At a conference in Memphis, Don Carson once quipped that it’d be nice if narrative texts in the Bible had footnotes. And I’d imagine if anyone has ever tried teaching or preaching a narrative text in the Bible, you’d agree. Could you imagine how much help it would be if in the course of reading a text about David’s life if you could find a footnote that tells you, “This event in David’s life is included so that you might understand this truth about the Lord and perhaps be challenged in your own life by considering the following realities.” That would make preaching a text like that a lot easier. Sometimes I just wish there’d be a note saying, “What David did here was not a good action but one that the Lord condemned,” because sometimes it’s hard even to figure that out. I’ve found myself numerous times asking if a certain action was an act of rebellion or one of trust and struggling to land on an answer.
But this morning’s text is an exception in this sense. The Bible actually does tell us why the episodes we’re going to read about this morning (and those in the following weeks) are recorded in the Scriptures. In the text we read earlier in the service (1 Corinthians 10:1-13), Paul tells us that the things we’re going to look at over the next few weeks in the book of Numbers “took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did” (1 Cor. 10:6). Again, he adds, “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction” (1 Cor. 10:11). We know why the events of Numbers 10:11-12:16, for example, happened and were written down. They were written for our instruction, aiding us so that as we see their examples of rebellion, unbelief, and grumbling against God, we might not desire evil in our own lives but turn from it. Therefore, this morning, as we look at these chapters, this should be our goal – to understand from this text reasons why we shouldn’t desire evil as those in this text did.
Before diving into that, however, let me give you a brief overview of this section of the book of Numbers. Numbers 10:11 picks up twenty days after Numbers 1:1. God had done much to prepare them for their journey to the promised land, and now, about three weeks later, they set out on the journey. And from Numbers 10:11-36 everything looks great. In verses 11-28, the people obey, setting out and traveling according to the instructions God had given them as he prepared them for the journey. In verses 29-32, Moses has a conversation with his brother-in-law, Hobab, a Midianite, talking him into joining them since he knows the area so well.
And just an aside here. This could perhaps indicate that Moses’ wife, Zipporah, has died. After all, later, we’ll read about a Cushite woman whom Moses married. Or it could be that Moses’ in-laws just were known by different names. But the key here is to see how positive this is. Moses expresses trust that the Lord will bless Hobab just for beign with God’s chosen people, and a Midianite is added to their group.
Then, in verses 33-36, they set out on their journey, and the text tells us, “Whenever the ark set out, Moses said, ‘Arise, O LORD, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.’ And when it rested, he said, ‘Return, O LORD, to the ten thousands of Israel.’” It is a great and glorious scene where Moses and the people of Israel see God as their Warrior-King.
Beginning in chapter 11, however, the tone of everything changes. In 11:1-3, the people grumble about their misfortunes, and God pours out judgment, sending fire that consumes the outer portions of the camp. Then, in 11:1-9, the people complain about wanting some variety in their diet, asking for some variety, and so in 11:31-35, the Lord sends them more quail than they could eat, and yet before they eat it, he sends a plague and kills a number of them.
In the midst of this grumbling, in 11:10-30, Moses issues his own complaint, weary of leading such a rebellious people, he asks God to kill him or give him help. And the Lord puts the Spirit that is on Moses on seventy others as well so that they might assist Moses.
Finally, in chapter 12, Miriam and Aaron challenge the idea that Moses is a unique prophet among God’s people, the Lord proves Moses’ uniqueness and judges Miriam by making her leprous, and Moses intercedes for her so that the Lord decides to heal her in his mercy, but she has to remain outside the camp for seven days.
That’s Numbers 10:11-12:16. In the midst of the book as a whole, we might label it as the section in which the grumbling begins. Prior to this, everything seemed great. After this, their grumbling will have disastrous comments. These chapters, however, is where it all begins.
