Food for Thought

5 The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. 6 Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. 7 And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.

8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. 9 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, 10 and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” 11 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” 14 So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. 16 So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. – Daniel 1:5-16 ESV

Since the book bears Daniel’s name, it’s easy to assume that its content is all about him. Its retelling of Daniel’s arrival in Babylon and his meteoric rise to prominence within the court of Nebuchadnezzar gives it the feel of a biography. Over the centuries there has been much debate concerning the book’s authorship, but within its own pages, the evidence points to Daniel.

In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. – Daniel 8:1 ESV

…in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. – Daniel 9:2 ESV

While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my God, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. – Daniel 9:20-21 ESV

In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks. – Daniel 1-:2-3 ESV

Throughout the book, Daniel switches from the first-person singular to the third-person, a common literary practice among ancient authors. The primary reason some scholars reject Daniel as the book’s author is the staggering success rate of the prophecies it contains. The fact that so many of Daniel’s predictions come true leads them to conclude that the book was written by an unknown author who lived centuries later.

The Book of Daniel predicts events of the second century before the coming of Jesus (especially the period 175-164 B.C.) with such precision that doubting critics believe it had to have been written after that period, during the time of the Maccabees (in-between the Old and New Testaments). Supposedly, the purpose for writing Daniel at that time was to inspire God’s people on to victory during the Maccabean wars. – David Guzik, Daniel: The Enduring Word Commentary

Critical scholars, unwilling to accept the supernatural nature of the book’s prophetic visions, have attempted to explain it all away by arguing for an anonymous author who used Daniel as a mouthpiece. By recasting the events of his own day as the fulfillment of ancient prophecy, the author was merely attempting to encourage his contemporary readers.  Yet, Jesus, who lived centuries after the events recorded in the book, believed Daniel was its author.

“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)…” – Matthew 24:15 ESV

But while this suggests that the book is actually an autobiography, Daniel is not telling his story. He is simply a player in the grand drama that began with the call of Abraham in Ur. Daniel and his companions were caught up in a much larger story that spans all the way from God’s creation of the universe to His ultimate recreation recording in the Book of Revelation. This book was not intended to set Daniel up as an icon of virtue or a model for godly living. While he and his friends exhibit admirable characteristics and demonstrate a commitment to God worthy of emulation, they are not to be worshiped as heroes. Too often, the book’s content is reduced to little more than a guide for godly living. Lessons have been written with titles like “Dare to Be a Daniel” that attempt to encourage faithfulness and discourage compromised convictions in the face of worldly pressure. But while those are worthy objectives, they can easily lose sight of the book’s primary objective.

The opening chapter sets the stage for Daniel’s arrival in Babylon. There are no details given as to Daniel’s family background or social standing in the city of Jerusalem. Verse 3 states that Nebuchadnezzar issued orders “to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility” (Daniel 1:3 ESV), so it seems likely that Daniel was from an affluent family. It also appears that a selection process was involved that culled out the less attractive “candidates.” Daniel was one of the “youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace” (Daniel 1:4 ESV).

Upon their arrival in Babylon, these young men were separated from their families and taken to the royal palace where they were to be trained “in the language and literature of Babylon” (Daniel 1:4 NLT). In a sense, they were enrolled in a Babylonian boarding school where they would be inculcated with the wisdom and ways of their new masters. This was nothing less than an intense indoctrination strategy designed to isolate these young men from their parents so they could be reprogrammed and repurposed.

There is no way of determining the exact number of young men who were forced to endure this three-year program of brainwashing and rehabilitation. It’s unlikely that the four individuals listed represent the entire “freshman class” of Nebuchadnezzar’s elite training program. But Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah are listed because they will play important roles as the book unfolds. Each of them is from the tribe of Judah and faces the challenge of maintaining their Jewish heritage and faith in Yahweh as they endure the pressure to adapt to the ways of their new masters.

It all begins easily enough with Daniel and his companions being offered “a daily ration of food and wine” (Daniel 1:5 NLT) from the king’s own kitchen. Rather than being treated like slaves, they were feted like royalty, eating food fit for a king. This was likely a ploy to soften up these young men so they would have a more favorable view of their Babylonian overlords. Along with fine food, they were given new names, another not-so-subtle ploy to reprogram these young men so they would forego their past and embrace their new homeland.

