Scripture Analysis Project

Scripture Analysis Project Numbers 11:1-35

The Israelites anger God because of their constant complaining and their lack of appreciation. God sends a fire to burn them starting from the outer most parts of the camp. The Israelites cry to Moses. Moses prays to God and the fire ceases. The place where this happens is named Taberah, which translates to burning. The Israelites later complain about their diet. They complain that all they eat is manna and how they miss the various foods available in Egypt. Moses joins the Israelites in complaining. He complains saying the burden of leading the Israelites is too much for him. God respond by instructing him to choose 70 elderly men. God says he will put His spirit in the 70 men to help Moses lead the Israelites to the Promised Land (Horsley, 2007).

God addresses the Israelites’ complain by promising to give them meat for a month. Using strong wind, God delivers quail birds from the sea to the Israelites camp. The sight of the Israelites eating the meat enrages God and He sends a plague to kill them. The place where this happens is called Kibroth-hattaavah, meaning lust. The Israelites leave this place and journey to Hazeroth. Most of the differences occurring between the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) and the other common versions of the Bible are mostly with the wording. The different wordings bring into question the accuracy of historical events recorded in the various versions of the Bible. Some wording differences may result in differences in meaning. In Numbers 11:12 the NRSV use the word forefathers, to refer to Abraham and the other generations before the current. The NIV uses “ancestors, to refer to the same. The two words are usable interchangeably; however, “ancestors” is more accurate in referring to earlier generations with a blood relation. The King James Version (KJV) uses the word ‘father’ to refer to the previous generations of the Israelites. ‘Forefathers’ refers more accurately to the previous generations, not necessarily related to the current by blood but helped establish a way of life important to the current generation. The word ‘father’ takes different meaning in different verses of the Bible, in some instances it refers to God, in others it refers to a male ancestor as is the case in Numbers 11:12. The New Oxford Annotated Bible (NOAB) uses the word forefathers similar to the NRSV (Topping, 2007).
The Broader context
In Chapter 11 of the book of Numbers, God speaks to Moses concerning the Passover and outsiders. God uses a cloud to lead the Israelites during the day, and fire during the night. Chapter 10 speaks of two silver trumpets that God directed Moses to make. It contains the account of the Israelites journey from Sinai to Kadesh-barnea. The Israelites set out on their journey after the cloud lifted in the second month. In Chapter 12, the Lord gets angry with Aaron and Miriam for speaking ill of Moses and rebukes them. Chapter 13 narrates how Moses sent 12 men to spy the land of Canaan after they reached the border. The men returned after 40 days with conflicting responses (Walton, Mark & Victor, 2000).
Reading the two chapters before and after chapter 11 of Numbers provides a richer interpretation of the passage under study. The two chapters on either side provide a bigger picture of what the passage contains, and shed additional meaning on the passage than reading it in isolation. Before the passage, the Israelites had set out on a journey after the Passover. The passage explains how they survived through the journey because they had not carried any food. The passage narrates that they cried unto the Lord, who provided food. It is after this passage that the rest of their journey is explained until they reached the Canaan border (Laymon, 1971).
Writers Notes
On their way to Kardesh-Barnea, the Israelites kept complaining, murmuring, and grumbling, especially about the need for meat. Aaron and Moses sister, Miriam, also complained about Moses. When the people complained, God got angry and punished them severely. Among the people of Israel were foreigners, including some Egyptians. They also influenced the Israelites complains. Moses complained about the responsibility God had put on him, but God later distributed it among the 70 elders (Coogan, 2010). Sanctification was necessary so that God could accept the Israelites and give them meat, but they failed to meet the conditions. This led to numerous deaths following the eating of the quails God provided. Those who died were buried at Kibrothhattaavah- the graves of lust, after which the remaining populace headed for Hazeroth, currently called Ain-Haderah (Robert, 2000). The questions that one can ask at this point are for example, why Miriam and Aaron complained about Moses, why only Miriam was punished after they complained, and how the foreigners mentioned in the passage mixed with the Israelites.
Margin and footnotes
The people complain to God and He punishes them. Moses hears the complaints of the people and is depressed by their discontent. He pleads with God to kill him rather than watch him suffer. This is the first time the leadership skills of Moses fail. Because of this, Moses never gets to reach the Promised Land and only sees it. Because of the Israelites complaints, God punishes them twice. First, using a fire and later using a plague. Each of the times, Moses prays to God and his anger stops. To help Moses lead the Israelites, God instructs him to choose 70 men to share in his burden. God delivers meat in the form of quails to the Israelites (NOAB).
