Numbers 11:11
“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:’”
For a short period of time, I enjoyed playing a game called Angry Birds. It is a game that took off and became a national phenomenon. It became so popular, that a movie, along with a popular TV commercial was made out of it.
In Numbers 11, we find a different, yet divine phenomenon where a large quantity of angry birds (quail) was airlifted from the seashore and transported by a west wind to the encampment of the Israelites. This phenomenon came at the very time a leader, chosen by God, was struggling to keep his followers satisfied and content.
For a leader, restraining complaining is a very difficult thing to do. When life becomes mundane and people desire something different or new, they will lash out, often time, targeting others to blame for their frustration. I have often observed that this can be a hazard for those in leadership positions. Such is the case in Numbers 11:1, “Now, when the people complained …”. What we are about to discover in Numbers 11 is what happens when the complaint virus infects the masses and takes their frustration out on their leader.
1. The fringed get singed!
“So, the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp” (v. 1b). The word “fringe” is defined as “the border or outer edge of something”. Every church has a few people that you only see during Christmas, Easter, or some very special event. The truth is, there are people that love God, but by their actions, seemingly, love their weekends more. If asked, they would call you pastor and say that your church is their church. I call them “fringe people”.
Isn’t it true that when church conflict arises, fringe people tend to get hurt worst, first? Satan, the “roaring lion” is always seeking prey that “he may devour”. Once murmur, complaint, and inuendo start infecting a church, those on the outskirts begin to shy away even more from the very thing that they need the most. Sheep are easily frightened. Our Good Shepherd knows this and desires to make us lie down in green pastures and lead us beside still waters. But unless you are in the sheepfold, you can’t be on the receiving end of the Good Shepherds' tender care.
2. Pray for the prey!
Note how Moses responded to the crisis. His first option was prayer, “… and when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire was quenched” (v. 2). It is a known fact that 100% of prayers that don’t get prayed, never get answered. Prayer should always be our first option and our best option. We are all benefactors of prayer in some way or another. Whether it was a pastor, parent, or friend, we have all been touched by prayer. It has been said that prayer is the inheritance that we receive and the legacy that we leave. It is there that our impotence meets face to face with God’s omnipotence. For Moses, only the power of God could extinguish what the power of the tongue had set ablaze.
Friend, if you have ever encountered a church firestorm, you understand why the necessity of prayer is so vital. Prayer is my solace with God. It is there that I find peace to sustain me, power to strengthen me, and courage to motivate me. Prayer is the greatest stress reliever I’ve ever encountered. If you are a leader and you do not have a consistent prayer life, you have an inconsistent leadership model that will never bear the fruit that you desire to harvest. We learn from Moses that the first step in quenching a firestorm is the discipline of prayer.
3. Contentment leads to resentment!
There is something about us humans that cannot remain content for very long. God provided a beautiful, life-sustaining miracle of manna every day for forty years. According to Psalm 78:23-25, God “… opened the doors of heaven, and had rained down manna upon them to eat and ... man did eat angels’ food….” You would think that if it was good enough for angels, it would be good enough for anyone. Yet, their discontent with manna led to resentment, leaving them wanting something else, something new, something more. They wanted a new miracle while at the same time experiencing a present miracle (Numbers 11:4-9).
Even Jesus knew that many followed Him because they were attracted by the miracles He was performing. He told the multitude following Him that they were only doing so because of the miracles. That goes to show you that whatever you do to get people, you will have to do to keep people. So be careful what you feed them. I don’t care how hard you try; you will never have the human capacity to satisfy the ever-evolving cravings of mankind. Jesus knew that miracles wouldn’t sustain them. He gave them the Bread of Life, and on the journey, God still worked miracles in their midst. Only Jesus can satisfy the unsatisfied.
4. Duplicate, don’t manipulate!
“Gather me seventy men … and they will bear the burden of the people with you” (11:16 & 17). If you are called of God, you have a leadership anointing that must be duplicated. If you desire your ministry to grow and continue with forward momentum, you must continually duplicate yourself in the lives of new leaders. Moses had a leadership crisis. So do we. Here is how God solved his problem; “God took the spirit that was upon him and gave it to the seventy elders …” (11:25).
God doesn’t intend for us to bear people's burdens alone. People will always need someone to cry on (11:10a), but God never intended for you to be the only one navigating the river that was formed by their boatload of tears. There are moments in time when a leader must provide what is needed versus what is wanted. They wanted meat. They needed manna. This frustrated both God and Moses and the people took it out on their leader. God’s remedy for the burden that Moses was carrying was simple. He wanted the spirit that was upon Moses to reside in seventy additional leaders. This is the leadership principle of duplication and transference. If you’ve got it, you must give it, and you must release it!
5. Our decisions must never conflict with God's provisions!
Be careful what you ask for because you might just get it. Number 11:19 & 20 says that God decided to give them an entire month's supply. Scripture records, “You shall eat, not one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils, and it will be nauseating to you …” We further discover, “But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was aroused against the people …” (Numbers 11:33). Sometimes, God provides miracles out of His permissive will (quail), instead of His perfect will (manna). Here is what we know.
• The people received a thirty-day supply of quail (11:19 & 20).
• There were approximately 600,000-foot soldiers present (11:21).
• The quail covered an area of 700 square miles (11:31a)
• The quail fell 2 cubits (3 feet) deep (11:31b)
• The people received a minimum of 10 homers (11:32) per person (1900 birds per 10 homers)
• It is estimated that approximately 105 million quail (daily) or 1.14 billion birds over 30 days fell in the camp of the Israelites
That is a whole lot of something that God never intended for you to have! And as usual, mankind pays the price when fleshly desires trump spiritual needs. I love chocolate, but I don’t want it running out my nose. I love chicken, but I don’t want to be consumed before I can even start chewing it.
• Eve wanted fruit from a tree that God didn’t want her to have, and we are still paying a heavy price for it.
• Lot wanted the watered, green plains of Jordon, and lost his influence, integrity, and spouse.
• Moses wanted revenge and got 40 years of desert.
• David wanted Bathsheba and plotted a murder to cover it up.
• Samson wanted Delilah and lost both vision and power.
Be careful what you lust after. The simple truth is that our wants are too often based on our desires and our greed. However, God’s provisions are based on His desire and our need. So be encouraged today. God will supply your need.