…the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego. – Daniel 1:7 ESV

There is far more going on here than just the designation of new Babylonian names. There was a purpose behind the eunuch’s choice of names. Daniel’s Hebrew name meant “God is my judge,” while his new name meant “the prince of Bell). Hannaniah, which means “Beloved by the LORD” was changed to “Illumined by Sun-god.” Mishael’s name (Who is as God) was changed to Meshach (Who is like Shach). Finally, Azariah had his name (The LORD is my help) changed to Abed-Nego (Servant of Nego). Each young man’s Hebrew name honored Yahweh, the God of the Israelites. But their new names honored one of the gods of the Babylonians. This was another attempt to indoctrinate these young men by removing any attachment they may have to their former religion. Everything was being altered; their diet, education, environment, names, and religious affiliation.

Yet, despite the pressure to compromise, Daniel resisted.

Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. – Daniel 1:8 ESV

There is far more going on here than Daniel refusing to eat the king’s rich and probably unhealthy diet. The text purposely uses the word “defile.” The Hebrew word, gā'al, can be translated as “to pollute” or “desecrate.” It is a word associated with unacceptable sacrifices offered to God. In the Book of Malachi, God confronts the priests of Israel, accusing them of treating His name with contempt. They declare their innocence and respond, “How have we despised your name?” (Malachi 1:6 ESV). God answers them with a specific charge that uses the same Hebrew word.

“By offering polluted [gā'al] food upon my altar. ” – Malachi 1:7 ESV

The content of Daniel’s diet is not provided, but it seems likely that it contained meat that had not been processed according to the Mosaic Law. Israelites were forbidden to eat any meat that had not first been drained of all its blood.

“If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood.” – Leviticus 17:10-12 ESV

Daniel refused to eat meat that was improperly prepared. To do so would defile himself before Yahweh. His request for a vegetarian-based diet reflects his desire to avoid the impure nature of the meat provided by the Babylonians. When Daniel informed the chief eunuch of his decision to fast, he was met with concern, not consternation. The eunuch didn’t explode with rage or threaten Daniel with discipline. Instead, he showed unprecedented concern. But the text makes clear that this reaction was God-ordained.

God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs. – Daniel 1:9 ESV

This subtle statement sets the tone for the rest of the book, revealing that Yahweh was behind every aspect of Daniel’s life and would be intimately involved in every circumstance that unfolded in the days ahead. Even within the confines of Nebuchadnezzar’s royal compound, Yahweh was providentially moving behind the scenes to accomplish His will for Daniel and His redemptive plan for the people of Israel. This was about far more than Daniel’s diet; it was about the sovereign will of Yahweh.

When the eunuch heard the decision of Daniel and his companions, he became concerned that the lack of protein might have a deleterious effect on their health and his own personal well-being.

“If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.” – Daniel 1:10 NLT

But Daniel calmed the eunuch’s fears by suggesting a short-term trial to determine the efficacy of a vegetarian diet.

“Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.” – Daniel 1:12-13 NLT

The eunuch agreed to conduct the test and when the ten days were up, the results were all-conclusive; Daniel and his friends had not only survived but “looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king” (Daniel 1:15 NLT).

It should be no surprise that this story has been used to elevate Daniel and his friends to an almost saint-like status. This is where the “Dare to Be a Daniel” idea gets its genesis. Another strange but as-to-be-expected conclusion reached from this account is the once-popular “Daniel Diet.” Sometimes referred to as the Daniel Fast, this weight-loss program features a 10 to 21-day vegan diet plan based on minimally processed, plant-based foods, and the avoidance of all animal products, caffeine, and alcohol. While there is nothing inherently wrong with a vegetarian diet, that is not the point of this story. There is also nothing wrong with emphasizing Daniel’s faithfulness and refusal to compromise his convictions. But, once again, that is not the primary point of the story.

God was at work. The very fact that Daniel and his friends were in Babylon was the result of God’s sovereign will. The fall of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians and the deportation of its citizens had all been part of His plan. Nebuchadnezzar had not chosen these young men, God had because He had a plan to use them to accomplish His will. Their decision to refuse the king’s food was not a result of their willpower, but of God’s Spirit moving in their hearts.

