Numbers Chapter 11
The People Complain
A. The Complaints of Israel and of Moses
(Numbers 11:1–3)
“Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. Then the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire was quenched. So he called the name of the place Taberah, because the fire of the Lord had burned among them.”
After the first ten chapters of Numbers, Israel had been divinely organized, purified, and prepared for the journey ahead. They had been blessed, instructed, reminded of God’s faithfulness, and guided by His visible presence through the cloud and fire. Yet, scarcely had they begun their march toward the Promised Land when they began to complain. This marks one of the saddest transitions in Israel’s history, moving from divine order and blessing to rebellion and dissatisfaction.
It is remarkable that a people who had witnessed such miracles of deliverance could so quickly murmur against the very God who redeemed them. They had seen the Red Sea part, manna fall from heaven, and the visible glory of the Lord dwell in their midst, yet they were ungrateful. Their circumstances in the wilderness were not easy, but God’s providence and protection were continual. Complaining hearts reveal ingratitude for the past and unbelief for the present.
The phrase “when the people complained” can also be translated, “the people became murmurous,” showing that their discontent was continual and offensive to God’s ears. As Clarke observed, they had no just cause for such murmuring; no people had ever been so cared for. God’s anger was kindled because their complaining was not about any specific hardship, but flowed from a spirit of dissatisfaction. This reflects the danger of a restless heart that is never content regardless of its blessings.
The judgment came swiftly. “The fire of the Lord burned among them,” demonstrating that the same divine presence that comforted Israel could also correct them. The fire that once symbolized God’s nearness now became an instrument of judgment. Whether it was literal fire, lightning, or a suffocating desert wind, it burned through the outer edges of the camp, sparing the center by divine mercy. God could have consumed the entire congregation, yet His restraint showed both His justice and His compassion.
The people, terrified by the judgment, cried out to Moses rather than to God Himself. This revealed a weak relationship with the Lord. Instead of interceding directly, they relied on Moses as their mediator. Yet Moses again proved faithful, praying on their behalf, and God answered by quenching the fire. The place was named Taberah, meaning “burning,” to memorialize the danger of ingratitude and rebellion.
This event teaches a sobering truth: the blessings of God do not immunize His people from discipline. Those who enjoy His presence must also respect His holiness. Complaining hearts not only dishonor God but invite correction. Gratitude and faith must be constant companions for those who walk with Him.
Israel Complains About a Lack of Meat
(Numbers 11:4)
“Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said, ‘Who will give us meat to eat?’”
The source of Israel’s next complaint began with the mixed multitude that came out of Egypt with them. According to Exodus 12:38, “A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds—a great deal of livestock.” This indicates that not everyone who left Egypt was an Israelite by blood. Many Egyptians and possibly others had joined Israel’s exodus, either because they too had suffered under Pharaoh’s bondage or because they had seen the power of the God of Israel and wanted to align with His people. These individuals brought wealth, livestock, and diverse motives into the camp of Israel, but they did not share in the covenant relationship that God had made with His chosen nation.
This mixed multitude proved to be a source of corruption within the ranks of God’s people. As Morgan observed, they “were not of the Theocracy; and not having true part or lot in the Divine movement, they fell a-lusting after the things of Egypt, and infected the people of God with the same unholy desire.” Spiritually speaking, Israel itself was a mixed multitude, for not all who were physically descended from Abraham had a true heart for the Lord. Likewise, in the church today, not everyone who professes faith truly belongs to Christ. Jesus taught this principle in the parable of the wheat and the tares, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared” (Matthew 13:24–26). Later, Jesus explained, “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness” (Matthew 13:41). The lesson is clear: wherever God’s people are gathered, there will also be those who do not truly belong to Him.
The phrase yielded to intense craving uses the Hebrew word taavah, which denotes a strong appetite or lust. It can refer to legitimate desire, but in this context, it describes a craving for self-indulgence. The word appears in Genesis 3:6, where Eve desired the forbidden fruit, and in Psalm 10:3, “For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire; he blesses the greedy and renounces the Lord.” These examples reveal that desire becomes sin when it is directed toward what God has withheld. The Israelites’ craving was not simply for food, but for self-gratification, a longing for Egypt’s delicacies that symbolized a return to bondage.
This craving led to the question, “Who will give us meat to eat?” This was not a practical inquiry but a complaint rooted in unbelief. It was absurd to ask “who” would provide, for they had a God who had already demonstrated His ability to meet every need. Their question implied that God was insufficient, that He could not or would not care for them as they desired. The craving for meat became a rejection of His provision.
