but for a whole month--until it comes out of your nostrils and makes you nauseous--because you have rejected the LORD, who is among you, and have cried out before Him, saying, 'Why did we ever leave Egypt?'" but for a whole month—This phrase indicates the duration of the consequence that the Israelites would face for their complaints. The number "month" in biblical terms often signifies a complete cycle or period of time. In the context of the Israelites' journey, a month represents a significant period during which they would experience the repercussions of their dissatisfaction with God's provision. This time frame underscores the seriousness of their rebellion and God's response to it. until it comes out of your nostrils and makes you nauseous—
This vivid imagery emphasizes the excess and the resulting disgust that the Israelites would feel. The phrase suggests an overwhelming abundance of quail, which would lead to physical revulsion. This serves as a metaphor for the consequences of greed and ingratitude. The hyperbolic language is meant to convey the intensity of God's response to their complaints, highlighting the dangers of desiring more than what God provides. because you have rejected the LORD, who is among you,
The rejection of the LORD signifies a deeper spiritual issue beyond mere dissatisfaction with food. It reflects a lack of faith and trust in God's presence and provision. The phrase "who is among you" reminds the Israelites of God's constant presence, as evidenced by the cloud by day and the fire by night. This rejection is not just of God's gifts but of God Himself, which is a grave sin in the biblical narrative. It echoes the theme of God's desire for a relationship with His people and their frequent failure to recognize His nearness. and have cried out before Him, saying,
Crying out before God in this context is not a plea for help but a complaint against His leadership and provision. This behavior contrasts with the appropriate response of prayer and supplication seen elsewhere in Scripture. The Israelites' complaints are directed at God, showing a lack of gratitude and a failure to remember His past deliverance and miracles. This phrase highlights the importance of approaching God with a heart of faith and trust rather than one of rebellion and dissatisfaction. ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’”
This question reveals the Israelites' longing for their past life in Egypt, despite the slavery and oppression they experienced there. It reflects a distorted memory and a lack of appreciation for the freedom and future God promised them. This attitude is a recurring theme in the wilderness narrative, where the Israelites frequently express a desire to return to Egypt. It serves as a warning against romanticizing the past and failing to trust in God's plan for the future. Theologically, it underscores the human tendency to resist change and cling to the familiar, even when God offers something far greater. Persons / Places / Events 1. The IsraelitesThe people of God who were delivered from slavery in Egypt and are now wandering in the wilderness. They are expressing dissatisfaction with their current situation and longing for the past. 2. MosesThe leader of the Israelites, chosen by God to guide them out of Egypt and through the wilderness. He is the intermediary between God and the people. 3. The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant God of Israel, who delivered them from Egypt and is present among them, providing guidance and sustenance. 4. EgyptThe place of bondage from which the Israelites were delivered. It represents their past life of slavery and oppression. 5. The WildernessThe setting of the Israelites' journey to the Promised Land, a place of testing and reliance on God's provision. Teaching Points The Danger of DiscontentmentDiscontentment can lead us to reject God's presence and provision, as seen in the Israelites' longing for Egypt. The Consequences of RebellionRejecting God's provision and leadership can lead to severe consequences, both spiritually and physically. The Importance of GratitudeCultivating a heart of gratitude helps us to focus on God's faithfulness and provision, rather than our perceived lack. Trusting in God's PlanEven when circumstances are challenging, trusting in God's plan and timing is crucial for spiritual growth and maturity. Learning from the PastReflecting on past experiences of God's faithfulness can strengthen our faith and prevent us from repeating the same mistakes. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the Israelites' longing for Egypt reflect our own tendencies to romanticize the past when facing current challenges? 2. In what ways can discontentment manifest in our lives today, and how can we combat it with gratitude? 3. How does the concept of God's presence among the Israelites challenge us to recognize His presence in our daily lives? 4. What are some practical steps we can take to trust in God's provision, even when it seems insufficient or delayed? 5. How can we use the experiences of the Israelites as a warning and encouragement in our own spiritual journey? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 16The Israelites previously complained about food, and God provided manna. This shows a pattern of dissatisfaction and lack of trust in God's provision. Psalm 78Reflects on the Israelites' rebellion and God's response, emphasizing the importance of remembering God's works and trusting in His provision. 1 Corinthians 10Paul uses the Israelites' experiences as a warning to the church, highlighting the dangers of grumbling and testing God. People Eldad, Israelites, Joshua, Medad, Moses, NunPlaces Egypt, Hazeroth, Kibroth-hattaavah, Paran, TaberahTopics Abomination, Becomes, Despised, Disgust, Egypt, Forth, Leave, Loathe, Loathed, Loathsome, Lothsome, Midst, Month, Nostrils, Rejected, Saying, Till, Tired, Troubled, Turning, Wailed, Weep, Weeping, WeptDictionary of Bible Themes Numbers 11:20 5171 nose Numbers 11:4-34 4438 eating Numbers 11:18-20 6231 rejection of God Library April 12. "They were as it Were, Complainers" (Num. xi. 1).
