WHEN the Lord said He would give the people flesh, He told them they should not eat one day only, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, but they should eat for a whole month, until the flesh would come out at their nostrils. This wonderful statement stumbled Moses, strong as his faith was. He asked the Lord if the flocks and herds should be slain to feed so many people for a whole month, or if all the fish of the sea should be gathered together to make enough for them.
Is it not often now with God’s people as it was with this faithful servant of old?—they meet with difficulties which seem to them impossible to surmount, and they forget that God’s power is greater than all difficulties; then they are full of trouble.
But God answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s band waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee are not.” And He sent forth a wind and brought quails from the sea and let them fall by the camp. He tells us, “He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven; and by His power He brought in the south wind. He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea. And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.”
Now they had flesh enough—quails in the camp; quails on every side; whichever way they looked, a sea of quails! And the people, in their greed for flesh, stood up all that day and that night and the next day, and gathered the dainty food that God had brought right to their hands. And they ate and were “well filled” as God had promised them they should be. But do you think God had pleasure in thus providing for them? Oh, no; His wrath came upon them, and while the flesh was yet between their teeth, He smote thein with a great plague. (Num. 11:18-2318And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the Lord, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the Lord will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. 19Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; 20But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt? 21And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month. 22Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them? 23And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lord's hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not. (Numbers 11:18‑23) and 31-33. Ps. 78:26-31.)
In all this, God had given them “their own desire.” But the sad, sad part of it was that they got leanness of soul through having their own way. “And He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.” Ps. 106:15.
I know nothing with sadder results for the Christian, than pressing his will until God allows him to have his own way, and then gives him to reap this leanness of soul. What makes it so unspeakably sad is that it is eternal loss to him.
So if clouds hang low and heavy, dear young Christian, trust in God for He is above the cloud. Do not murmur; do not think that anything is impossible with God; above all, do not insist on the trouble’s being removed. Await God’s time; learn to say from the heart, “Thy will be done,” and soon all will be bright.
ML 03/13/1904