Their tears were not tears of repentance or spiritual sorrow, but of self-pity and dissatisfaction. There is a difference between tears shed for sin and tears shed over selfish disappointment. Godly sorrow leads to repentance, but worldly sorrow leads to death (2 Corinthians 7:10). These people cried because their fleshly appetites were unfulfilled, not because they had offended a holy God.
Ironically, Israel could have satisfied their craving if they truly needed meat. They had brought flocks and herds out of Egypt and were not forbidden to hunt or to use these resources. But they did not want to labor for what they desired; they wanted it given to them freely. Poole comments, “They had indeed flesh and cattle which they brought with them out of Egypt, but these were reserved for breed to be carried into Canaan, and were so few that they would scarce have served them for a month.” Their weeping was therefore not about necessity but about indulgence.
This episode exposes a deep truth about human nature: dissatisfaction is rarely about lack, but about discontentment. When the heart is not fixed on gratitude, it will always find reason to complain, even in the midst of plenty.
Israel Remembers the Foods of Egypt
(Numbers 11:5–6)
“We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”
Israel’s complaint deepened as they reminisced about the food they had eaten in Egypt. Their statement began with, “We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt.” Only about a year earlier, God had miraculously provided food for them when they hungered in the wilderness. As Exodus 16:11–35 records, God sent manna from heaven, a daily provision that sustained the nation for decades. Exodus 16:31 explains, “And the house of Israel called its name Manna. And it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.” Yet now, after a year of divine provision, they grew tired of this miraculous food and longed for the variety of Egypt’s menu.
They remembered the fish, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic—foods that were flavorful and refreshing, common to the fertile Nile Delta where Israel had lived. Exodus 16:3 records that earlier they had cried, “When we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full!” Cole notes that Goshen was Egypt’s “breadbasket,” a lush region watered by natural and man-made canals, rich in vegetation and full of fish. The foods listed were staples of Egyptian agriculture, abundant and delicious. Yet, the memory of these foods was now twisted into a tool of complaint against God.
Their longing for Egypt revealed selective memory and deep ingratitude. They remembered the food but not the bondage. They recalled flavor but forgot the whip. Exodus 1:14 states clearly, “And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.” It was a complete distortion of the past to imagine Egypt as a place of comfort. As Trapp observed, “They forgat their servitude. Discontent is ever harping upon wants, and enjoys nothing.” Their nostalgia blinded them to God’s deliverance, and like many believers since, they fell in love with an illusion of the past rather than pressing forward in faith.
This mindset mirrors the warning given by the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:13–14: “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Israel’s gaze was backward when it should have been forward—toward the land flowing with milk and honey that God had promised. Instead of gratitude for their daily bread, they longed for the chains of Egypt.
Their complaint, “There is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes,” showed how they despised the very gift that sustained them. The manna was miraculous, nutritious, abundant, and dependable—yet they called it “nothing.” This revealed not only ingratitude but contempt for God Himself. Numbers 11:20 later describes this as having “despised the Lord who is among you.” When one despises God’s provision, they ultimately despise the Provider.
Israel had complained about food three distinct times. In Exodus 16:1–3, they complained because they lacked food; in Numbers 11:4–34, they complained about the lack of variety; and in Numbers 21:4–9, they again complained that they were tired of manna. Each instance shows a pattern of unbelief—discontent with God’s method, timing, and provision.
The complaint, “our whole being is dried up,” was exaggerated and false. These words came from people who had eaten that very morning. Their stomachs were full, but their hearts were empty. God had not failed them; they had failed to recognize His faithfulness. This over-dramatic outcry revealed a spirit of self-pity rather than faith. As Clarke rightly observed, “They could never be satisfied; even God Himself could not please them, because they were ever preferring their own wisdom to His.”
Israel focused on what they did not have rather than on what they did have. They lacked fish and vegetables, but they had something far greater—daily bread from heaven, provided directly by God’s grace. Many today fall into the same trap, choosing to dwell on what is missing rather than what has been miraculously supplied. Gratitude would have turned their wilderness into worship, but complaint turned it into rebellion.
A Description of Manna
(Numbers 11:7–9)
“Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its color like the color of bdellium. The people went about and gathered it, ground it on millstones or beat it in the mortar, cooked it in pans, and made cakes of it; and its taste was like the taste of pastry prepared with oil. And when the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.”