When the text states that “Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself ” (Daniel 1:8 ESV), it attempts to convey more than just a cognitive decision on Daniel’s part. He didn’t use logic to reach his conclusion; it was a matter of the heart. The Hebrew could be translated as “he made up his mind” (NET Bible), or better yet, “he placed on his heart.”  This was a God-directed decision on Daniel’s part, and it was necessary so that Daniel and his friends could serve as God’s secret agents operating within the enemy camp. Yahweh had work for these young men to do and He was going to protect them and provide for them all along the way.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

A Famine of Forgetfulness

31 Then a wind from the Lord sprang up, and it brought quail from the sea and let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the ground. 32 And the people rose all that day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail. Those who gathered least gathered ten homers. And they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. 33 While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck down the people with a very great plague. 34 Therefore the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had the craving. 35 From Kibroth-hattaavah the people journeyed to Hazeroth, and they remained at Hazeroth. – Numbers 11:31-35 ESV

The Israelites got what they wanted and, unexpectedly, exactly what they deserved. They had grown sick of the manna that God miraculously provided for them and began to express their craving for the more varied diet they had enjoyed back in Egypt.

“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 ESV

This craving or deep longing (אָוָה - 'āvâ) for Egyptian cuisine had begun among “the rabble that was among them” (Numbers 11:4 ESV). This appears to be a reference to the non-Jews who had joined the Israelites in their exodus from Egypt. In the book of Exodus, Moses recorded that a “rabble of non-Israelites went with them” (Exodus 12:38 ESV). This mixed multitude likely consisted of Egyptians as well as individuals who were from other ethnic backgrounds. After having endured the ten plagues that the God of the Israelites had brought against Egypt and then witnessed the devastating deaths of all the firstborns, these people had chosen to align themselves with Moses and his powerful deity.

Many of these people were probably slaves just like the Israelites or were from the lower classes of the Egyptians. They had seen the exodus as an opportunity to escape their impoverished conditions and improve their prospects for the future. But after a year of traveling through the wilderness alongside the Israelites, they began to question their decision and long for their former lives back in Egypt. It seems unlikely that their prior circumstances had been quite so enjoyable as they recalled. While the Nile would have provided them easy access to fish and the fertile soil of the Nile Valley produced an abundant supply of fruits and vegetables, the lower-class status of this “rabble” would have made most of these delicacies unaffordable and inaccessible.

Yet, they couldn’t stop thinking about the “good life” back in Egypt. Their cravings and desires got the best of them and their growing dissatisfaction with God’s provision slowly infected the rest of the community. Before long, the people of Israel were all expressing their desire to return to Egypt.

“Who will give us meat to eat? For it was better for us in Egypt.” – Numbers 11:18 ESV

At the core of their complaint was a distrust of God. They were declaring their doubt in His ability to provide for their needs. In their minds, God was incapable of providing the fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic they had enjoyed in Egypt. In a sense, they were suggesting that Egypt and, by extension, Pharaoh, had done a better job of meeting their needs. They were demanding that God accommodate Himself to their wants and desires. He needed to get with the program and give them what they wanted: Meat with all the fixin’s.

And God agreed to give them exactly what they asked for. He informed Moses to tell the people, “…the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the Lord who is among you” (Numbers 11:18-20 ESV).

They had allowed their physical desires to get the best of them and, driven by their cravings for temporal delights, they rejected the providential plan of God. The apostle Paul provides an apt description of this kind of materialistic-minded outlook.

Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. – Philippians 3:19 NLT

They had lost sight of the prize. Rather than patiently waiting on God’s promise of a land flowing with milk and honey, they fixated on the apparent deprivations of the moment and refused to place their hope in the future blessings to come.

The last five verses of chapter 11 describe how God gave them what they desired as well as what they deserved. A wind (רוּחַ - rûaḥ) blew from the southeast that carried with it an abundance of quail. These migratory birds were miraculously blown off course and divinely directed to this very spot. And when they came to rest, the text states that they were as far as the eye could see, stretching as far as one day’s journey on either side of the camp. This made the normally skittish birds easy pickings for the Israelites.

So the people went out and caught quail all that day and throughout the night and all the next day, too. No one gathered less than fifty bushels! They spread the quail all around the camp to dry. – Numbers 11:32 NLT

It was like shooting fish in a barrel. Everyone was able to gather as much quail as they wanted; there were no limits imposed by God. So, driven by their greed, the people spent all day and night hoarding all the quail they could catch, and Moses records that they let their appetites get the best of them.

