God who listens even to our grumbling prayers in tears

“Was it I who conceived all this people? Was it I who brought them forth, that You should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which You swore to their fathers'?  …  but a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you; because you have rejected the LORD who is among you and have wept before Him, saying, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?” (Numbers 11:12, 20).

Why do babies cry?  When I was raising my three children with my wife, I learned that the babies cry because of two reasons.  The two reasons are: first, the babies cry because they are asking for a change of diaper due to urine or feces on the diaper; and second, the babies cry because they are hungry, asking for milk.  Of course, other than that, the babies cry when they are tired and when they unsatisfied.  But this doesn’t seem to be the thing that only babies do.  We adults also complain if we are unsatisfied with something and cry in tears even as we blame on others.  For example, we can cry even if we are too hungry, and economically too poor and hard to live.

In Numbers 11: 12 and 20, Moses said to God that the Israelites are like “a nursing infant” (v. 12) who had wept before God (v.20).  The Israelites did not cry only once.  How can we know this?  When we look at verse 4, the Bible says, "and also the sons of Israel wept again”.  They wept “at the doorway of his tent” (v. 10).  And they wept before Moses (v. 13).  Why did the Israelites weep?  The reason was that they wanted to eat meat (vv. 4, 13, 18).  In other words, the Israelites cried out to Moses in complaint, saying, "Give us meat that we may eat" (v. 13) because they weren’t satisfied with the manna that God had sent from heaven at night (v. 6).  Why did the Israelites cry out to God in complain that they weren’t satisfied with the manna that God had sent from heaven?  That was because they were greedy.  Look at Numbers 11:4 – “The rabble who were among them had greedy desires; and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, "Who will give us meat to eat?”  The Israelites were greedy because they were badly influenced by the rabble who were among them.  As a result, they weren’t satisfied with the manna, but complained and grumbled to Moses and said “Give us meat that we may eat” (v. 13).  Then they thought of the past life in Egypt when they were slaves (v. 5) and said, “we were well-off in Egypt” (v. 18).  This was rejecting the Lord who was among them (v. 20).  So the anger of the Lord toward the Israelites was kindled greatly (v. 10).  Moses, of course, was displeased (v. 10).

Imagine a baby who is crying constantly until his mother gives the milk to him.  Today's text of Numbers 11:12, 20 tell us that the Israelites cried again to Moses for meat, just like the nursing infant.  How couldn’t Moses be troubled when 600,000 on foot of the Israelites (v. 21) cried against Moses, saying, "Give us meat that we may eat?" (v. 13).  So Moses said to God: “Why have You been so hard on Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all this people on me?”  (v. 11)  He also said to God, “I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me” (v. 14).  So Moses begged God to die in extreme suffering (v. 15).  Then God said to Moses, “Gather for Me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and their officers and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you” (v. 16).  The purpose was to bear the burden of the people with Moses so that Moses didn’t have to bear it all alone (v. 17).  And God heard the voice of the Israelites crying in complaint and asking for meat, and promised them to give them meat to eat (v. 18).  It wasn’t for one or two days, nor five days nor ten days nor twenty days but a whole month (vv. 19, 20).  Why did God hear the grumbling prayers of the Israelites and answer their prayers?  (cf. Exod. 16: 7-9, 12).  The reason is written in Exodus 16:12 – “…  you shall know that I am the LORD your God.”  That is why God responded with the tears of the Israelites and heard the voice of grumbling before God, because He wanted them to know that God was the Lord their God.  What did God want to let the Israelites know about who He is?  I found the answer in Numbers 11:23 – “Is the LORD'S power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not.”  God wanted to let them know that His omnipotence and faithfulness not only to Moses but also to the people of Israel.  In human calculation and common sense, no one can feed 600,000 pedestrians in the desert for a month even flocks and herds be slaughtered for them would not be sufficient for them (vv. 21-22).  “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Is the LORD'S power limited?  Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not’” (v. 23).  So in the end, God sent a wind and drove a quail from the sea and let them fall beside the camp “about a day's journey on this side and a day's journey on the other side, all around the camp and about two cubits deep on the surface of the ground” (v. 31).  So the Israelites spent all day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail (v. 32).  But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the Israelites, and the Lord struck them with a very severe plague (v. 33).  As a result, the people with greed for meat were buried (v. 34).  Therefore, the name of the place was called “Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had been greedy” (v. 34).

We must know who our God is.  We must get to know that God is God.  Our God is Almighty God.  Our God is Almighty God, who is able to feed meats to 600,000 pedestrians of the Israel for a month.  God is the God who reveals His power to us.  The problem is that we aren’t completely trusting Him but doubting Him and disbelieving in Him.  Also, the problem is we are also greedy and covetous like the people of this world.  Therefore, we are crying in front of God while we are grumbling in dissatisfaction. This is rejecting God.  This is sin against God.  Nevertheless, our gracious God responds by hearing our prayers in grumbling.  But God, who is righteous and just, disciplines us who have greedy desire.  When we are being disciplined, we must learn that we can never be satisfied with our greedy desire like the people in this world, but rather greed will make us to dig our own graves.  Also, we must learn to be content with the Lord alone, whether we are having abundance or suffering need (Phil. 4:11-12).  We should not be greedy regarding the blessings of the Lord, but enjoy all spiritual blessings that God already gave to us with thanksgiving in our hearts (Eph. 1:3).