Manna was the miraculous provision of God that sustained Israel during their forty-year journey through the wilderness. The Scriptures give several descriptions of this heavenly food, both in Exodus 16 and here in Numbers 11, showing the faithfulness of God in supplying His people’s daily needs. The name manna came from Israel’s question when they first saw it, “What is it?” as recorded in Exodus 16:15: “So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?’ For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, ‘This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat.’” The word itself comes from man hu, meaning “What is this?” It was mysterious, unexpected, and wholly divine in origin.
The manna was described as being like coriander seed in shape and its color like the color of bdellium, a translucent, pearl-like resin that gave it a delicate white appearance. Exodus 16:31 says, “And the house of Israel called its name Manna. And it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.” This indicates that it was small, round, and pure in appearance, perhaps resembling light white flakes that descended with the morning dew.
God referred to it as bread from heaven, as written in Exodus 16:4: “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you.’” The psalmist also confirms this divine origin, saying, “He had rained down manna on them to eat, and given them of the bread of heaven. Men ate angels’ food; He sent them food to the full” (Psalm 78:24–25). The phrase “angels’ food” does not mean angels themselves ate it, but that it came directly from the heavenly realm—God’s own table, so to speak—demonstrating His supernatural provision for His covenant people.
Manna was more than a meal; it was a daily test of obedience. In Exodus 16:4, God declared that He would give it “that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.” The Lord commanded Israel to gather only enough for each day, teaching them to trust Him continually. When some attempted to hoard manna overnight, it spoiled and bred worms, except for the portion gathered on the sixth day, which God miraculously preserved for the Sabbath (Exodus 16:23–26). This taught Israel to rely on Him daily and to honor the rest He ordained.
The manna appeared each morning like dew upon the ground (Exodus 16:13–14), but by the heat of the sun, it would melt away (Exodus 16:21). The people were required to gather it early, emphasizing diligence and faithfulness in receiving God’s provision. It was gathered family by family, ensuring personal responsibility within the structure of divine order (Exodus 16:16).
The text also shows that manna was versatile in preparation. The people gathered it, ground it on millstones, beat it in mortars, cooked it in pans, and made cakes of it. This reveals that God’s provision was not monotonous or limited; though the raw material was the same, it could be prepared in many ways, showing His care for variety even in simplicity. Wenham suggested that manna came in little white flakes, resembling thin frost, easily gathered and prepared.
The taste of manna was pleasant and satisfying—“like pastry prepared with oil.” Exodus 16:31 says it tasted “like wafers made with honey.” It was not bland survival food but delightful and nourishing. God provided not only sustenance but also enjoyment in His gift. It was complete in nutrition, sufficient for all ages, and suited for long-term consumption, for Israel ate manna for forty years, until they entered the Promised Land, as recorded in Exodus 16:35: “And the children of Israel ate manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.”
The mention of manna falling with the dew shows again the gentleness and faithfulness of God’s provision. It came quietly each morning, requiring no labor beyond gathering. Yet, as with all divine blessings, it demanded faith to recognize and gratitude to receive.
In every respect, manna symbolizes Christ, the true Bread from Heaven. Jesus said in John 6:48–51, “I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” Just as manna sustained Israel physically, Christ sustains His people spiritually.
The Complaint of Moses
(Numbers 11:10–15)
“Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and the anger of the Lord was greatly aroused; Moses also was displeased. So Moses said to the Lord, ‘Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, “Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,” to the land which You swore to their fathers? Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying, “Give us meat, that we may eat.” I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now, if I have found favor in Your sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness!’”
The complaining of the people spread throughout the camp until it became a national chorus of discontent. Each family stood at the door of its tent weeping, and their cries revealed not sorrow for sin but self-pity and rebellion. The anger of the Lord was greatly aroused; Moses also was displeased. Both divine and human frustration arose at the same moment. The Lord’s anger burned because His people doubted His goodness, and Moses was disheartened by their immaturity and constant complaining. The sound of thousands of people wailing over food must have weighed heavily upon the man of God.
Though Moses’ complaint was different from the people’s lust for flesh, it nevertheless reflected a momentary lapse of faith. Moses was weary, discouraged, and overwhelmed by the enormity of his responsibility. Leaders, even the most faithful ones, can reach points of deep fatigue when surrounded by negativity. Moses had just seen judgment fall at Taberah (Numbers 11:1–3), and yet almost immediately afterward, the people returned to rebellion. It is understandable that he was shocked and grieved, but his reaction showed human frailty.
