Numbers
11:4 ¶ And the mixt multitude that was
among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and
said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? 5
We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers,
and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: 6 But now our soul is dried away: there
is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes. 7 And the manna was as coriander seed,
and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium. 8 And the people went about, and
gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a
mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it
was as the taste of fresh oil. 9 And
when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it. 10 Then Moses heard the people weep throughout
their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD
was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased. 11 And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast
thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight,
that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me? 12 Have I conceived all this people? have I
begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a
nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto
their fathers? 13 Whence should I have
flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us
flesh, that we may eat. 14 I am not able
to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. 15 And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I
pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see
my wretchedness.
The people long for the fish they had eaten of in Egypt, the
vegetables and the fruit and spices. They complained about the manna they were
given. See the passage in Exodus 16 on Manna and some of my previous comments.
“The small, round piece of food that is left after the
dew is called Manna, which Strong’s says means, “What is it?” which is also
evident from the passage.
It is later called
angel’s food.
Psalm
78:24 And had rained down manna upon
them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. 25 Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat
to the full.
But
is also a reference to some event in the realm of the spirit that we can hardly
understand.
Psalm
74:12 ¶ For God is my King of old,
working salvation in the midst of the earth. 13
Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the
dragons in the waters. 14 Thou brakest
the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people
inhabiting the wilderness.”
Moses, too, finds himself complaining about the complaining. He is
not the first person or the last to ask God to kill him. Job, as well, made the
complaint that what he was given to bear was too much. Job, Elijah, and Jonah
will all feel that frustration from feeling as if what they had to face was way
too much for them.
Does God give us more than we can bear? Evangelicals like to say
no, and it is the subject of many daily devotions insisting that God will not
lay on us more than we can bear. This is nonsense. One value of placing more on
a person than they can possibly deal with whether it be grief and loss,
sickness, or even a burden they did not ask for is to make that person
completely dependent upon God. So, yes, He is perfectly capable of giving you
more than you can handle without His help, direction, support, and guidance. In
fact, He may just want to do it Himself through your weak and fragile vessel.
Here is Paul talking about suffering without the things he needs
to survive, physical things like food he has to go without.
Philippians
4:10 ¶ But I rejoiced in the Lord
greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye
were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in
respect
of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
12 I know both how to be abased, and I
know how to abound: every where and in all things I am
instructed
both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me. 14 Notwithstanding ye
have well done,
that
ye did communicate with my affliction. 15
Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when
I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with
me as
concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. 16 For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and
again unto my necessity. 17 Not because
I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may
abound
to your account. 18 But I have all, and
abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent
from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice
acceptable,
wellpleasing to God. 19 But my God shall
supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Even Paul, though, with this attitude about lacking in the
necessities of life not provided for by a church was capable of feeling
overwhelmed. But Paul knew and understood that it was only Christ alone who
could push him to do the things God had ordained and sustain him through his
difficulties and tribulations and give him the strength he needed to carry on.
2Corinthians
11:22 ¶ Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are
they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a
fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons
more frequent, in deaths oft. 24 Of the
Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I
stoned,
thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in
perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen,
in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in
perils among false brethren; 27 In
weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in
fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28
Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily,
the care of all the churches. 29 Who is
weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? 30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the
things which concern mine infirmities. 31
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for
evermore, knoweth that I lie not. 32 In
Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes
with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: 33
And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped
his hands.
2Corinthians 12:1 ¶ It is not expedient for me doubtless to
glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years
ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot
tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body,
or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) 4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and
heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I
will
not glory, but in mine infirmities. 6
For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will
say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that
which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure
through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the
flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above
measure. 8 For this thing I besought the
Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is
made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my
infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in
reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake:
for when I am weak, then am I strong.
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