But while they were gorging themselves on the meat—while it was still in their mouths—the anger of the Lord blazed against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. – Numbers 11:33 NLT

The people showed no sign of awe or respect for God. They displayed no gratitude for His gracious provision. Instead, they gorged themselves on the quail. Perhaps, in their greed, they even ate the meat raw, and in doing so, violated God’s prohibition against consuming blood (Leviticus 7:26). But whatever the case, their blatant display of ingratitude and unbridled, animal-like cravings brought down the judgment of God.

It was like a feeding frenzy. The rapacious actions of the people revealed their lustful hearts. They ate as if they were starving but God had been providing for their physical needs all along the way. There had always been enough manna to meet their dietary requirements. But their gorging down of the quail had less to do with hunger than gluttony, and that fact is revealed by the name given to the place where God poured out His anger on His rebellious and gluttonous people.

So that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah (which means “graves of gluttony”) because there they buried the people who had craved meat from Egypt. – Numbers 11:34 NLT

While not everyone died that day, the entire nation of Israel was guilty of forsaking God and worshiping their appetites. It’s likely that some gathered the quail and set it aside for future consumption. Rather than greedily gorging themselves, they gratefully collected what they needed, recognizing it as just another gift from God.

God knew the needs of His people. He was fully aware that food was a non-negotiable necessity for their survival, and He had provided more than enough to sustain them all along the way. But their demand for something better proved to be an affront to God’s sovereignty and providence; they were questioning His integrity and goodness. Their actions revealed their doubt in His providential care. By greedily consuming the quail, they also displayed their inordinate desire for the things of this earth. Unwilling to wait for the inheritance God had in store for them, they demanded immediate gratification of their physical appetites, and God obliged them.

The people got exactly what they wanted and more. They greedily stuffed their mouths with meat with no thought as to how their actions were viewed by God. There is no indication in the passage that they expressed thanks to God for His gracious provision. No offerings of thanksgiving are presented to God. The sheer number of quail should have been a sign to the people that this was a miracle from God but, driven by their appetites, all they saw was meat as far as the eye could see. And their eyes proved to be bigger than their stomachs.   

But even as the meat was still in their mouths, God repaid them for their blatant display of ingratitude and disturbing demonstration of uncontrolled gluttony. He meted out meat and justice at the same time. He gave them what they desired and exactly what they deserved. They enjoyed the momentary pleasure of gorging themselves on quail but, as a result, they also encountered the more permanent experience of God’s holy and righteous judgment. Moses records that God “struck them with a severe plague” (Numbers 11:33 NLT). We are not told the nature of this plague but it resulted in the deaths of all those “who had the craving” (Numbers 11:34 ESV). There is no indication as to who these people were or how many fell victim to the plague but their deaths impacted the rest of the Israelite camp. They got the point behind God’s judgment and renamed the location “Graves of Gluttony.”

The deaths of the victims weren’t due to bad meat but to bad behavior. They didn’t die as a result of gluttony or overeating. Their mistake was not that they craved good things but that they failed to trust their good God. They had viewed His providence and provision as unacceptable and unappealing. So God repaid the wicked for their ingratitude and insubordination. He purged the camp and purified His people of this contentious and contagious rabble. But it seems that the survivors had to endure a steady diet of quail for an entire month. Even after the conspirators were dead and buried, the people of Israel had to continue to gather and gag down quail – just as God had warned them.

“Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will have to eat it. And it won’t be for just a day or two, or for five or ten or even twenty. You will eat it for a whole month until you gag and are sick of it.” – Numbers 1: 18-20 NLT

The psalmist describes exactly what happened in the wilderness.

Yet how quickly they forgot what he had done!
    They wouldn’t wait for his counsel!
In the wilderness their desires ran wild,
    testing God’s patience in that dry wasteland.
So he gave them what they asked for,
    but he sent a plague along with it. – Psalm 106:13-15 NLT

Their real sin was forgetfulness, not greediness. They allowed their physical desires to cloud their judgment and confuse their thinking. Rather than focus on all the incredible things God had done for them, they fixated on what was lacking. They let their desires run wild and allowed their personal preferences to take precedence over God’s providential care. Rather than trust God and wait for His counsel, they demanded that He fulfill their cravings, and they got exactly what they asked for. Their feasting was actually a famine of forgetfulness.