So, with that said, what is it that we are to see from the Israelites’ example that is instructive for us to the end that we do not desire evil as they did? Well, first, I think we can learn the lesson that:
Now, if we’ve read earlier in the Scripture (in the book of Exodus, for example), we know that Israel has been prone to grumbling on occasion. But thus far in the book of Numbers we have no reason to think that chapter 11 will begin as it does. As I pointed out last week, Numbers 1:1-10:10 is filled with the refrain that the people did all that the Lord commanded. You might think as you get to this point in your reading of the Scripture that Israel has finally learned their lesson. Why keep rebelling? It doesn’t profit. And here they are obeying. Then, as they start out on their journey in 10:11-36, not only are they obeying, but things seem to be getting better and better. Everybody’s doing their job, Moses’ brother-in-law joins them as a good guide, and they’re setting out. And then, chapter 11 begins, “And the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp.”
Now, there are a number of ways to say this, but I think one point we need to understand from this text is that there will never come a time in this life when we can lay down our arms and stop fighting against sin. Perhaps another way to say it is that our past obedience shouldn’t lead us to let down our guard against present and future temptation. There’s simply never a time when you’ve done so well, conditioned yourself so strongly, and built yourself up so much in the Lord that you can stop fighting against sin.
I think we’re supposed to read chapter 11 and feel a bit shocked. We’re supposed to feel, I think, like we can’t understand how they got there when they were doing so well. But this isn’t the only time we see this kind of thing in the Scriptures. Do you remember what Paul wrote to the Galatians? In Galatians 1:6, Paul writes, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel.” Then, again, in Galatians 5:7, he writes, “You were running well.” I remember noting at the time that godly individuals and good churches aren’t immune from going astray, and even going astray quickly.
That’s the lesson, I think, in our text in Numbers as well. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 10:12, after saying that the things that happened to Israel were an example and were written down for our instruction, Paul follows by saying, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.”
Do you see, his immediate exhortation is, “Don’t think you’re immune to falling. Don’t think you are now safe from sin. Don’t think that you can stop fighting.”
Now, I say that knowing that fighting in hard. It’s hard to keep fighting and easy to grow weary in our fighting. You’re standing faithfully in your marriage, but it feels like you can’t hold on any more. You’re walking in purity but it feels like the constant temptation to sexual immorality is crushing you. You believe what you’re doing is obedience to the Lord, but things just aren’t turning out as you thought they would. And it’s easy to just give up and say, “I can’t keep fighting.”
But take a step back for a second and look at Israel. They’re an example for us, Paul says. And it’s helpful to have an example because sometimes it’s hard to see reality by looking at ourselves and our own context. It’s hard to get a birds-eye-view of your own life. So, let’s look at Israel. If you could gather them together at the end of chapter 10 and say something, what would you say? Well, it would seem that one thing you’d say is, “Listen, I know that in the midst of obeying the Lord, you’re growing weary and are right on the verge of grumbling against the Lord because of your misfortunes you’re facing. It doesn’t seem like life after Egypt is exactly like you envisioned it. But I’ve seen where this goes. If you keep fighting against temptations that are facing you, you won’t regret it. But if you stop fighting against sin, you’re not going to be thankful for that decision.
Well, preach that to yourself this morning. Put yourself in Israel’s shoes. They’re an example. And what you preach to them, preach to yourself. Stopping fighting is not an option. Fighting is hard, yes, but stopping fighting is much worse. Until the Lord returns, our call is to take up our arms against sin, and when we die or Christ returns, we can rest then.
Second, we see that:
We don’t know the nature of Israel’s complaints in 11:1. We’re just told they complained about their misfortunes. We do, however, know the nature of their complaints in the next section. Beginning in 11:4 we are told that some rabble stir up some grumbling concerning food. Now, by “rabble” the text is referring to those who were not Israelites but followed the Israelites after they escaped from Egypt. Perhaps Egypt had enslaved some other nations, and so some of them tagged along as well when there was a chance to flee slavery.
