Case Study in Complaining
Devotions for Growing Christians
Case Study in Complaining
Numbers 11:1 - “Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when He heard them His anger was aroused.”
Read all of Numbers 11.
Complaining is so common these days that it’s a way of life. Just about everybody complains. And why not? There's so much to complain about: traffic, taxes, troubles of all kinds! But just because complaining is common doesn’t make it right. The Word of God comes down pretty hard on the sin of complaining. The Bible says that complaining should not characterize the growing Christian.
In Numbers 11, God presents us with a case study in complaining. We’ll observe the complaining of the people of Israel, we’ll gain insight into the reasons behind the complaining, and we’ll see the tragic consequences that come to Israel because of their complaining. All this, of course, has its application for growing Christians. In fact, 1 Corinthians 10:11 tells us that what happened in the lives of God's people 3,000+ years ago was recorded to teach believers today.
The background for Numbers 11 is the journey of the Israeli people through the wilderness. Under the leadership of Moses, God had brought His people out of slavery in Egypt. They had been to Mount Sinai where the Ten Commandments were given. Now they were moving on towards the land of Canaan (where the nation of Israel is located today) . But all along the way the people continually complained. God had to discipline them severely because of their murmuring and grumbling. Some of them actually lost their lives! In Numbers 11 the Bible is shouting (!) that God does not appreciate complaining. And 1 Corinthians 10:10 exhorts us not to "grumble as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer."
Problems
There were different areas of complaining in Numbers 11. In verse 1, it seems that the people were just complaining about the general problems of the trip. There wasn't some single big problem like a famine, or an epidemic, or a new Pharaoh chasing them! No, it was just "normal" complaining about the nitty-gritty hardships of living and traveling in the wilderness. Lugging the tent, same old food, another hot day, etc., etc. Read Deuteronomy 8 to find out some of Israel's hardships in the wilderness.
If it wasn't for what the Bible teaches here, we’d probably think this complaining was legitimate! But the Word of God indicates that this constant griping was uncalled for. The Lord was “displeased” (to put it mildly!), and the fire of the Lord consumed some of them.
Do we also complain about the problems of everyday living? Our unfair boss, or the workload that's been dumped on us? The food at home or in school? The irritating things, like the weather not meeting our specifications? Yes, these "hardships" may be inconvenient, but we are not to complain! The Lord always has good reasons for the hardships He permits to come our way.
It’s significant that the discipline of the Lord was more severe near the outskirts of the camp (v1). Most likely it was the stragglers who were the primary gripers. You see, God had commanded Israel to march and camp in a very precise arrangement (Numbers 2 & 10). Probably the stragglers on the fringes of the camp were not where they belonged, and they were causing strife by voicing their discontent in words and actions. It seems that in any church or fellowship there are people who aren’t doing what they should. So often the loudest complaints arise from the fringe group - the people on the “outskirts,” who aren’t really involved in serving!
Are we possibly living on the "outskirts of the camp" where we’re "mouthing off"? Do our constant complaints “infect” or discourage other church members? Are we asking for God's discipline? Notice also that God stopped the fiery discipline in answer to Moses' prayer (v2). The prayers of God's faithful people for stragglers may have a lot to do with God's high tolerance level for complainers.
Provision
In addition, the people of Israel complained about the provision that God had given them (v4-10). The Lord miraculously provided a daily supply of food for His people. Free bread from heaven! When the manna was first given, the people were very thankful and enjoyed the manna. They said it tasted like wafers with honey (Exodus 16:31). But soon they began to take it for granted, and they got sick and tired of it (v6). No longer the sweet taste of honey! Now they complained that it tasted like cakes baked with oil (v8).
Of course the manna itself had not changed - their appreciation of God's provision had changed. But surely Israel can be excused for complaining! Manna flakes for breakfast, manna sandwiches for lunch, and manna burgers for supper - not all that appetizing! And yet we read that God was very angry (v10). Why? Because the people were not thankful for what He had provided. It's true that manna was not steaks or lobster, but it was good and nourishing food for the demanding journey. Rather than thanking the Lord for His daily provision, the people complained - and they longed for the spicy foods of Egypt (v5)!
Are we content with what God has provided for us? There are many practical ways to apply this. What about the spiritual provision that God has made for us in Christ? In John 6, the Lord Jesus spoke of the manna, and then went on to show that He is the true Bread out of Heaven. As the manna was God's means of maintaining the physical life of His people, so Jesus Christ is the way in which the believer's spiritual life is sustained. Growing Christians must be nourished and strengthened by maintaining a close relationship with Him. He is the source of our spiritual life, and He sustains that life. (Read all of John 6.)
Are we satisfied with Christ? Or do we complain about being "unfulfilled"? Are we always looking of more exciting things in life? God's Word teaches that everything we need for complete and total fulfillment is found in our Lord Jesus Christ. But the problem with many of us is that we still desire variety - "the leeks and the garlic" - the spicy fare of our former lives (v5).
The people of Israel complained of being bored and unfulfilled with the manna, and they began to long for the foods of Egypt. Egypt, and the slavery from which they had been delivered! The Christian who still craves the excitement of this world will be unfulfilled spiritually. If our "tastebuds" are excited by strong desires to experience what this world has to offer, or to accumulate the material things of this world, or to get ahead in this world, then the things of Christ will taste flat and bland. Where are your tastebuds?
The Lord's reaction to Israel's complaining about His provision teaches another important lesson. In verses 18-20, God informed Moses that He would give the people meat to eat. He would give them exactly what they craved, and in such abundance that it would "come out of their noses" and be "loathsome" to them! And that's exactly what happened! In their greedy consumption and hoarding of the meat God sent, they experienced God's heavy discipline once again (v31-35).
The Christian whose soul whines for the things of this world may get his wish - but God will grant the request in such a way that His discipline is included. What kind of father would God be, if our unchecked cravings did not bring serious consequences? Don’t get the idea that God’s approves of our cravings, just because He sometimes allows us to have what our hearts desire! This lesson is encapsulated for us in Psalm 106:13-15: "They forgot what God had done, and did not wait for His plan to unfold. They gave in to their cravings; they put God to the test. So He gave them what they asked for, but sent leanness into their souls."
Discontent
Complaining, of course, is just the surface symptom of a much deeper problem: discontent. This is why the Bible so strongly condemns complaining. The murmurings and grumblings of complaint are evidence that we are not satisfied with God, and with the way God is letting life come at us.
The sin of complaining was one reason why Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty long years. It took only a few hours to get the people out of Egypt, but it took forty years to get Egypt out of the people. Is it possible that we are "wandering in the wilderness" of Christian living because of the sins of craving and complaining?
Even though we may have it all together in the area of doctrine, do we go on griping? The solution to this problem is to recognize our sin. We need to realize and acknowledge that our heavenly Father always knows what's best for us - even the little problems He allows us to face. Let's stop our complaining so that our own lives don’t become “case studies in complaining.”
- Dave Reid