"They were as it were, complainers" (Num. xi. 1). There is a very remarkable phrase in the book of Numbers, in the account of the murmuring of the children of Israel in the wilderness. It reads like this: "When the people, as it were, murmured." Like most marginal readings it is better than the text, and a great world of suggestive truth lies back of that little sentence. In the distance we may see many a vivid picture rise before our imagination of people who do not dare to sin openly and unequivocally, …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth Exposition of Chap. Iii. (ii. 28-32. )
Ver. 1. "And it shall come to pass, afterwards, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions." The communication of the Spirit of God was the constant prerogative of the Covenant-people. Indeed, the very idea of such a people necessarily requires it. For the Spirit of God is the only inward bond betwixt Him and that which is created; a Covenant-people, therefore, without such an inward …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament The Deaf Stammerer Healed and Four Thousand Fed.
^A Matt. XV. 30-39; ^B Mark VII. 32-VIII. 9. ^b 32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech [The man had evidently learned to speak before he lost his hearing. Some think that defective hearing had caused the impediment in his speech, but verse 35 suggests that he was tongue-tied]; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. 33 And he took him aside from the multitude privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue [He separated …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Baptist's Testimony.
"There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light.... John beareth witness of Him, and crieth, saying, This was He of whom I said, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for He was before me. For of His fulness we all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses; grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. …
Marcus Dods—The Expositor's Bible: The Gospel of St. John, Vol. I Third Sunday after Epiphany
Text: Romans 12, 16-21. 16 Be not wise in your own conceits. 17 Render to no man evil for evil. Take thought for things honorable in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men. 19 Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath of God: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord. 20 But if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II False Ambition Versus Childlikeness.
(Capernaum, Autumn, a.d. 29.) ^A Matt. XVIII. 1-14; ^B Mark IX. 33-50; ^C Luke IX. 46-50. ^c 46 And there arose a reasoning among them, which of them was the greatest. ^b 33 And he came to Capernaum: ^c 47 But when Jesus saw the reasoning of their heart, ^b and when he was in the house [probably Simon Peter's house] he asked them, What were ye reasoning on the way? 34 But they held their peace: for they had disputed one with another on the way, who was the greatest. [The Lord with his disciples was …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
"The Holy Spirit was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified."--John vii. 39. We have come to the most difficult part in the discussion of the work of the Holy Spirit, viz., the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the tenth day after the ascension. In the treatment of this subject it is not our aim to create a new interest in the celebration of Pentecost. We consider this almost impossible. Man's nature is too unspiritual for this. But we shall reverently endeavor to give a clearer insight …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit Third Sunday Before Lent
Text: First Corinthians 9, 24-27; 10, 1-5. 24 Know ye not that they that run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? Even so run; that ye may attain. 25 And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so fight I, as not beating the air: 27 but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II Eastern Wise-Men, or Magi, visit Jesus, the New-Born King.
(Jerusalem and Bethlehem, b.c. 4.) ^A Matt. II. 1-12. ^a 1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem [It lies five miles south by west of Jerusalem, a little to the east of the road to Hebron. It occupies part of the summit and sides of a narrow limestone ridge which shoots out eastward from the central chains of the Judæan mountains, and breaks down abruptly into deep valleys on the north, south, and east. Its old name, Ephrath, meant "the fruitful." Bethlehem means "house of bread." Its modern …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Messiah's Easy Yoke
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. T hough the influence of education and example, may dispose us to acknowledge the Gospel to be a revelation from God; it can only be rightly understood, or duly prized, by those persons who feel themselves in the circumstances of distress, which it is designed to relieve. No Israelite would think of fleeing to a city of refuge (Joshua 20:2. …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1 Of Immediate Revelation.
Of Immediate Revelation. [29] Seeing no man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son revealeth him; and seeing the revelation of the Son is in and by the Spirit; therefore the testimony of the Spirit is that alone by which the true knowledge of God hath been, is, and can be only revealed; who as, by the moving of his own Spirit, he disposed the chaos of this world into that wonderful order in which it was in the beginning, and created man a living soul, to rule and govern it, so by …
Robert Barclay—Theses Theologicae and An Apology for the True Christian Divinity Blasphemous Accusations of the Jews.
(Galilee.) ^A Matt. XII. 22-37; ^B Mark III. 19-30; ^C Luke XI. 14-23. ^b 19 And he cometh into a house. [Whose house is not stated.] 20 And the multitude cometh together again [as on a previous occasion--Mark ii. 1], so that they could not so much as eat bread. [They could not sit down to a regular meal. A wonderful picture of the intense importunity of people and the corresponding eagerness of Jesus, who was as willing to do as they were to have done.] 21 And when his friends heard it, they went …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Appendix ii. Philo of Alexandria and Rabbinic Theology.
(Ad. vol. i. p. 42, note 4.) In comparing the allegorical Canons of Philo with those of Jewish traditionalism, we think first of all of the seven exegetical canons which are ascribed to Hillel. These bear chiefly the character of logical deductions, and as such were largely applied in the Halakhah. These seven canons were next expanded by R. Ishmael (in the first century) into thirteen, by the analysis of one of them (the 5th) into six, and the addition of this sound exegetical rule, that where two …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Numbers 11:20 NIVNumbers 11:20 NLTNumbers 11:20 ESVNumbers 11:20 NASBNumbers 11:20 KJV
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