the cost of craving

Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”

Numbers 11:4-6

This story illustrates how misplaced desires are at the root of our deepest sins (see James 1:14-16). The story begins with a craving. Some of the rascals in Israel were wanting something more than the manna that God provided for His people. They expressed this desire. This led to crybaby behavior from the nation, a tantrum of wants spilled out as they remembered the slave food they ate in Egypt. Somehow the sustenance of slavery because a wistful longing as they let desire lead them to unthankfulness.

The people let cravings lead them to comparison which then led to rejection of what God provided. This eventually led to Moses’ own dissatisfaction with leading Israel, but Moses does something different with his conflicting desires: He takes them to God in prayer. Israel let their wants lead them away from God. Moses let His situation lead him to God.

God heard both the complaining and the prayer. God answered Moses by instituting a shared leadership structure for Moses to better manage the 600,000 complainers. Seventy elders are appointed to help bear the burden as God promises to empower these elders by His Spirit so that Moses isn’t bearing all the weight of leadership alone (Numbers 11:18-17).

God answered Israel by letting them have what they wanted... at the expense of His judgment. For a month God brought a wind that blew down quail. The people feasted on the abundant meat, but even as they started to do so, a plague of judgment broke out among them. The meat satisfied a craving at a steep cost. They ate the quail and buried the sinful cravers in the desert sand. The nation learned firsthand the cost of sinful desire, and journeyed on with God.