Moses cried out, “Why have You afflicted Your servant?” This was a desperate question born of exhaustion and frustration. He felt as though the weight of Israel’s rebellion was crushing him. His words echo the cry of many faithful servants who wonder why God allows trials to come upon them in the midst of obedience. Moses reasoned that if he had truly found favor in God’s sight, he should not be burdened with so many ungrateful people. Yet, though God did not directly afflict him, He permitted this trial to refine and strengthen His servant’s faith.
Scripture reminds us that affliction serves a divine purpose. 1 Thessalonians 3:3 says, “That no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.” God appoints trials not to destroy His servants but to develop them. Moses thought that God’s displeasure had fallen upon him, but in truth, the Lord was shaping him for even greater leadership. As the writer of Hebrews later affirmed, “For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives” (Hebrews 12:6).
In his distress, Moses asked a series of rhetorical questions: “Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them?” The imagery is powerful. Moses likened himself to a mother nursing an infant, carrying the nation in his arms. He protested that such care was beyond his ability, for he was not their parent but merely their appointed leader. The nation, however, was acting like a multitude of infants—crying, demanding, and refusing to trust. Moses’ analogy reflected both the tenderness and the frustration that can exist in spiritual leadership.
Watson rightly observed, “God does not remove annoyances out of the way even of His devoted servants.” Indeed, God uses difficult people and circumstances to sanctify those He calls. Paul faced the same reality in his ministry. He wrote in 2 Corinthians 11:28, “Besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.” The burden of leadership is heavy, and Moses’ outcry revealed a heart stretched to its limit.
Moses confessed, “I am not able to bear all these people alone.” In this statement, we see both weakness and wisdom. On one hand, it was a confession of human limitation; on the other, it was a step toward dependence on God. Moses could not bear this burden alone, but God could bear it through him. True spiritual leadership begins where self-sufficiency ends. Maclaren noted, “The best service that all human leaders, helpers, or lovers can do us, is to confess their own insufficiency, and to point us to Jesus.” Only Christ can perfectly lead and sustain His people.
In anguish, Moses cried, “If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now.” His words reflected total exhaustion, a soul crushed beneath the weight of responsibility. He was not suicidal but desperate for relief. He would rather die than watch his ministry collapse under his own inadequacy. Yet even in this despair, Moses did the right thing: he took his complaint directly to God. It is far better to pour out one’s heart in honest prayer than to turn to bitterness or self-pity.
God did not grant Moses’ request for death, but He did respond with mercy. Rather than rebuke him harshly, the Lord soon provided seventy elders to share the burden of leadership (Numbers 11:16–17). God’s answer was not destruction but support, showing that He understands the frailty of His servants.
Finally, Moses pleaded, “Do not let me see my wretchedness.” Ironically, God did allow Moses to see his own insufficiency, for it was necessary for him to recognize that leadership was beyond human strength. The Apostle Paul later expressed the same truth in 2 Corinthians 12:9: “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’” Through weakness, God’s power is revealed. Moses would soon learn that the answer to his despair was not in escape, but in dependence upon the One who called him.
B. God Answers the Complaints of Israel and of Moses
(Numbers 11:16–17)
“So the Lord said to Moses: ‘Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you. Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone.’”
After Moses poured out his complaint to the Lord, feeling the crushing weight of leadership, God responded not with rebuke but with mercy and practical help. The Lord directed Moses to gather seventy men of the elders of Israel, men who were already proven in wisdom and leadership. They were to be brought to the tabernacle of meeting to stand with Moses in God’s presence. The wording gather to Me reveals a critical truth: these men were first to be gathered unto God before they were gathered unto Moses. Their primary loyalty and accountability were to the Lord Himself, not to the human leader.
Trapp remarks, “Here, say some, began the Sanhedrin, that is, the great council of the Jews, consisting of seventy seniors and one president. It continued till the time of Herod the Great.” While the later Sanhedrin may have been modeled after this structure, the principle remains timeless — shared, godly leadership among those called by God to bear spiritual responsibility.
God told Moses to select those whom you know to be the elders of the people. This means that these were men already recognized for their character, maturity, and service. Moses was not to promote novices or experiment with potential candidates but to identify those whose faithfulness was already evident. True spiritual leaders are not made by human appointment; they are called and shaped by God, then recognized by others for what He has already done in their lives.
