Grumble, Grumble, Grumble (Numbers 11-12)
Just when we are lulled into the thought that everything is proceeding well (and boringly predictable) as the people obey everything that God instructs them to do, we see bumps in the road. In Chapters 11 and 12, we get three stories of rebellion against God. This rebellion comes in the form of complaints. Israel knew how to grumble!
This is reminiscent of the journey leading up to Sinai. (Quite reminiscent, in fact. There are many parallels between the journey that led to Mt. Sinai and the journey that led away from there!) However, two things jump out as different:
Before Sinai, the people did not have the law of God. It could be argued that they did not know better than to complain. Now, after the law had been given, they should know better. They should know to trust and follow God, but also that He is a dangerous God to be feared!
Another key difference seems to be the nature of the complaints. Before Sinai, much of the grumbling was about things that the people really needed, and that God supplied. Now, after the giving of the law, the grumbling is about stuff that is not needs, but rather wants.
Grumbling at Taberah. Taberah means “burning.” We are not told exactly what the complaint we here. However, it starts small, and God burns the outskirts of the camp. Moses intercedes and God relents. It seems like everything might be all right.
Grumbling at Kibroth-hattaavah. The people (or interestingly “the rabble”) start complaining about the food. Not that they do not have what they need, as before God provided manna, but that they do not have the interesting variety of food they want. YHWH is, again, angry at the people. However, in this case, we are told that Moses himself begins to grumble about the burden of leading the people. God instructs Moses to assemble elders to share a bit of the burden. He also promises to give the people quail again. God sends so many quail that the people are bound to be sick of it. In this case, they get sick—presumably from the quail—and many die. Thus, the place's name is Kibroth-hattaavah, or “Graves of Craving.”
Grumbling from Miriam and Aaron. Moses’s siblings next begin to complain about him. They think that they too qualify as leaders. God explains to them how Moses is uniquely qualified and inflicts Miriam with leprosy. She is healed but must spend a week outside the camp.
Things are not going so well after all!
This is reminiscent of the journey leading up to Sinai. (Quite reminiscent, in fact. There are many parallels between the journey that led to Mt. Sinai and the journey that led away from there!) However, two things jump out as different:
Before Sinai, the people did not have the law of God. It could be argued that they did not know better than to complain. Now, after the law had been given, they should know better. They should know to trust and follow God, but also that He is a dangerous God to be feared!
Another key difference seems to be the nature of the complaints. Before Sinai, much of the grumbling was about things that the people really needed, and that God supplied. Now, after the giving of the law, the grumbling is about stuff that is not needs, but rather wants.
Grumbling at Taberah. Taberah means “burning.” We are not told exactly what the complaint we here. However, it starts small, and God burns the outskirts of the camp. Moses intercedes and God relents. It seems like everything might be all right.
Grumbling at Kibroth-hattaavah. The people (or interestingly “the rabble”) start complaining about the food. Not that they do not have what they need, as before God provided manna, but that they do not have the interesting variety of food they want. YHWH is, again, angry at the people. However, in this case, we are told that Moses himself begins to grumble about the burden of leading the people. God instructs Moses to assemble elders to share a bit of the burden. He also promises to give the people quail again. God sends so many quail that the people are bound to be sick of it. In this case, they get sick—presumably from the quail—and many die. Thus, the place's name is Kibroth-hattaavah, or “Graves of Craving.”
Grumbling from Miriam and Aaron. Moses’s siblings next begin to complain about him. They think that they too qualify as leaders. God explains to them how Moses is uniquely qualified and inflicts Miriam with leprosy. She is healed but must spend a week outside the camp.
Things are not going so well after all!
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