Ambiguous terms in Numbers 11
The word rabble describes people who complain about the lack of alternative meals in the camp, especially meat. Rabble may describe a group of loud people who could turn violent at some point. Rabble may also describe a group of people who belong to the lowest of class within the society. The Israelites carried cattle and birds from Egypt; it is possible that the poor members of the society did not have any animals in their possession. Consecrate, describes the action the Israelites were to take to prepare for the meat God would deliver the next day. Consecrate is used to describe a preparation for a holy association. The action of eating quails falling from the sky does not qualify as a sacred action (Osburn, 2011). The description of the quails in the camp is about two cubits deep and about a days journey in all direction. Such a large number of birds may be a cause for the plague in the camp. It is possible the height above ground describes the level at which the birds were flying around the camp rather than the height the birds formed in a heap about a meter high. In Numbers 11:25, the Bible describes a prophesy involving the seventy elders whose role is to help Moses led the Israelites. Different Bible versions use different phrases in the last part. The KJV reads and did not cease, the NKJV, ESV, and the NASB read but they did not do it again. The two phrases are applicable to the setting but have different meanings (Osburn, 2011).
Introduction to the book
The entire book of Numbers involves the journey of the Israelites in the desert. Chapter 11 focuses on complains and rebellions of the Israelites in the desert. The chapter is mostly in a narrative form. It contains prescriptions for the Israelites. The sources of the materials in the chapter include both priestly and non-priestly narrative sources. The entire chapter therefore is not one continuous narration but rather a combination of content from different sources. The chapter is part of a larger story divisible into three sections. The books name is from the census conducted in chapter 1-4 and chapter 26. The three sections include the preparation for the desert journey, the deserts journey, and the preparation for entry into the Promised Land. Chapter 11 is the first chapter in the second section: the desert journey (Petersen, 2009).
Paraphrasing the Passage
After three days of travelling, the Israelites started complaining about their problems. This angered God so much that He sent fire upon their camp. The people were afraid of the fire and asked Moses to intervene, and he prayed to God to cease the fire. They named the place, Taberah because of the fire. There were foreigners among the Israelites who loved to eat meat, and this influenced the Israelites to complain to God. They complained that the only food they had to eat was manna, and wished they were back to Egypt, where they had plenty of food. The Lord got angry with them again, but Moses prayed and asked God not to punish His people again. He also complained that leading the Israelites alone was too hard for him, but God instructed him to choose some Israel elders who would assist him in leading the people. These elders became leaders like Moses after God gave them authority. The spirit of the Lord gave them the ability to prophesy, but the Bible does not state what they prophesied, or how they did it. The Bible provides that, at last, God agreed to grant the wish of His people, where He gave them enough meat to last for a month (Osburn, 2011). However, God required them to prepare themselves first, so that He would accept them. God gave them meat, but also punished them for failing to prepare well, and because some among them became very greedy. Many people died from a bad disease. They were buried, and later, the remaining populace shifted and set another camp at Hazeroth. Some issues in this passage are ambiguous and necessitate interpretation. They include, among others, the complains made by  the  people of Israel as well as Moses, the plague that God sent upon the people after providing them flesh, the peoples lust for meat, and the prophetic revelations of the elders set to assist Moses.  
The One-volume Commentaries
The complaining attitude in chapter 11 in the book of Numbers is understood from the perspective of unfaithfulness. The Israelites did not complain about their material needs. Rather, they complained because of their unfaithful nature. They did not trust in God completely. Moses also complained because he did not believe that the Lord could provide the amount of meat He promised. There is also the prophetic revelation, which according to the early Israelites history occurred through dreams and visions. However, in Numbers 11, Moses and the elders prophesied through acts of worshipping the Lord, and proclaiming the good things that He had done for them (Fitzmyer & Roland, 2003). God provided quail meat to His people.
The disease that God sent the Israelites can be taken as an act of His judgment on the people of Israel because of their unfaithful nature. The people did collect the quails, but God later punished them through a plague due to their greed (Laymon, 1971). This shows the forgetful nature of human beings when they obtain worldly riches. God often gives sinners what they ask for, but there is always a price to pay. For example, the Israelites paid dearly for their lust for meat.
