Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Numbers
Book: Numbers
Chapter: 11
Overview:
The burning at
Taberah.
(1-3) The people
Lust for
Flesh, and
loathe the
Manna.
(4-9) Moses complains of his charge.
(10-15)
Elders appointed to divide the charge.
Flesh meat promised.
(16-23) The
Spirit rests
On the elders.
(24-30) Quails are
given.
(31-35)
1-3 Here is the people's
Sin; they complained. See the
sinfulness of
Sin, which takes occasion from the commandment to
be provoking. The weakness of the
Law discovered
Sin, but could
not destroy it; checked, but could not conquer it. They
complained. Those who are of a discontented
Spirit, will always
find something to quarrel or fret about, though the
circumstances of their outward condition be ever
So favourable.
The
Lord heard it, though
Moses did not.
God knows the secret
frettings and murmurings of the
Heart, though concealed from
men. What he noticed, he was much displeased with, and he
chastised them for this
Sin. The
Fire of their wrath against
God
burned in their minds; justly did the
Fire of
God's wrath fasten
On their bodies; but
God's judgments came
On them gradually,
that they might take warning. It appeared that
God delights not
in punishing; when he begins, he is soon prevailed with to let
it fall.
4-9 Man, having forsaken his proper
Rest, feels uneasy and
wretched, though prosperous. They were weary of the provision
God had made for them, although wholesome
Food and nourishing.
It cost
No Money or care, and the labour of gathering it was
very little indeed; yet they talked of
Egypt's cheapness, and
the
Fish they ate there freely; as if that cost them nothing,
when they paid dearly for it with hard service! While they lived
On Manna, they seemed exempt from the
Curse Sin has brought
On
Man, that in the sweat of his
Face he should eat
Bread; yet they
speak of it with scorn. Peevish, discontented minds will find
fault with that which has
No fault in it, but that it is too
good for them. Those who might be happy, often make themselves
miserable
By discontent. They could not be satisfied unless they
had
Flesh to eat. It is evidence of the dominion of the
Carnal
mind, when we want to have the delights and satisfaction of
sense. We should not indulge in any desire which we cannot in
Faith turn into
Prayer, as we cannot when we ask meat for our
Lust. What is lawful of itself becomes evil, when
God does not
allot it to us, yet we desire it.
10-15 The provocation was very great; yet
Moses expressed
himself otherwise than became him. He undervalued the honour
God
had
Put upon him. He magnified his own performances, while he
had the Divine
Wisdom to direct him, and Almighty power to
dispense rewards and punishments. He speaks distrustfully of the
Divine
Grace. Had the work been much less he could not have gone
through it in his own strength; but had it been much greater,
through
God strengthening him, he might have done it. Let us
pray,
Lord, lead us not into
Temptation.
16-23 Moses is to choose such as he knew to be elders, that is,
Wise and experienced men.
God promises to qualify them. If they
were not found fit for the employ, they should be made fit. Even
the discontented people shall be gratified too, that every mouth
may be stopped. See here, I. The vanity of all the delights of
sense; they will cloy, but they will not satisfy. Spiritual
pleasures alone will satisfy and last. As the world passes away,
So do the lusts of it. 2. What brutish sins gluttony and
drunkenness are! they make that to hurt the body which should be
its health.
Moses objects. Even true and great believers
sometimes find it hard to trust
God under the discouragements of
second causes, and against
Hope to believe in
Hope.
God here
brings
Moses to this point, The
Lord God is Almighty; and puts
the proof upon the issue, Thou shalt see whether my
Word shall
come to pass or not. If he speaks, it is done.
24-30 We have here the fulfilment of
God's
Word to
Moses, that
he should have help in the government of
Israel. He gave of his
Spirit to the seventy elders. They discoursed to the people of
the things of
God,
So that all who heard them might say, that
God was with them of a
Truth. Two of the elders,
Eldad and
Medad, went not out unto the
Tabernacle, as the
Rest, being
sensible of their own weakness and unworthiness. But the
Spirit
of
God found them in the
Camp, and there they exercised their
Gift of praying, preaching, and praising
God; they spake as
moved
By the
Holy Ghost. The
Spirit of
God is not confined to
the
Tabernacle, but, like the wind, blows where He listeth. And
they that humble themselves shall be exalted; and those who are
most fit for government, are least ambitious of it.
Joshua does
not desire that they should be punished, but only restrained for
the future. This motion he made out of zeal for what he thought
to be the unity of the
Church. He would have them silenced, lest
they should occasion a
Schism, or should rival
Moses; but
Moses
was not afraid of any such effects from that
Spirit which
God
had
Put upon them. Shall we reject those whom
Christ has owned,
or restrain any from doing good, because they are not in every
thing of our mind?
Moses wishes all the
Lord's people were
prophets, that he would
Put his
Spirit upon all of them. Let the
Testimony of
Moses be believed
By those who desire to be in
power; that government is a
Burden. It is a
Burden of care and
trouble to those who make
Conscience of the duty of it; and to
those who do not, it will prove a heavier
Burden in the
Day of
account. Let the
Example of
Moses be followed
By those in power;
let them not despise the advice and assistance of others, but
desire it, and be thankful for it. If all the present number of
the
Lord's people were rendered prophets, or ministers,
By the
Spirit of
Christ, though not all agreed in outward matters,
there is work enough for all, in
Calling sinners to
Repentance,
and
Faith in our
Lord Jesus.
31-35 God performed his promise to the people, in giving them
Flesh. How much more diligent men are in collecting the meat
that perishes, than in labouring for meat which endures to
Everlasting Life! We are quick-sighted in the affairs of time;
but stupidity blinds us as to the concerns of eternity. To
pursue worldly advantages, we need
No arguments; but when we are
to secure the true riches, then we are all forgetfulness. Those
who are under the power of a
Carnal mind, will have their lusts
fulfilled, though it be to the certain damage and ruin of their
precious souls. They paid dearly for their feasts.
God often
grants the desires of sinners in wrath, while he denies the
desires of his own people in
Love. What we unduly desire, if we
obtain it, we have reason to fear, will be some way or other a
grief and
Cross to us. And what multitudes there are in all
places, who shorten their lives
By excess of one kind or other!
Let us seek for those pleasures which satisfy, but never
surfeit; and which will endure for evermore.