Irritating God
(Numbers 11:1-35)
1. This older Jewish man was on the operating table awaiting surgery and he insisted that his son, a renown surgeon, perform the operation. As he was about to receive the anesthesia he asked to speak to his son.
"Yes Dad, what is it?"
"Don't be nervous, do your best and just remember, if it doesn't go well, if something happens to me.. your mother is going to come and live with you and your wife."
2. Talk about pressure!
3. Today’s text takes us to a time when Moses was under intense pressure. And the pressure came from a nation of perhaps 2 million people, most of whom gave him a low approval rating – and an even lower approval rating to God. And God was not happy.
Main Idea: We human beings can and do sometimes irritate God. When we fail to respect God properly, the result is not a pretty picture. Our attitude toward God affects our lives significantly.
I. The People Disrespected God and Embraced An Attitude of ENTITLEMENT (1-15).
A. Manna was indicative of God's PROVISION, and they rejected it.
• Weeping and carrying on
• Moaning that they prefered life in Egypt
B. Moses felt trapped: God was ANGRY and the people were WHINE BABIES
• complaints and discontent wear on leaders
• leadership and ministry can be overwhelming
• Moses was ready to die because of it; he could not take it.
C. Their desire for culinary VARIETY was understandable, but their approach contemptuous.
D. Many likewise disrespect YESHUA, God’s provision for mankind.
John 6:31-36, "Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.
E. This sour attitude on the part of the people revealed their UNBELIEF despite all.
II. God’s Dual Solution to Moses’ Burnout: DELEGATION and QUAIL (16-25)
A. DIVISION of labor with a simple hierarchy: 70 respected men (elders).
B. These leaders would be SPIRIT empowered.
C. God promises to FEED the people meat.
D. Moses Responds with DOUBT (21-23).
1. Moses is exhausted, depressed, and surpressing rage at the people.
2. He is a humble, faithful man, but at full stretch.
3. God is patient with Moses; He knows our human limitations.
4. A 30 day supply of quail seemed out of the question; quail did migrate that way.
5. John the Baptist had doubt in Matthew 11.
6. God is patined with us when we doubt, too.
III. Both Solutions Carried PROBLEMS with Them (24-35)
A. The Elders were empowered by the SPIRIT.
1. Evidenced by prophesying, probably praising God in Hebrew.
2. Sets the tone for Pentecost.
B. Eldad and Medad were APART from the group but still received the Spirit (26-30).
1. This is the first problem.
2. Joshua is narrow in his thinking (28)
3. Moses boradens Joshua's mind (29-30)
4. Moses provides a midrash background for Jesus:
John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. (Mark 9:38-39)
5. Moses provides fodder for Paul's midrash in I Corinthians 14:1-5
"…I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified."
C. The huge quantity of quail was MIRACULOUS.
D. But some of the people got Quail POISONING.
One of the most widely known and studied poisonous birds is the European quail (Coturnix coturnix) in Eurasia and North Africa.Cases of quail poisoning have been reported since antiquity, although scientific evidence for the presence of poison in their tissue is still inconclusive to this day.
In the Old Testament, the Book of Numbers recounts that many Israelites died after the consumption of this poisonous bird during their exodus from Egypt.
In addition, human poisoning after eating European migratory quail, known as coturnism, was so common in the Roman Empire that quail consumption was prohibited during the 1st century AD.
In the last 80 years, most quail poisonings have been reported in Greece...a stopover site for quails during their migration to Eastern Europe in spring...Most victims of quail poisoning are adults, and the first case reported in a child was as late as in September 2005.
This report describes a 12-year-old boy in Greece, who was hospitalized with intense symptoms, including sharp muscular pains, weakness, muscular fatigue, cramps, walking disability, and dark urine... [No]differences were found between this case and quail poisoning in adults. The boy was treated with appropriate medication and bed rest. He fortunately fully recovered eight days later.
Interestingly, quails are poisonous only during migration, and more specifically, while they are flying certain routes. For example, quails are not poisonous when they travel from East Africa to Europe during spring, but they are poisonous when they return to Africa in autumn. sciencenordic.com
1. This is why we want to pray, “If it is Your will…”
2. This is why Spirit intercedes for us – we do not know how to pray as we ought.
3. Sometimes the worst thing is for God to give us what we ask for.
4. We are not wrong to have desires; we are wrong to rebel against God to attain our wishes.
CONCLUSION
1. Our attitude toward God has many repurcussions in our society and in our lives.
2. We are not entitled to God’s blessings, they are matters of His grace.
3. We may struggle with feeling cheated. God treats us fairly but not equally.
4. When we are stressed out and burned out, it can be more difficult to trust God.
5. People like Moses and Joshua had their failings, but nothing like the many people who secretly held God in contempt and were embittered against Him.
6. We too – even if we view God as friend and not an enemy to keep at bay – will fail. That is part of the experience and struggle, which is why it is a struggle.
7. But, as Yeshua said, if we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, we are the better for it. If not now, then in eternity.
