TEXT: Numbers 11:31-34
31 And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.
32 And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.
33 And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague.
34 And he called the name of that place Kibroth-hattaa-vah: because there they buried the people that lusted.
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In this passage, we see the end result of the people’s complaining about the food God had provided for them. They demanded meat, and God gave it to them in the form of quail. The abundance of quail was so thick about their encampment that they could go out and gather the birds with their bare hands. And, like the gluttonous people they were, they did not just gather enough to eat for that day, as they had been forced to do with the manna. The Bible says, “they stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails.”
The text says, “He that gathered least gathered ten homers.” How much is a “homer”? While there is some debate over the measurements used in the Bible, as they are not familiar to us today, James Sutherland writes that a homer is a measurement of volume equaling about 220 liters or 58 gallons. So, 10 homers would be 580 gallons — or the equivalent of about 18 large garbage cans. He estimates that this would have been over 1 billion birds. The point is that there was an overabundance of quail and the children of Israel went crazy trying to stock up on this supply of meat.
After two days of gathering quail, the Bible says, “They spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.” They did not eat it discreetly in their tents. They laid the meat out on platters and spread it out like a buffet line. They had barbecued quail, fried quail, boiled quail, roasted quail, and baked quail. Their behavior shows the danger of human lusts when it runs to its extreme. The people had no self-control. They had no discipline. They did not practice temperance. They saw the food they had desired so badly and went after it like there was no tomorrow. They were not thinking about God, or Moses, or the Law. They cared only that they were able to gratify the lusts of their flesh.
If the Lord tarries his coming and we live, next time, we will continue looking at what this passage tells us about God’s plan for man’s eating habits.
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REGARDING INTERMITTENT FASTING:
James Clear, author of “The Quick Start Guide to Intermittent Fasting,” writes, “Intermittent fasting makes your day simpler. I’m big on behavior change, simplicity, and reducing stress. Intermittent fasting provides additional simplicity to my life that I really enjoy. When I wake up, I don’t worry about breakfast. I just grab a glass of water and start my day. I enjoy eating and I don’t mind cooking, so eating three meals a day was never a hassle for me. However, intermittent fasting allows me to eat one less meal, which also means planning one less meal, cooking one less meal, and stressing about one less meal. It makes life a bit simpler and I like that.”
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
BCNN1 WP 