Meaning of Numbers 11:18

This verse from Numbers 11:18 reveals God's response to the Israelites' discontent. After grumbling about their lack of meat and longing for the perceived abundance of Egypt, the people are commanded by God, through Moses, to sanctify themselves. This act of consecration is not a ritualistic cleansing in the typical sense of ceremonial purity but rather a call to set themselves apart in anticipation of a divine provision of meat. The emphasis is on preparing for a direct, and perhaps overwhelming, manifestation of God's power in response to their expressed desires, a provision that will serve as both a fulfillment and a severe lesson.

Context and Background

The Israelites, having been liberated from Egyptian bondage, are now journeying through the wilderness. Despite experiencing God's miraculous deliverance and sustenance (manna), a significant segment of the population begins to express profound dissatisfaction. This discontent is particularly vocal among the mixed multitude (non-Israelites who joined them) and even some Israelites, who recall the varied diet of Egypt with nostalgia, ironically overlooking the harshness of their servitude. This yearning for meat, rather than being a simple dietary preference, represents a deeper spiritual rebellion – a rejection of God's present provision and a longing for the familiar comforts and perceived security of their former oppressive state. God, through Moses, hears their complaints, which are framed as a rejection of His leadership and care.

Key Themes and Messages

• Divine Response to Discontent: The verse highlights that God hears the complaints of His people, even their grumbling and expressions of dissatisfaction. His hearing is not always an endorsement, but often an acknowledgment that precedes a response.
• Consequences of Complaining: The command to "consecrate yourselves" implies that the coming provision of meat will be a significant event with serious implications. It suggests a divine judgment or a test, rather than a simple benevolent gift. The Israelites will eat meat, but the context implies it will be more than they bargained for.
• God's Provision and Sovereignty: Despite their unfaithfulness, God demonstrates His power and willingness to provide. However, His provision is often coupled with a lesson about His sovereignty and the dangers of misplaced desires.
• The Danger of Nostalgia for Oppression: The verse warns against romanticizing past circumstances, especially when those circumstances involved bondage and oppression. The desire for the "flesh pots of Egypt" is a desire for a familiar, albeit negative, comfort over God's uncertain but liberating path.

Spiritual Significance and Application

Spiritually, this passage serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of discontent and unfaithfulness in our walk with God. The Israelites' desire for meat, while seemingly minor, represented a deeper dissatisfaction with God's plan and provision for them. This can be applied to believers today who may find themselves yearning for worldly comforts or past situations that were not aligned with God's will, even if they seem appealing on the surface. The call to "consecrate yourselves" is a timeless instruction for believers to set themselves apart, to purify their hearts, and to align their desires with God's. It signifies a readiness to receive from God, but also an acknowledgment that His provisions may come with challenges or lessons.

Relation to the Broader Biblical Narrative

This incident in Numbers is a critical precursor to the eventual judgment that falls upon the Israelites for their persistent grumbling and rebellion. It foreshadows God's eventual provision of quail in overwhelming numbers, which leads to a plague killing many of those who craved it most (Numbers 11:31-34). This episode further illustrates the theme of God's faithfulness in providing for His people, even when they are unfaithful, but also His justice and the serious consequences of rejecting His leadership and His provision. It underscores the ongoing tension in the Old Testament between God's gracious provision and His people's tendency towards sin and rebellion, a tension that is ultimately resolved in the New Covenant through Christ.

Analogies

One analogy for this situation is a child who complains about the healthy, balanced meal their parent has prepared, longing instead for sugary junk food. The parent might, in a moment of exasperation or to teach a lesson, allow the child to have the junk food, but the consequence will be a stomach ache or a realization that the healthy meal was indeed better. Another analogy is an employee who expresses dissatisfaction with their current job and longs for a previous, perhaps more glamorous but less stable, position. If they get their wish, they might find that the perceived benefits were outweighed by hidden drawbacks or that the new environment is not what they expected.

Relation to Other Verses

• Exodus 16:3: This verse directly precedes the incident in Numbers, showing the initial complaints about the manna: "The Israelites said to them, 'If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.'" This establishes the recurring theme of discontent.
• Numbers 11:31-34: This passage details the fulfillment and consequence of the desire for meat. God sends quail, but the people eat excessively, and a plague strikes them down. This demonstrates the serious nature of God's response.
• Deuteronomy 8:3: Moses reminds the Israelites that God humbled them and tested them by feeding them with manna, "so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." This contrasts the Israelites' desire for physical sustenance with God's desire for their spiritual obedience.
• 1 Corinthians 10:10: The Apostle Paul references this event, warning the Corinthian church: "And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel." He uses their experience as a cautionary tale for believers.