They were instructed to stand there with you. Their first duty was not to act, but to stand in solidarity with Moses before the Lord. This scene portrays the power of shared spiritual presence and support. Godly men standing together before Him create strength, unity, and divine approval. In times of leadership strain, God often sends faithful men not to replace, but to reinforce His servants.
God continued, “I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them.” The Spirit that empowered Moses would be distributed among these seventy elders so that they might share the same heart, vision, and divine guidance. This was not a division of power but an extension of it. The same Spirit would rest upon them, ensuring unity in leadership and consistency in God’s direction. Without the same Spirit, division and conflict would have followed, but with the same Spirit, there would be harmony in serving the nation.
The Lord concluded, “They shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone.” This was a compassionate and wise solution. Moses had rightly said that the burden was too heavy for one man to carry, and God met that need by surrounding him with godly support. This reveals a pattern seen throughout Scripture: when God’s servants are overwhelmed, His help often comes through the faithfulness of others. As in Exodus 17:12, when Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ hands during battle, God used people to strengthen His leader. Spiritual burdens are meant to be shared among the faithful, and no servant of God is called to carry them alone.
(Numbers 11:18–20)
“Then you shall say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.” Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have despised the Lord who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, “Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?”’”
After addressing Moses’ burden, God turned to address the people’s complaint. He commanded Moses to tell them, “Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow.” This phrase meant that they were to prepare themselves ceremonially, setting themselves apart to receive what God was about to do. Yet, unlike the joyful consecrations before receiving blessing, this one would precede divine discipline. The people were to ready themselves for a lesson that would expose the sin of their craving hearts.
God said, “For you have wept in the hearing of the Lord.” Their cries were not cries of repentance but of rebellion, tears born out of dissatisfaction with God’s provision. They had claimed, “It was well with us in Egypt,” twisting the truth of their past suffering to justify present unbelief. As the Lord had heard their groaning in bondage in Exodus 2:23–24, He now heard their groaning in rebellion. But this time, their cries grieved His heart rather than moved Him to deliverance.
The Lord declared, “Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat.” On the surface, this sounded like an answered prayer. Yet this was no blessing. It was a divine concession meant to discipline. God would give them exactly what they craved—but in such excess that it would sicken them. This was the judgment of abundance: when God grants a sinful desire to reveal its emptiness. Sometimes His most severe discipline is allowing us to have what we want, to show us how hollow it truly is.
The Lord added, “You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you.” This graphic expression underscores the intensity of their coming experience. They would gorge themselves until the very thing they lusted after became a curse to them. The result would be disgust, sickness, and shame.
The reason for this chastisement is stated plainly: “Because you have despised the Lord who is among you.” Their complaint was not just about food; it was about God Himself. By longing for Egypt, they denied the goodness of His deliverance. To despise His provision is to despise His presence. Their craving revealed hearts that preferred slavery with comfort over freedom with faith.
This passage stands as a solemn warning: when people reject God’s provision and demand their own way, He may allow them to have it—but at a cost. As Psalm 106:15 later records, “And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.” God may grant the fleshly desire, but He will withhold the spiritual joy that accompanies obedience.
Moses Reacts to God’s Promise to Provide Meat for Israel
(Numbers 11:21–23)
“And Moses said, ‘The people whom I am among are six hundred thousand men on foot; yet You have said, “I will give them meat, that they may eat for a whole month.” Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to provide enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to provide enough for them?’ And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Has the Lord’s arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not.’”
When God declared His intention to give Israel meat for a whole month, Moses reacted in disbelief. He looked at the situation through human reasoning rather than through divine power. He calculated the impossibility of feeding six hundred thousand men, not including women and children—an estimated total population of more than two million. Moses said, “The people whom I am among are six hundred thousand men on foot.” To him, the logistical impossibility was overwhelming. Even if all the flocks and herds were slaughtered, or all the fish of the sea were gathered, it would not suffice for such a multitude.
This reaction reflects the natural tendency of even the godliest leaders to question how God will accomplish what He has promised. Moses, who had seen the Red Sea part and manna fall from heaven, momentarily lost sight of God’s omnipotence. His question was not one of rebellion but of limitation—he was thinking in the realm of the possible, not the miraculous.
