at a radio station and sometimes played records of sermons. His shift at the station was a one-man operation and so, on occasion, Ron would set the record playing and then sneak out for a cup of coffee. One day he got a call while he was at the coffee shop from the station's owner, ordering him back to the station, and then ... he received his termination notice. He'd returned to the station finding the record skipping at a particular point in the sermon...
Life can get so hectic sometimes -- we often try to do too many things at once. But when our schedule gets that hectic, we need to start investing in some quality time with the Lord. The operating word here is "investing".
In 2nd Samuel Chapter 9 we read of the story of King David and Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan and the grandson of the first king of Israel, King Saul. After Jonathan's death, David went forth to show kindness to Saul's house. Mephibosheth had become lame at the young age of five -- he had lived his entire life as a cripple.
The first man was called "Ah-dom", we know him as "Adam". The word used for "man", as in "mankind", in Genesis 1, is also the same word – "Ah-dom". "Ah-dom" is rooted in the three Hebrew letters, aleph-dalet-mem, and one of the Hebrew words for earth is "Adamah", which contains the same three letters, however it ends with the Hebrew letter "hay". "Adamah" means "red earth", or "red clay", and this word points to the natural earth elements, the "earth dust" that composed Adam’s body, and the body of every human being since. "Man" is "ah-dom", in a very real sense, "clay".
Yesterday, in our devotional I spoke of the two rains in Israel, the early rain and the latter rain. The prophet Joel speaks prophetically of these two rainy seasons in connection with the outpouring of God's spirit.
For much of the year, Israel receives little to no rain. The early rains ( "Yoreh") begin at the time of the Fall Feasts, September-October, and the "Latter Rain (“Malkosh”) concludes the rainy season around the time of the Spring festival of Passover.