So, we are told, that this group begins to stir up a lack of contentment with the diet the Lord was providing his people. They were eating manna – all the time! And it didn’t take much for Israel to jump right in with the complaining. So, we read in 11:4b-6, “And the people of Israel also wept again and said, ‘Oh that we had meat to eat! 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.’”
And we know how this ends. God says in essence, “Fine, here’s your quail,” and he sends so much that they take a couple of days gathering quail (the text seems to suggest that the quail piled up three feet deep on the ground), and just when they sit down to eat it, he sends a plague, killing many so that the place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, which means “graves of craving.” Their craving killed them.
Now, there are a couple of lessons here. One, I think, is that sin likes to paint a rosy picture of situations that weren’t so rosy. Perhaps you sinned in your past in a certain way, and there is a temptation to sin in that same way now. Well, the enemy likes to say, “Yes, wasn’t that so great back then? You were really getting out of life it’s sweetest rewards.” This is what Israel is doing here. Wasn’t life in Egypt so great? Think of all the delicious foods we ate. While the reality is Egypt was so terribly crushing on the people that they cried out for God to free them from their slavery. Such is the deceptive nature of sin, however.
But the other point that I want to focus on is that sin provides us something far short of God’s intended blessings for us. They want some meat to go along with their manna. That’s the source of their grumbling. They’d like a better diet. Well, do you know what would have happened if they had just kept on course of trusting in and obeying the Lord? They were only a short journey away from inhabiting a land flowing with milk and honey. When they spy out the land in chapter 13, they’re going to find pomegranates, figs, and grapes so large that two men carry a single cluster on a pole between them.
Do you see? God wasn’t desiring to withhold food from them. They just needed to trust him. And the same is true for us. God isn’t sitting in the heavens and saying, “Let me see how much I can keep from these people.” No. In fact, he encourages us to pursue treasure in heaven where moths can’t destroy and that won’t disappear. He encourages us to seek a greatness that is real and lasting. Sin, however, offers fleeting pleasures. The pleasure of sin is like a mirage in the desert. It holds out such a beautiful picture only to disappear when you actually go after it.
Don’t be deceived by sin. The Israelites got their meat, and death came with it. It’s not what they wanted. They wanted the promised land. But they were led astray by the illusion of sin. They were led astray by fleeting pleasures. Let us see the fruit of sin for what it is – much less than God intends for us.
So, let’s put those two points together. The temptation to stop fighting against sin is a temptation to lay down your arms and pursue something you don’t really want – when God has so much more intended for you.
But, by saying that, I don’t want you to hear that I know that as you remain faithful to your marriage vows that your spouse is going to turn around and become everything you’ve dreamed he would be for years. I’m not saying if you walk in faithfulness that your job is going to turn into everything you’ve longed for. I don’t know that. That’s not promised anywhere in Scripture. In fact, one thing we’re promised in Scripture is suffering. But what I do know is that God constantly holds out blessings for obedience. He tells us that as we endure suffering for his sake, he’ll give us the kingdom. As we serve in private, he’ll reward us openly. As we give generously, he’ll add to our eternal treasure. And on and on and on. He is a God who withholds no good thing from his children. So, don’t chase after the fleeting pleasures of sin but trust in a God who intends far more for his children than the fleeting pleasures of the world.
But this may all raise the question, “How do we find strength to fight when obedience does feel like it’s crushing?” If we don’t opt toward laying down our arms or running toward sin, then what can we do when we feel that we can’t go on anymore? I want to end with two notes that I think helps answer this question. The first is seen in chapter 12, where we are reminded that:
If the complaining of Israelites in chapter 11 felt like it was overwhelming to Moses, chapter 12 must have felt crushing. I mean, here you have Miriam and Aaron opposing him. We read of their complaint in 12:1-2, “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. And they said, ‘Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?’ And the LORD heard it.”
Now, it’s not entirely clear why they were against Moses marrying this Cushite woman or how that necessarily related to their bigger complaint. But the bigger complaint was one of jealousy. Moses isn’t really all that great and unique, seemed to be their driving thought. So, they challenged him.