Spurgeon captured this perfectly: “You will see, my brethren, right readily the mistake which Moses made. He looked to the creature instead of the Creator. Doth the Creator expect the creature to fulfill his promise? No; he that makes fulfills. If he speaks, it is done—done by Himself.” Moses erred in measuring divine ability by human capacity. God does not need visible means to fulfill His word; His resources are infinite, His power unrestrained.
The Lord’s response was sharp yet reassuring: “Has the Lord’s arm been shortened?” This question struck directly at Moses’ doubt. The “arm of the Lord” symbolizes divine power and sovereignty. To ask whether His arm had been shortened was to ask whether God’s strength had somehow diminished. The same arm that had delivered Israel from Egypt, parted the sea, and provided manna, was still mighty. The Lord’s question was followed by a challenge: “Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not.” God reminded Moses that His word is self-fulfilling; His promises never depend on human possibility. What God declares, He performs.
This passage is a timeless reminder that faith is not about understanding how God will act, but trusting that He will act. As the Lord declared in Isaiah 50:2, “Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver?” The same question confronts every believer who doubts God’s provision. His arm is never shortened; His strength never fails.
The Spirit of the Lord Comes upon the Seventy Elders
(Numbers 11:24–25)
“So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord, and he gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tabernacle. Then the Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again.”
Before God granted the people’s demand for meat, He provided what they truly needed—spiritual leadership. Moses obeyed and gathered the seventy elders, arranging them around the tabernacle, the visible center of God’s presence. This order is significant: before meeting their fleshly craving, God strengthened their spiritual foundation. Leadership, not luxury, was the true necessity of Israel’s survival.
The Lord descended in the cloud, the same cloud that had guided Israel since Sinai, symbolizing His presence and authority. He “took of the Spirit that was upon Moses and placed the same upon the seventy elders.” This act was not a transfer but a sharing of the same divine empowerment. God did not diminish Moses’ anointing; rather, He multiplied it. Just as one candle can light seventy more without losing its flame, so the Spirit upon Moses was extended to others.
The purpose was unity of vision and heart. These elders needed not only authority but also the same Spirit that guided Moses—his humility, discernment, and dependence on God. Without spiritual alignment, there would be division and confusion among Israel’s leadership. As Amos 3:3 says, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” The Spirit of God ensured harmony in purpose and obedience among the seventy.
When the Spirit rested upon them, “they prophesied, although they never did so again.” This one-time prophetic manifestation confirmed their divine appointment. It was a visible sign to the people that God had chosen and equipped these men. Their prophecy may have been spontaneous praise, declaration, or inspired speech—a divine authentication similar to what occurred at Pentecost. Wenham notes that this may have been an ecstatic utterance, a visible symbol of the Spirit’s coming, much like the “tongues of fire” in Acts 2:3–4.
Though they did not continue to prophesy afterward, the Spirit’s empowerment remained with them for service. Like the apostles who received the Spirit to build the early Church, these elders were equipped for governance, not spectacle. Their prophecy was temporary, but their anointing was enduring.
This event demonstrates a vital principle: God’s work requires Spirit-filled servants. Human wisdom, organization, and effort are insufficient for spiritual leadership. Only those empowered by God’s Spirit can truly bear the burden of His people. The Church in every generation echoes this truth—spiritual problems demand spiritual solutions, and those who lead must first be filled with the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit of the Lord upon Eldad and Medad, and upon All God’s People
(Numbers 11:26–30)
“But two men had remained in the camp: the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those listed, but who had not gone out to the tabernacle; yet they prophesied in the camp. And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.’ So Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, one of his choice men, answered and said, ‘Moses my lord, forbid them!’ Then Moses said to him, ‘Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!’ And Moses returned to the camp, he and the elders of Israel.”
Two of the seventy elders—Eldad and Medad—had remained in the camp rather than going out to the tabernacle with the rest. Yet “the Spirit rested upon them.” The Holy Spirit was not confined to a location or dependent on human ceremony. God’s power and presence reached them wherever they were, proving that His work is not bound by place or ritual. Even those outside the visible gathering received the same anointing, demonstrating the sovereignty of God’s Spirit.
Their prophesying in the camp signified that the Spirit’s operation could not be contained within institutional walls. The same God who descended in the cloud upon the tabernacle now worked directly among His people. When the young man ran to report this, Joshua—Moses’ loyal assistant since Exodus 33:7–11—was alarmed. His instinct was to defend Moses’ honor and preserve the distinction of his leadership. Joshua feared that this spontaneous display might undermine Moses’ authority or create rivals to his leadership. Out of zeal and loyalty, he said, “Moses my lord, forbid them!”
