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God Rescues Us (Even) from the Pit of Despair (Numbers 11:1-23)

Stress Overload leading to Desperation

• "It's all too hard!" "I can't go on" "I've had enough"; family woes, work overload, money stress, what am I to do...?;
• How many of us have wished at some time "O that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away & be at rest" Ps 55:6;
• You are not alone - Moses, the mighty leader knew such times, and he went to pieces.

Background - immense labour (physical, mental/spiritual)

• people rescued from Egypt with mighty wonders & led - despite repeated moanings & even threats;
• 40 days & nights on Sinai;
• law & regulations given & acted upon; Tabernacle, priesthood set in place; people organised into an army;
• "Rise up, O LORD! Let you enemies be scattered" as Israel marches out to conquer (Nu 10:35);

Human Cause - ungrateful, complaining, demanding people

• v1 complaints, complaint, complaints! - God is angry & judges in fire; v2 Moses labours again in prayer to save them;

• v4... complain again, about the food (God's provision); bitter; weeping; God is angry again;

Physical Causes - a side comment

It is very easy, at least for me, to think that the bodily nature we share with the animals is somehow quite separate from the "me" that thinks and loves and knows (the "spirit", or "soul"). As a youngster I sometimes thought of myself as living in the head of this thing called a body, and controlling it, a bit like H.G. Wells' Martians in their Tripods, in his novel "The War of the Worlds". This is a dangerous mistake, leading some to think that the spirit is noble and good, but the body worthless and bad. This is not what God says, Who made all things good, and "richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (1 Timothy 6:17 NIV, and the things very much include material things that bring us great pleasure).

There is another danger from this mistake - our reactions to the times when life overwhelms us are not independent of our bodily health. There are times when just saying "I must pull myself together!" doesn't work. Times when the reaction of despair is without obvious cause. Times when a well-meaning "you should be more spiritual" does not help. Sometimes you need to see a doctor. Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones, a medical doctor turned pastor, used to surprise some people who came to him for spiritual counsel when depressed by asking "When did you last have a holiday!". He understood that troubles of the mind can be caused by neglecting our health, and can be the result of an illness.

Moses Crumbles, & Falls into a Pit of Despair - angry, but for wrong reasons ("I" trouble)

• v11 why have you afflicted me? why don't you care for me?
• v11 why have you burdened me with these people? They're not mine;
• v13 where am I to get meat for 600,000 men +++? for they weep all over me;
• v14 I can't bear it! - it's too much for me!
• v15 I'd be better off dead - then I won't see how worthless I am;
• I can't do it! - ("but" says God, "I can");
  • 15 times he says I, or me, etc.)
• David (Ps 55:6) Elijah, Jonah, Paul knew all about this. Here is Elijah, after enormous exertion and a great victory, fallen into depression and on the run from Queen Jezebel,

Now See:-

1. even the greatest men of God fall (Ps 37:23,24);
2. Pit of Despair is natural, since Eden's fall; if not for grace (common too) all would be in pit all the time (& hell is this pit for eternity) separate from only One who can make us happy;
3. what hard things we say about God at such times, & ALL OF THEM WRONG!;
4. after great blessings & labours (it often happens this way);
5. faith staggers under stress - the outburst of a worn-out servant, yet to his God.

Moses goes to Pieces, but GOD Catches Them All

• He knows the Pit Himself from bitterest experience; Gethsemane, Calvary, Ps22 "My God, My God!, why...?)
  • (God did not rescue His Son, that He might rescue us);
• He was there with Moses (in the Pit, Ps139:8b), to hear & answer ("Moses, you are not alone");
• He gives help; spiritually-minded companions to share the load; 70 elders commissioned by God's Spirit (to stop people saying "only Moses can help me!"; or "they're just Moses yes-men!");

• He deals with the complainers - 'meat till you hate it'; God's best gifts rot & stink when grasped selfishly v18-20. He sends vast flocks of quail into the camp,

"Man shall not live by bread alone..." Deuteronomy 8:3, "but seek first the kingdom of God.......and all these things will be added to you" Matthew 6:33;

• vindicates Moses as leader by sending the meat;
• Moses' faith staggers, but God teaches him "I can do it!"; magnifies His power and glory - "Has the LORD's arm been shortened?" v23 'Moses, be humble enough to trust Me' - look from yourself & to God;

Why was God Gentle with Moses' Complaints, YET Severe with People's?

• weakness of a godly man VERSUS 'strength' ("me first!") of godless men;
• they had despised the LORD and His provisions for them v20 "Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?"
• Moses, "weary and worn and sad", brings his complaint to his heavenly Father.
• the person with faith asks "Why?!" in the darkness, and still hangs on to God Who is invisible. The person without faith asks "Why?" in scorn, and is really asking "Why don't I get what (I think I) deserve?!", having no care for God, Who is great and knows far better what we need, but only for themself and their "I Want!"s
• the difference between a battle-weary wounded soldier ('I can't go on") and an injured drunk, complaining of the hospital food;

Which camp do you fit into?

• Not a real Christian? then you must sink into the Pit of Despair (now, or to the the last despair, hell) unless you cast yourself upon Jesus the Son of God, Who suffered the worst that you might have forgiveness and life. Reject Him and be lost; but why should you, while the door of hope is open?
• A Christian? then you are not immune from great troubles. BUT you have One to help, who sticks closer than a brother, and will rescue you from the greatest trouble, Death, Despair and Hell. Pour out you heart to Him; He never failed anyone who calls on Him, nor ever will (Jn 6:37)
• BUT Guard your health
  • Are you getting enough sleep, enough exercise?
  • eating properly?
  • reading properly (spiritual food)?
  • praying; pouring out your heart to God? He will hear;
  • casting all your cares on Him, daily, repeatedly (He cares for you; 1 Peter 5:7) or instead too much taken up with "I", "Me" and "Mine"?
  • and don't forgot your doctor - they are one of God's gifts to a fallen world!

Bible passage from the ESV version

11:1 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. 2 Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down. 3 So the name of that place was called Taberah,1 because the fire of the Lord burned among them.

4 Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, "Oh that we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. 6 But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at."

7 Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium. 8 The people went about and gathered it and ground it in handmills or beat it in mortars and boiled it in pots and made cakes of it. And the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil. 9 When the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell with it.

10 Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the Lord blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased. 11 Moses said to the Lord, "Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? 12 Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,' to the land that you swore to give their fathers? 13 Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, 'Give us meat, that we may eat.' 14 I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. 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."

Elders Appointed to Aid Moses

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. 17 And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone. 18 And 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 better for us in Egypt." Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. 19 You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, 20 but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before him, saying, "Why did we come out of Egypt?"'" 21 But Moses said, "The people among whom I am number six hundred thousand on foot, and you have said, 'I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month!' 22 Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, and be enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, and be enough for them?" 23 And the Lord said to Moses, "Is the Lord's hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not."

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