And now, the climax of our story. The pièce de resistance of the whole chapter. The “be careful what you wish for” portion of our passage. Numbers 11:31-35—31 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. 32 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. 33 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. 34 So he called the name of that place Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had yielded to craving. 35 From Kibroth Hattaavah the people moved to Hazeroth, and camped at Hazeroth. A little background. The people were on the Sinai Peninsula, between the Gulf of Aqaba and the Gulf of Suez. At the time of year this was (spring), quail usually fly from the southwestern direction, in a northeasterly direction, from Africa. In this case, however, the wind blew them from the southeast, to a place about 30-40 miles inland to the Sinai Peninsula. And by the time they got there, their little wings were tired. So this was a work produced by God. He caused these quail to fly in a direction and for a distance they were not used to.
Now, how much quail did God provide? Enough to cover the ground for a whole day’s journey on either side of the camp and, in some places, they fell two cubits deep. Keeping in mind that a cubit is about a foot and a half, that equals three feet deep. Three feet deep! In other words, about waist-high. And how far was a day’s journey? At the short end, about twenty miles. Twenty miles! So many quail, they covered the ground for, at the very least, a diameter of, say, 50 miles, and a depth at some places of three feet! Enough, I dare say, to feed a half million people for thirty days as He promised. The person who gathered least grabbed up ten homers. A homer is—get this—SIX BUSHELS!! So each person gathered AT LEAST sixty bushels! And I can just hear the skeptics now “Uh, that’s impossible!” And actually, it’s not. From The Expositor’s Bible:
Fowls of this kind migrate at certain seasons in such enormous multitudes that in the small island of Capri, near Naples, one hundred and sixty thousand have been netted in one season. When exhausted, they would easily be taken as they flew at a height of about two cubits above the ground. The whole camp was engaged in capturing quails from one morning to the evening of the following day.
And this number (160,000) was not gathered by a half million people. And not brought about by a miracle of God. In our passage, there had to have been millions of quail, sitting on the ground, and the people could just pick up as many as they wanted. And that was a problem for the people. They wanted meat so bad, they picked it up and picked it up and picked it up until they could pick up no more. For better than a day and a half (And the people stayed up all that day, all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail). And then they laid them out on the ground possibly to show off how many they gathered. And yes, this was a problem. Because they were showing off the work they had performed. But what is missing here? Well, why did God send so many quail? What were the people doing that God looked down and sent so many birds? They were complaining. Just like in Exodus 16 when He first sent the manna because they were complaining about the food after coming out of their bondage in Egypt, they were complaining (again!) about the food after coming out of their bondage in Egypt. So God gave them manna in Exodus 16, and He gives them quail here in Numbers 11 (both times after they complained about how much better they had it in Egypt), and what do they fail to do? They fail to give thanks. They just dig in. Why? Because they were a stiff-necked people. Eight times in Exodus and Deuteronomy He calls them that (Exodus 32:9, Exodus 33:3, Exodus 33:5; Exodus 34:9; Deuteronomy 9:6; Deuteronomy 9:13; Deuteronomy 10:16; Deuteronomy 31:27). Yet He continues with them! They are a rebellious, stiff-necked, grumbling, complaining, murmuring, ungrateful, unthankful people, yet He continually calls them His. And we are no different.
What’s that? You read about how rebellious they were, and think you are any better? Ha! We are just as rebellious, stiff-necked, grumbling, complaining, murmuring, ungrateful, and unthankful as they were. Yet God continues to call us His. Probably not a lot of people saying “Amen” here. Sometimes we need to be pricked in our hearts. Sometimes we need to be reminded of just who we are. Like the Jews in Acts 2 needed that reminder. Acts 2:36—[Peter said] "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." He did not pull any punches. He let them know that it was not their leaders or the Romans or Pilate that put Jesus on the tree. It was them. Acts 2:37—Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" It’s not always easy to tell someone that what they have done is wrong. It’s often a bitter pill to swallow. How would you like to be told that you killed the Son of God? But they had to be told, in order to remind them of their heinous deed and that they were lowly sinners, just like the ones they looked down upon. But after the bad tasting medicine comes the cure. Acts 2:38—Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” You have to understand that you are sick in order to realize you need the cure. The people in Numbers didn’t realize how sick they were. They murmured and complained because they thought they deserved more than what God provided. So He gave it to them. And instead of thanking Him and saying “Thank you, Lord! I’m sorry for complaining!” they indulged their flesh, they tore the quail with their teeth, and while they were still chewing it (while the meat was still between their teeth), God struck them and they died.
This episode is memorialized in Psalm 78:27-31—27 He also rained meat on them like the dust, feathered fowl like the sand of the seas; 28 and He let them fall in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings. 29 So they ate and were well filled, for He gave them their own desire. 30 They were not deprived of their craving; but while their food was still in their mouths, 31 the wrath of God came against them, and slew the stoutest of them, and struck down the choice men of Israel. And the people learned not to complain or grumble against God, and they went happily along their way, never sinning again, right? Not quite. The Psalm continues, Psalm 78:32—In spite of this they still sinned, and did not believe in His wondrous works. “You’re kidding, right? I mean, God sent them quail, many died while they were still eating it, and they still didn’t get the message?” No, they didn’t. If you know your Bible, you know that the people would grumble again later, there were many times they would not bow their knee to God. I mean, think about it. What happens at the beginning of this chapter? They were grumbling and complaining, so what did God do? He burned up the outside of the camp. And what did they do a few verses later? They grumbled again. These people did not learn! Proof: when the burning of the outskirts of the camp happened, they named the place “Burning” (תַּבְעֵרָה, Taberah) as a way to remember what happened. But they didn’t. They went back to being the same stiff-necked people they were. And this time, even more of them died with quail between their teeth. So they named the placeקִבְרוֹתאֲוָ הַתַּה (Kibroth Hattaavah), meaning “Graves of Lust”. They named it “These people wanted something so bad they complained to God to make things better, and when they complained He gave them what they wanted, and they died because of it”, basically.
We too should be wary of our desires. Do we desire more, just to spend it
on our lusts? James 4:3—You ask and do not
receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
Do we want to be more like the world, buying things and having things just to
have them? To show them off when friends come around? Or are we happy having
what God has given us, though it be but a morsel of bread? Let us not go down
to our own Kibroth Hattaavah, lusting for things instead of enjoying the things
that God has given us. For do not be surprised when those things we lust for
cause our doom. From the hymn “We Bring No Glittering Treasures” by Harriet
Phillips:
We bring no glittering treasures/No gems from earth's deep mine;
We come, with simple measures/To chant Thy love divine.
Children, thy favours sharing/Their voice of thanks would raise;
Father, accept our offering/Our song of grateful praise.
That priceless gift of heaven/Love's written word of truth,
To us is early given/To guide our steps in youth;
We hear the wondrous story/The tale of Calvary;
We read of homes in glory/From sin and sorrow free.
Redeemer, grant Thy blessing!/O teach us how to pray,
That each, Thy fear possessing/May tread life's onward way!
Then, where the pure are dwelling/We hope to meet again,
And, sweeter numbers swelling/Forever praise Thy name.
Jesus Christ is Lord.
Amen.
