Last week's lesson had the Israelites complaining they couldn't drink the water, there was no food, then there wasn't any water at all. Each time, the Lord miraculously provided for their needs.
This week, they complain because all they have to eat is manna.
"...Who shall give us flesh to eat?
"We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; and the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic:
"But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, besides this manna, before our eyes" (Exodus 11:4-6).
Oh, the injustice of it all! You sure have it tough all right. Nothing but the miraculous daily manifestation of the Lord's loving providence. I guess we all have our burdens to bear.
The Lord tells Moses that he will provide meat for the people, so much that it will "come out at [their] nostrils, and it be loathsome unto [them]..." (Exodus 11:20). Sometimes I think the most fitting punishments the Lord gives us are the things we want, rather than the things we need.
Moses apparently falls into the same trap we sometimes do. How often do we expect the Lord to operate within our limited view and perspective? It's as if we are saying, "If I don't understand it, it must not be possible."
Moses reminds the Lord that there are 600,000 men in the camp (just in case He forgot...) and wonders how God can provide enough for everyone as promised. Will they kill all the flocks and herds for food? Will they need to go fishing?
"And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lord's hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not" (Exodus 11:23).
The camp of Israel is soon covered in quails two cubits deep (about three feet) and extending a day's journey all around the camp. If you're keeping track at home, that's a lot of quail. Verse 32 says the smallest catch was ten homers (turns out, nothing to do with the Simpson's). I was a little rusty on my metric-to-homer conversion, so I had to look it up. That's roughly 65 US bushels, or 2.3 cubic meters. Imagine a container 1m long x 1m wide and 2.3 meters tall, filled with quails, and that was from the guy with the smallest catch. It's no wonder they were stricken with a plague while they were still chewing (see Exodus 11:33-34).
You'd think that would be enough to convince the people. Sadly, no. Moses, following the direction of the Lord, appoints one leader from each tribe to scout out the promised land. When they returned, they brought with them the fruits of the land, along with a very disturbing report of the strength of the inhabitants.
"We be not able to go up against the people," they cried, "for they are stronger than we" (Exodus 13:31) and we look like grasshoppers compared to them (verse 33). The people get so upset, they appoint a new leader who will lead them back to Egypt (see Exodus 14:4, Nehemiah 9:17).
There are (at least) two problems with that solution. First, how do you think the Egyptians will react? "Hey, we missed you guys, nice to have you back!" Highly unlikely after all the Egyptian first-born sons died and the army was drowned in the Red Sea. They probably won't be breaking out the milk and cookies for you.
Second, I don't recall the position of prophet being up for debate or public vote. Bad things happen when you try to go around the Lord's chosen prophet.
Wilford Woodruff once said, "... the very moment that men in this kingdom attempt to run ahead or cross the path of their leaders, ...they are in danger of being injured by the wolves ... I have never in my life known it to fail" (Wilford Woodruff, Journal of Discourses, 5:83).
Israel just couldn't get it through their collective heads that God really was with them, despite all the signs and wonders. But then again, how do we react when things get tough? Do we put our faith in God and step forward, even if we don't know how He is going to "prepare a way for [us] that [we] may accomplish the thing which he commandeth [us]" (1 Nephi 3:7)? Or do we complain because things are too hard? So what if the inhabitants of the land are huge? The Lord's hand is not "waxed short". As Caleb and Joshua pleaded, "...the Lord is with us: fear them not" (Numbers 14:9).
This week, they complain because all they have to eat is manna.
"...Who shall give us flesh to eat?
"We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; and the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic:
"But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, besides this manna, before our eyes" (Exodus 11:4-6).
Oh, the injustice of it all! You sure have it tough all right. Nothing but the miraculous daily manifestation of the Lord's loving providence. I guess we all have our burdens to bear.
The Lord tells Moses that he will provide meat for the people, so much that it will "come out at [their] nostrils, and it be loathsome unto [them]..." (Exodus 11:20). Sometimes I think the most fitting punishments the Lord gives us are the things we want, rather than the things we need.
Moses apparently falls into the same trap we sometimes do. How often do we expect the Lord to operate within our limited view and perspective? It's as if we are saying, "If I don't understand it, it must not be possible."
Moses reminds the Lord that there are 600,000 men in the camp (just in case He forgot...) and wonders how God can provide enough for everyone as promised. Will they kill all the flocks and herds for food? Will they need to go fishing?
"And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lord's hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not" (Exodus 11:23).
The camp of Israel is soon covered in quails two cubits deep (about three feet) and extending a day's journey all around the camp. If you're keeping track at home, that's a lot of quail. Verse 32 says the smallest catch was ten homers (turns out, nothing to do with the Simpson's). I was a little rusty on my metric-to-homer conversion, so I had to look it up. That's roughly 65 US bushels, or 2.3 cubic meters. Imagine a container 1m long x 1m wide and 2.3 meters tall, filled with quails, and that was from the guy with the smallest catch. It's no wonder they were stricken with a plague while they were still chewing (see Exodus 11:33-34).
You'd think that would be enough to convince the people. Sadly, no. Moses, following the direction of the Lord, appoints one leader from each tribe to scout out the promised land. When they returned, they brought with them the fruits of the land, along with a very disturbing report of the strength of the inhabitants.
"We be not able to go up against the people," they cried, "for they are stronger than we" (Exodus 13:31) and we look like grasshoppers compared to them (verse 33). The people get so upset, they appoint a new leader who will lead them back to Egypt (see Exodus 14:4, Nehemiah 9:17).
There are (at least) two problems with that solution. First, how do you think the Egyptians will react? "Hey, we missed you guys, nice to have you back!" Highly unlikely after all the Egyptian first-born sons died and the army was drowned in the Red Sea. They probably won't be breaking out the milk and cookies for you.
Second, I don't recall the position of prophet being up for debate or public vote. Bad things happen when you try to go around the Lord's chosen prophet.
Wilford Woodruff once said, "... the very moment that men in this kingdom attempt to run ahead or cross the path of their leaders, ...they are in danger of being injured by the wolves ... I have never in my life known it to fail" (Wilford Woodruff, Journal of Discourses, 5:83).
Israel just couldn't get it through their collective heads that God really was with them, despite all the signs and wonders. But then again, how do we react when things get tough? Do we put our faith in God and step forward, even if we don't know how He is going to "prepare a way for [us] that [we] may accomplish the thing which he commandeth [us]" (1 Nephi 3:7)? Or do we complain because things are too hard? So what if the inhabitants of the land are huge? The Lord's hand is not "waxed short". As Caleb and Joshua pleaded, "...the Lord is with us: fear them not" (Numbers 14:9).
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