“There are times when God grants an unwarranted request in order that men may learn through experience the folly of their desires.” – G. Campbell Morgan, An Exposition of the Whole Bible

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Their God Is Their Appetite

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. 17 And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone. 18 And say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was better for us in Egypt.” Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. 19 You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, 20 but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before him, saying, “Why did we come out of Egypt?”’” 21 But Moses said, “The people among whom I am number six hundred thousand on foot, and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month!’ 22 Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, and be enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, and be enough for them?” 23 And the Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord’s hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not.”

24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. 25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.

26 Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” 29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” 30 And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp. – Numbers 11:16-30 ESV

Moses was feeling a bit overwhelmed by his responsibilities as the leader of Israel. From the very first moment he had introduced himself to them as their God-appointed deliverer, he had run into opposition. Even when he had successfully led them out of Egypt and across the Red Sea, they proved to be far from compliant and quick to complain. He had been forced to deal with their rebellion at Mount Sinai, when they had begun to worship the golden calves while he was on the mountaintop receiving the Ten Commandments from God.

They were incessantly complaining about everything, from the quality of the food to the scarcity of water. Some questioned Moses’ leadership skills and tried to displace him. Others tried to mount an insurrection and orchestrate an immediate return to Egypt. Hardly a day went by when Moses didn’t have to deal with a disgruntled Israelite or face another round of searing criticism. Having reached the limits of his patience and in a state of frustration and self-pity, he decided to turn in his resignation to God.

“I can’t carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!” – Numbers 11:14-15 NLT

But God wasn’t going to let Moses off the hook quite so easily; He had more for His servant to do. God was aware that the Israelites were stubborn people who could be disobedient, disrespectful, and ungrateful. Even on a good day, they were difficult to manage. But when things didn’t go the way they expected or desired, they could be virtually ungovernable and intolerable to deal with.

So, God instructed Moses to choose 70 men from among the elders and leaders of Israel. These hand-picked individuals would serve as Moses’ assistants and provide him with much-needed help in managing the day-to-day affairs of the nation. To ensure their capacity for godly leadership, God promised to anoint them with His Spirit. And to prove to the people that these men had been appointed by God, they would receive the gift of prophecy.

“Prophesying here does not refer to prediction or even to proclamation but to giving (in song or speech) praise and similar expressions without prior training (see the comparable experience of Saul in 1 Sam. 10:9-11)” – Eugene H. Merrill, “Numbers.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament, pp. 215-58.

Their ability to prophesy would testify to their status as God’s chosen messengers. These men were already recognized as leaders among their people, but now they would be seen as God’s messengers and Moses’ co-administrators.

“They will bear the burden of the people along with you, so you will not have to carry it alone.” – Numbers 11:17 NLT

Having dealt with Moses’ complaint about feeling overworked and overwhelmed, God turned His attention to the people’s criticism of the cuisine. They had expressed great displeasure with God’s culinary skills, citing their distaste and disgust for the manna He had provided. They were sick of it and demanded a change in diet.

“Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed. “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!” – Numbers 11:4-6 NLT

Despite their complaining and their rather obvious case of selective memory, God had Moses inform the Israelites that He was going to give in to their demand.

“Purify yourselves, for tomorrow you will have meat to eat. You were whining, and the Lord heard you when you cried, ‘Oh, for some meat! We were better off in Egypt!’ Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will have to eat it. And it won’t be for just a day or two, or for five or ten or even twenty. You will eat it for a whole month until you gag and are sick of it.” – Numbers 11:18-20 NLT

The old adage, “Be careful what you wish for” applies here. In demanding that God give them meat to eat, the people were rejecting His providence and provision. He is the one who had graciously and miraculously given them the manna to eat, but they had grown tired of His bland and monotonous diet plan. Driven by their physical appetites and controlled by their fleshly desires, they dared to question God’s goodness and demanded that He meet their needs according to their own criteria. In essence, they were telling God that knew what was best for them. The apostle Paul provides an apt description of these kinds of people.

Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. – Philippians 3:19 ESV

Yet God promised to fulfill their wish – in abundance. For a solid month, they would consume nothing but meat, and their chosen diet would soon become repugnant to them. Eventually, they would long for the manna of God but meat would remain their only choice on the menu. This novel 30-day diet plan was God’s way of punishing them for their rejection of Him. This wasn’t about food choices but about their unwillingness to submit to God’s will for them. At the heart of their demand for meat was their rejection of God’s entire redemptive plan for them.

