Numbers Chapter 11 Bible Study: From Murmuring to Quails and the Graves of Craving
The Complaints of the People and the Fire of the Lord
Numbers chapter 11 is a sobering turning point in the wilderness narrative. The chapter begins with the people of Israel complaining about their hardships, a shift from the meticulously ordered preparations of the previous chapters to a public display of spiritual discontent. The nature of their complaint is not explicitly stated, but it is described as “evil in the ears of the Lord.” This act of murmuring was not just a venting of frustration; it was a rejection of God’s sovereign care and a lack of trust in His provisions. The Lord’s response was immediate and severe: a fire from the Lord consumed some of the people at the outskirts of the camp. This divine judgment was a stark reminder that complaining against God’s plan is a serious transgression. Moses interceded, and the fire was quenched, leading to the naming of the place as Taberah, which means “burning.” This event establishes a central theme of the chapter: the consequences of a complaining and ungrateful heart. The fire served as a physical warning of the spiritual danger they were in, demonstrating the holy intolerance of God for a faithless attitude.
The Craving for Meat and the Rejection of Manna
Following the initial complaints, a more focused and dangerous murmuring arises from the “rabble” (‘asaphsuph)—the mixed multitude that had come out of Egypt with the Israelites. This group began to weep and express a deep longing for the food they had in Egypt, specifically meat, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. Their craving was not just for food; it was a profound dissatisfaction with God’s miraculous provision of manna. They described the manna as “worthless food” and their souls were “dried up” from the monotony. This was an ungrateful and sinful desire that infected the entire community, causing the people of Israel to join in their lament. This rejection of the manna, the very bread of heaven, was a rejection of God’s daily grace and a symbolic desire to return to the slavery of Egypt, where their bellies were full but their souls were captive. The people had forgotten that their past comfort was tied to their bondage and had elevated their physical desires above the spiritual reality of God’s liberating presence.
Moses’ Overwhelming Despair and God’s Response
The weight of the people’s complaints becomes too much for Moses to bear. He pours out his heart to the Lord in a state of profound despair. Moses’ prayer is an honest and raw expression of his leadership burden. He complains that he cannot carry the entire people alone, comparing himself to a nursemaid carrying a baby. He questions God’s justice in placing such a burden on him and, in a moment of utter exhaustion, asks the Lord to kill him rather than let him continue in his misery. God’s response to Moses is a display of divine grace and practical wisdom. He does not rebuke Moses for his despair, but instead provides a solution to his problem. God instructs Moses to gather seventy elders of Israel, men who were already recognized as leaders and officers. God’s plan was not to remove the burden, but to share it. He promised to take some of the Spirit that was upon Moses and place it upon the seventy elders, empowering them to prophesy and share in the leadership of the people. This act of delegating authority and anointing others with the Spirit is a powerful example of God’s care for His servants.
The Appointment of the Seventy Elders and the Spirit’s Power
Moses obeyed God’s command and gathered the seventy elders at the Tent of Meeting. The Lord descended in the cloud, spoke to Moses, and then placed the Spirit on the elders. The immediate and visible result was that they began to prophesy. This was a clear sign of their divine anointing and qualification for leadership. The prophesying was a one-time event, an initial demonstration of the Spirit’s presence among them, affirming their new role in the community. A side story then emerges concerning two men, Eldad and Medad, who were among the seventy but had remained in the camp. They also received the Spirit and began prophesying. Joshua, a faithful servant of Moses, was alarmed by this and urged Moses to stop them. Moses’ response is one of the most gracious and magnanimous statements in the Old Testament: “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” (Numbers 11:29). This is a forward-looking statement, foreshadowing the day when the Holy Spirit would be poured out on all of God’s people (Joel 2:28-29, Acts 2:17-18). It shows Moses’ humble heart and his desire for God’s Spirit to be with everyone.
The Punishment: The Quails and the Plague
In response to the people’s craving for meat, God promised to give them meat—not for a day or two, but for an entire month, until it came out of their nostrils and became loathsome to them. He then miraculously sent a wind that drove an immense number of quails from the sea, dropping them a two-cubit depth all around the camp. The people, driven by their craving, gathered the quails for two days and a night. The text says they “spread them out for themselves all around the camp.” However, before they could even eat the meat, the wrath of the Lord broke out against them, and He struck them with a severe plague. This was not a physical punishment for the mere act of eating, but a divine judgment on their greedy and ungrateful hearts. The quails, which should have been a blessing, became an instrument of judgment because of the sin that underlay their desire. The place was named Kibroth-hattaavah, which means “graves of craving,” a permanent monument to their faithless desires and God’s righteous judgment.
Practical Lessons and Cross-References
Numbers 11 contains profound theological and practical lessons for modern believers:
- The Danger of Complaining: The story of Taberah serves as a warning against complaining and a lack of gratitude. Complaining is not just an expression of human weakness but an act of rebellion against God’s provision. We are to be a people of contentment and thankfulness, not of murmuring (Philippians 2:14-15).
- Leadership and Delegation: Moses’ struggle and God’s solution provide a clear model for leadership. Leaders are not meant to carry the burden alone, but to share it with others. The appointment of the seventy elders is a biblical precedent for delegating authority and empowering others in ministry.
- The Consequences of Unholy Desires: The people’s craving for meat was not a simple hunger but a sinful desire that led to their destruction. This teaches us that unchecked desires can be spiritually deadly. Paul uses this very event as a warning to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 10:6: “Now these things happened as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.” The quails became a curse because of the sin in their hearts.
- The Importance of the Spirit: The anointing of the seventy elders with the Spirit shows that true ministry and leadership require the supernatural empowering of the Holy Spirit. This event anticipates the New Testament reality where all believers are indwelt by the Spirit.