Look to God and Live~Numbers 11

Even though manna was a great blessing from the Lord, the Israelites began to complain about it. Sound familiar? "But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes." Numbers 11:6

What prompted their complaint? "And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick." Numbers 11:4–5 Lusting is a strange word to use in connection with food. As the Israelites, our society lusts after strange things. Here they began to think about and desire the meat and other food they had eaten in Egypt. The dangers of wanting more than we already have are that we forget to acknowledge God's blessings and His hand in our lives. We become ungrateful.

The Israelites became so lustful for meat that they lost their focus on the promised land and began to wish they had not left Egypt. Do we give up great blessings in order to satisfy immediate desires? Many of us do this sort of thing today, because we can't see the blessings just around the corner. We overcome such temptations by keeping our eyes on God.

Last Sunday a young man returned from his mission to our ward, changed from a self-centered, arrogant 19-year-old boy into a spiritually sensitive, thoughtful man. I love to see this change as we send them out boys and they come back men. He told a story during his talk about prayer and waiting for the blessings of God.

As a youth, he and a bunch of friends ran through a long, sheep tunnel at midnight. Now this tunnel is pretty dark during the day, but you can see well enough to make your way through. At night, however, it is pitch black. That is except for the grates in the ceiling placed about 100 yards apart. As he ran, he would often feel like sitting down and giving up. He could see nothing until the moment before despair set in a brilliant burst of light would shine down, lighting his way. He likened this experience to all God's children. We must continue to trust and run through the dark so that God may bless us with His light and presence. We must keep going from light burst to light burst, believing and knowing that God is waiting for us at the end of the tunnel. We must also believe that He does not leave us to run this race alone, as he blesses us with truth and light and tangible helps along the way.

The Lord answered the Israelites’ unrighteous, ungrateful desire for meat? "And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the Lord, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the Lord will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?...And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth. And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp. And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great aplague." Numbers 11:18–20, 31–33

When God sent the quail in answer to Israel’s longing for something other than manna, the people turned gluttonous. The smallest catch equaled about one hundred bushels, far beyond normal need. The greedy lust for more than they could use brought a just punishment upon the people. How many died in the plague is not recorded, but the place was called “Graves of the Craving” or “The Graves of Lust”

How can we remember our blessings and not murmur against God? How can we enjoy God's bounty without turning to gluttony? The best way is to get down on our knees and count our blessings morning and night. After that we can keep a continual prayer of thanksgiving in our hearts. We must acknowledge His hand in all things from the smallest help in finding our car keys to the greatest blessings of family to basic necessities to peace and liberty. We must trust that He will continue to answer our prayers.

Just imagine during Medieval times and into the Reformation, the penalty was death to anyone who dared read scripture or preach a message against the established church in Europe. Today, at least for now, we can own and read our very own copies of the Bible. We can speak out on any issue. We can worship how, where, and what we may. God's hand is in this thing. Nevertheless, if we do not continue in righteousness and thank Him for such blessings, we may lose them.