“For you have rejected the Lord, who is here among you, and you have whined to him, saying, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’” – Numbers 11:20 NLT

God was attempting to move them forward – toward Canaan – but they were constantly looking backward to Egypt. They were living in the past and refusing to trust God’s future plan for them. They disliked His chosen path for their lives and wanted to return to the “good old days” of Egypt. But their memories were clouded and their faith had been contaminated by a fear of the unknown and a resistance to anything they considered unpleasant. Their journey to the promised land had not turned out to be a walk in the park.

It had been a year since they left Egypt and the promised land was nowhere in sight. Each morning they woke up in the wilderness and waited to see what God would do. Would they stay encamped where they were or would the cloud of God’s presence move from above the Tabernacle and lead them to their next destination? There was no clear end in sight. But the blessings of God required obedience. If they wanted to enjoy His presence, power, and provision, they would have to trust Him and submit to His will. But for the next 30 days, they would be forced to eat their own words and endure a one-dimensional diet of nothing but meat.

When Moses heard what God planned to do, he immediately questioned the logic and logistics of it all. He couldn't fathom how God intended to provide enough meat to feed so many people. Even if they slaughtered all their livestock and emptied the rivers and streams of every fish, they wouldn’t have enough meat to feed the people of Israel for a month, and they would end up depleting their herds and flocks. So, Moses informed God that His plan was impossible. But God reminded His doubting deliverer that He was fully capable of carrying out His plan.

“Has my arm lost its power? Now you will see whether or not my word comes true!” – Numbers 11:23 NLT

God didn’t tell Moses how He was going to accomplish His meat miracle. He simply instructed Moses to select 70 men and bring them to the Tabernacle for their anointing by the Spirit. Moses obeyed and God fulfilled His promise by pouring out His Spirit and empowering these men to prophesy. For some reason, two of the men never made it to the Tabernacle. Yet, even though they had remained in the camp, the Spirit of God descended upon them, and they too received the gift of prophecy. When Joshua heard about these two outliers, he demanded that Moses put a stop to what he believed to be an unauthorized display of divine power. Yet, Moses refused to do so, instead expressing his desire that every single Israelite would receive the same anointing of God.

“Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all!” – Numbers 11:29 NLT

For whatever reason, Eldad and Medad had remained behind in the camp. Yet they had been chosen by Moses and were therefore anointed by God. Their proximity to the Tabernacle was not essential to their calling and their distance from the other 68 men had no impact on their anointing by God. Much to their surprise, the Spirit came upon them and they prophesied in the camp. This display of divine power caught Joshua by surprise and he viewed their prophesying as an attempt to displace Moses as God’s appointed leader.

But rather than seeing Eldad and Medad as competition, Moses expressed his desire that all the people of Israel could experience that same degree of divine endorsement and empowerment. Little did he know that his wish would one day be fulfilled. The prophet Ezekiel speaks of a day when God will pour out His Spirit on all His people.

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: …I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” – Ezekiel 36:22, 26-27 ES

While the people would not receive the anointing of the Spirit, they would have a different kind of blessing poured out upon them. God was going to fulfill His promise of meat on a grand scale, and Moses and the rest of the Israelites would learn that God’s arm had not lost its power to provide. But they would also learn the sad lesson that God’s arm had not lost its power to punish.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Put Off and Drink Up!

1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. – 1 Peter 2:1-3 ESV

In light of the fact that his readers had been “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3 ESV), and called to be holy just as God is holy (1 Peter 1:15), Peter expected them to live lives in keeping with their status as God’s chosen people. As sons and daughters of God, their behavior was to reflect the character of their Heavenly Father. God had paid an extremely high price to ransom them from the empty life they had inherited from their ancestors (1 Peter 1:18). He had sent His Son to die on their behalf. On the cross, the sinless Savior had offered up His life as the unblemished Lamb, providing them with forgiveness of sins and a guarantee of “a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay” (1 Peter 1:4 NLT).

But the recipients of Peter’s letter were wrestling with the realities of living in a culture that stood opposed to everything in which they believed. Their minds filled with doubt and despair as they struggled to reconcile their circumstances with their faith. The “good news” they had so eagerly embraced had resulted in some far-from-great outcomes. And while many of their trials were external in nature, they were also suffering from unexpected internal battles that left them demoralized and even doubting their salvation. Peter referred to these inner temptations as “worldly desires that wage war against your very souls” (1 Peter 2:11 NLT).

