Greed

Author: Joseph

Date: November 11, 2018

The people of Israel complained regarding their circumstances in the wilderness and God sent a fire among the outskirts of their encampment, consuming those who complained. Yet this did not stop their complaining.

The people complained again and this time they complained in such a way that rejected God and His mercy toward them. The people recalled, “We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic,” complaining that their past circumstances were enjoyable compared to being led by God through the wilderness (Numbers 11:4). They even complained further stating that they regretted only having manna to eat, even though this was mercifully provided by God to feed them. Israel was rejecting the One who was saving them, wishing they were back with their tormentors in Egypt.

"...they were seeking death."

God’s response was to give Israel what they asked for, but not without showing them that by their own greed, they were seeking death. A wind brought quail toward the encampment of Israel and the quail fell dead around their encampment. The quail were stacked a few feet deep and spread across the wilderness a distance of a day’s journey just outside the encampment of Israel. God gave Israel a heap of quail that could last them weeks.

The people spent a day and a half collecting quail because there were so many. They worked tirelessly in their greed to gather as much as they could. When the people finally went to eat the meat, as soon as it was in their mouths, the anger of God burned against them and a plague broke out. All those who had been greedy and took from the heaps of quail died.

When greed begins to influence someone’s life, it denies the truth of God’s provision and the gift of His freedom in humble circumstances. The Israelites were being provided manna, a miraculous food, all throughout their journey toward the land of promise. The Israelites were journeying, now free from slavery, and with the promise of inheriting a land that was plentiful and good. Israel was journeying through humble and sometimes difficult circumstances, but God was with them and was bringing them into a land where they would prosper in Him.

Israel had to understand that the gift of His presence with them along with the land of promise were all bound to their relationship with Him. Israel was not worthy of receiving either God’s presence among them nor the land of promise when they became greedy and denied God. If they deny the God who promised to be with them and lead them toward a good promise, how could they have either?

Do not become greedy in your humble circumstances and forget God. Entertaining thoughts of how much “better” things seemed before God began to change your life and circumstances is foolish and denies that God is doing good in your life. The Israelites that denied God and were overcome by their greed died in the wilderness. They denied the good promise that awaited them as well as the God Who was so good to them. They received nothing from their greed, except death.

Turn away from greedy, selfish, thinking and look towards God in all your circumstances. He is a good God and by trusting Him, He will never fail you. Loss and regret only come when we deny Him and the good He is doing in our lives.

Bible Passage: Numbers 11:1-35

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB). www.lockman.org