And the text tells us in verse 3 that Moses was a meek man. That is, this was driven from Moses being an overbearing leader. In fact, as we see in 11:29, he wasn’t jealous for prestige and glory. He wished all of the Lord’s people communed with the Lord as he did. So, the fault lay entirely with Miriam and Aaron.
Now, we’ve already noted that the Lord defended Moses and judged Miriam (the instigator it seems) by making her leprous (and then healing her). But listen to the Lord’s defense of Moses in verses 6-8. The Lord says, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”
That last sentence is a question. Why weren’t Miriam and Aaron afraid to speak against Moses? The implication is that they should have been. You see, God’s judgment is nothing to scoff at. His discipline of his children is nothing to take lightly. In the case of the Corinthians, God actually killed some of them.
So, one thing that should cause us to keep on fighting against sin, pressing on when we want to quit is a fear of God’s judgment. We should be terrified of rebelling against God. Don’t we understand that he is a holy and jealous God? Especially having seen what God had done already, Miriam should have resisted her temptation to challenge Moses with everything in her, shouldn’t she?
And so with us. If you’re scheming to sin, stop and think of judgment. Think of discipline. If God loves you, he’ll discipline you if necessary to tear you away from sin. And if you don’t receive discipline, it may well be because you don’t belong to him but are simply awaiting final judgment. So, though it’s not a comfortable reality to think about, one weapon we have in the fight against sin is the realization that God’s judgment should be feared.
But there’s a second weapon in this text to help us keep fighting when we feel we can’t go on anymore. It’s the realization that:
We actually see this back in chapter 11 in this odd episode where God gives the same Spirit that is on Moses to 70 others. And chapter 11, because of this event, might feel inconsistent to you. There are actually two groups that seem to lament: the people and Moses. We’ve already noted that the people wish they had a better variety of food, and the Lord ends up sending them quail but then killing many. It seems to suggest that we should think twice before telling the Lord that we wish things were different than they are.
But that can’t be the message of the chapter because Moses also expresses that he wants things to be different. In fact, his cry is more severe, so it seems. He asks God why it seems like he’s punishing him by making his bear with this people. After all, Moses notes, he didn’t make this people for himself – God made them for himself.
Moses’ lament is extreme here. He even says to the Lord in 11:15, “If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.” That’s pretty serious lamenting.
So, if Israel gets burned up or killed with a plague or gets leprosy, what is Moses about to get? Crazy enough, the answer is that he gets help. The Lord appoints 70 elders and puts the Spirit on them so that they might help Moses. Why? What makes Moses’ cries different from those grumblings that bring God’s judgment?
I think the answer is that Moses’ cry is a cry from a heart that wants to obey the Lord. That is, Moses doesn’t want to stop obeying; he just doesn’t understand how he can go on. So, he cries out and asks God for help. And God gladly helps. Why? God helps because God delights in hearing the laments of his children when we want to obey and are struggling.
So, cry out to him. Lament to him. He knows your struggles already. In fact, he commands you to cast your cares on him. Is obedience crushing you? Take time to lament before God, ask for grace, and let him lavish his concern and care and grace on you.
Realize the need to fight sin. Realize that sin doesn’t give you what you really want. Realize that God’s judgment should be feared. And realize that God wants to hear your laments and cries for help when you feel that you can’t fight anymore.
And, as we come to the table, we should note one other thing. One reason why Israel struggles here is because the law was able to tell them what to do but not able to empower them to do it. This is why they needed Moses to intercede constantly. The law was powerless to help them obey. So, this text, more than anything, pushes us to the glory of the gospel. What is our hope of righteousness? It is that Jesus of Nazareth lived out the righteousness we never could. He died for our sins, was raised from the dead, and intercedes for us now. And if you will trust in that gospel message and realize that you’re free from condemnation, that truth – that good news – is the greatest empowerment for holiness that you’ll ever know. So, as we come to the table right now, let us give thanks to God for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Amen.