These inner and outer battles were beginning to take their toll. The congregation to whom Peter wrote was experiencing a sense of disappointment and despair. When they had placed their faith in Jesus Christ, they had done so with an expectation that the good news would produce positive results. But now, they were having to endure unprecedented and unexpected troubles on both an individual and corporate level. That’s why Peter went out of his way to assure them of the unwavering faithfulness of God’s promises because they were backed by the reliability of God’s Word.

…you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. – 1 Peter 1:23 NLT

Regardless of what was happening around them, they could count on God. He would do His part and fulfill every promise He had made. But they had their part to play as well. Peter encouraged them to stay focused and fix their hope on God and the reliability of His redemptive plan. 

…prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. – 1 Peter 1:13 NLT

But they were not to be content with waiting on the return of Christ and their eventual glorification. They were to take positive, tangible steps that would set them apart as God’s chosen people – His “temporary residents and foreigners” living in exile on earth (1 Peter 2:11 NLT). So he provided them with a formidable and seemingly impossible challenge:

…get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. – 1 Peter 2:1 NLT

The apostle Paul gave a similar admonition to the believers in Ephesus.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. – Ephesians 4:31 NLT

And he would provide the believers in Colossae with a slightly abridged version of the same list of off-limit behaviors.  

…get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. – Colossians 3:8-9 NLT

Both Peter and Paul were advising their readers to put aside” or cast off those things that might hinder their spiritual walk. They were to be viewed as unnecessary burdens that weigh down and encumber one’s spiritual journey. Like the character, Christian, in John Bunyan’s classic tale, The Pilgrim’s Progress, believers too often journey through life still bearing heavy loads that were meant to be discarded when they came to faith in Christ. Peter describes these burdens as “evil behavior” and then gets specific by mentioning deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and unkind speech. These particular behaviors are attitudes and actions that can do serious and irreparable damage to a church. They can destroy and sense of community and stand in direct opposition to the “brotherly love” Peter mentioned in chapter 1.

Once again, Paul used similar language to encourage the Ephesian believers to put off the old and put on the new.

…put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. – Ephesians 4:22-24 ESV

Their new life in Christ should be accompanied by new attitudes and desires. Peter puts it in the terms of “cravings.”

Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk… – 1 Peter 2:2 NLT

Peter’s use of the image of a hungry infant longing for milk is powerful. It conveys the ideas of dependency and desire. In using it, he portrays his readers as innocent, helpless, and totally reliant upon the care of another. Since they had been “born again to a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3 ESV) “through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:23 ESV), their lives depended upon the ongoing provision of their Heavenly Father. He had brought about their new birth and He would sustain their new spiritual life. But for them to grow, they would need to crave or long for the right form of nutrition. And contained in Peter’s admonition is the idea that they must develop a taste for the pure spiritual milk of God’s Word. Even newborn babies instinctively learn to appreciate the benefits of their mother’s milk. In time, they develop an understanding that there is only one source that can satisfy their hunger. And the same should be true of every believer concerning the spiritual benefits of God’s Word.

Initially, a baby has no awareness of the nutritional value of milk. He simply eats because he’s hungry. But in time, his body begins to benefit from the nutrients it receives through each feeding, and  it grows – slowly and, sometimes, imperceptibly. And Peter promises that a steady diet of God’s Word results in a believer’s spiritual growth.

…by it you may grow up into salvation… – 1 Peter 2:2 ESV

In Peter’s mind, spiritual growth in the life of the believer was as natural as the physical growth of an infant. It was a normal sign of healthy maturity.  He even picked up on this same theme in his second letter.

…grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ… – 2 Peter 3:18 ESV

Peter’s reference to the milk of God’s Word is not meant to suggest a simpler, easy-to-digest diet of spiritual pablum. In other words, this is not intended as an indictment of their spiritual status. This passage is sometimes linked to the following statement from the apostle Paul written to the church in Corinth.

Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. – 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 NLT

Paul was criticizing the believer in Corinth for their lack of spiritual growth. They had not grown or matured in their faith. Their desire for the “meatier” things of God”s Word had never developed. But that is not what Peter is suggesting. He is not exposing a lock of spiritual growth among his audience. He is simply encouraging them to live their lives in total dependence upon the soul-nourishing milk of God’s Word.

Peter’s goal for his audience was their ongoing spiritual maturity, fueled by constant feeding on the truth of Scripture and the promises of God it contains. At their salvation, they had gotten a taste of God’s goodness. Now, it was time to drink in all the goodness that God’s imperishable seed could provide.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.