But Moses, demonstrating both humility and spiritual maturity, replied, “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!” Moses did not view Eldad and Medad as threats, but as instruments of God’s grace. Unlike many leaders who guard their authority jealously, Moses rejoiced to see God’s Spirit at work in others. His heart longed for a day when every believer would be filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered to speak God’s truth.
Meyer insightfully observes, “This one saying proves the incomparable greatness of Moses’ character. Little souls are monopolists. They like to be good and gifted, because it gives them a kind of superiority to others; but they dislike to see a leveling-up process at work by which the Eldads and Medads are lifted to stand by their side.” Moses was secure in his calling because his confidence rested not in position but in God’s presence.
This statement prophetically anticipated the coming of the New Covenant. Under the Old Covenant, the Holy Spirit was selectively given to certain leaders, prophets, and judges for specific purposes. But through the New Covenant, God promised a universal outpouring of His Spirit. Ezekiel 36:27 says, “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” Joel 2:28–29 also declares, “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”
This prophetic longing was fulfilled in Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost. The same Spirit that came upon Moses and the elders was now poured out upon all who believe in Christ. Moses’ prayer found its ultimate answer in the Church, where every believer becomes a vessel of the Holy Spirit’s power.
God Brings Meat to Israel
(Numbers 11:31–35)
“Now a wind went out from the Lord, and it brought quail from the sea and left them fluttering near the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and about a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the ground. And the people stayed up all that day, all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers); and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was aroused against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very great plague. So he called the name of that place Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had yielded to craving. From Kibroth Hattaavah the people moved to Hazeroth, and camped at Hazeroth.”
The narrative concludes with the fulfillment of God’s promise to send meat—but not as a blessing. “A wind went out from the Lord, and it brought quail from the sea.” The same Hebrew word ruah, meaning both “wind” and “spirit,” connects this event with the Spirit’s earlier work among the elders. The Spirit came upon men to empower them, while the wind brought judgment upon the craving multitude. God’s Spirit can bring blessing or correction, depending on the heart that receives it.
Quail migration is common in the Sinai wilderness, and historical records confirm that millions of quail pass through this region. Arabs in the area have been known to capture them easily when the birds are exhausted from flight. Yet, in this case, the timing, scale, and distribution were clearly miraculous. The birds were spread around the camp “about two cubits above the ground,” roughly three feet high, so that the people could easily gather them.
The people, overcome with greed, stayed up day and night gathering the quail. The one who gathered the least still took in ten homers—an enormous amount, roughly 60 bushels. The scene, as Allen described, “must have been similar to a riot: people screaming, birds flapping their wings, everywhere the pell-mell movement of a meat-hungry people in a sea of birds.” What should have been an occasion of gratitude became a frenzy of indulgence.
However, God’s warning came swiftly true. “While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was aroused against the people.” Before they could enjoy their craving, judgment fell. The Lord struck them with a “very great plague.” Psalm 78:27–31 recounts, “He also rained meat on them like the dust, feathered fowl like the sand of the seas; and He let them fall in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings. So they ate and were well filled, for He gave them their own desire. They were not deprived of their craving; but while their food was still in their mouths, the wrath of God came against them, and slew the stoutest of them, and struck down the choice men of Israel.”
Likewise, Psalm 106:13–15 reflects on this event: “They soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel, but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tested God in the desert. And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.” This shows a sobering spiritual principle: when we persistently demand what God withholds, He may grant our request to expose its emptiness. Some of God’s most painful judgments come not from His refusal but from His concession.
Morgan aptly noted, “There are times when God grants an unwarranted request in order that men may learn through experience the folly of their desires.” The place was named Kibroth Hattaavah, meaning “Graves of Craving.” It stood as a solemn reminder that unrestrained desires can destroy both body and soul. Many today still perish spiritually at their own “Graves of Craving,” consumed by lusts and appetites that lead them away from God’s will.
This tragedy contrasts powerfully with Jesus Christ, the true Bread from Heaven. As He said in John 6:35, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” Whereas Israel lusted for flesh that brought death, Christ offers Himself as spiritual food that brings eternal life. The quail represented the satisfaction of the flesh; the manna and Christ represent the satisfaction of the soul. Those who crave worldly indulgence find graves; those who hunger for righteousness find life.