Multi-volume commentaries
Many commentators on the book of Numbers propose the burning at Taberah was as a result of Gods anger because of the constant complaining and disobedience of His people. Many believe that the fire of the Lord, which started on the outcasts of the camp and burned slowly inwards portray that God does not delight in punishing His people. The Israelites were a forgetful lot. After God rescued them from Egypt, he provided manna to sustain them during their journey in the desert. They; however, complained later that they needed meat. With nostalgia, the Israelites remember the kind of life and the good food they had back in Egypt (Petersen, 2009). God, though displeased with their complaining, promised to give them meat.
On the other end, Moses was unsure if he had the capability to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land. God instructed him to choose 70 other men within the tribes of Israel to help him. Moses was also unsure of the divine grace placed upon him by the almighty. This portrays a common characteristic of a majority of Christians in the church today. Although God delivered meat to the Israelites as promised, the sight of the Israelites eating the quails awakens the His anger. He therefore responded by placing a deadly epidemic upon them. This was the second time that God punished the Israelites, but this time using a plague. The reason for the lord placing the plague upon the Israelites is not apparent in the whole chapter (Smyth & Helwys Pub., 2000).
Accustomed to a life of plenty and rest in Egypt, the Israelites found their journey around the desert tiring. The journey seemed pointless with the Promised Land seeming like a distant future. They fell into a state of discontentment. The result was constant complaining to God and to their leader Moses. Eventually, their constant complaints got to Moses and for the first time, Moses felt the urge to quit. The Israelites lack of appreciation stirred Gods anger. The result was a fire in a place they call Taberah, and a plague in a place called Kibroth-hattaavah. Some of the people travelling with the Israelites included Egyptians. The Egyptians had a stronger lust for meat than the Israelites. The feeling of dissatisfaction with manna was mutual among all the people in the camp. Moses questioned Gods power several times in this chapter. In the desert, Moses did not consider himself fit to lead the people even with Gods grace upon him. God told Moses to notify the Israelites that in the wake of the next day, He would give them meat. Moses questioned God regarding his promise to feed 600,000 people with meat for an entire month. He doubted the power of God to deliver His promises (Walton, Mark, & Victor, 2000).
Interpretation of the Passage to the Modern Church
The journey of the Israelites in the desert and their interaction with God has many lessons for the modern church. From the time, they left Egypt; God kept performing miracles for them regardless of their failure to appreciate. Their mode of asking for Gods favors was accompanied by a complaining attitude about the current situation. As they progressed with their journey, their constant complaining tired God. God expected them to establish and maintain a strong and faithful relationship with Him, and to ask for what they required through prayer. The lesson most important lesson that the church can learn from this chapter of Numbers is that God knows what is best for His people (Topping, 2007). The meat the Israelites asked for from God resulted in a curse rather than a blessing. Similarly, the modern church should learn that when they want something from God, they should make a humble request (Walton, Mark, & Victor, 2000).
Interpretation of the Passage to the Early Scribes
The organization of Numbers 1:1-35 shows that God is a God of order. The census, the arrangement of the camp, and the demarcation of the Canaan boundaries all reveal to the scribes that God values good order in His work. The story in this passage is one of grumbling and complaining among the people in their journey between Mt. Sinai and Kadesh-barnea.  Punishment followed repeated grumbling. However, the scribes understood that they should look out for warnings from God lest they got punished. The rebellion explained in the text made God punish the Israelites severely. For example, Miriam became leprous, whereas, the earth swallowed Abiram, Dathan, and Korah (Horsley, 2007). These acts proved that God did not accept rebellion against His servants.
Application of the Passage to Personal Life
There are various lessons to learn from this chapter of the book of Numbers. First, the punishments that occurred to the Israelites disbelief are just examples that serve as a warning to keep away from the kind of unfaithful life led by the Israelites. The chapter is a source of hope. Gods power and grace overcame the Israelites doubts. Relying on oneself is bad, one needs to come clean to God humbly and not complain and rebel against Him. The passage reassures that God is above humans in all situations; hence, it is better to lead a faithful Christian life to escape the wrath of God (Topping, 2007). During the 40 years in the wilderness, God taught the Israelites some relevant lessons applicable in the life of a modern Christian, who is in the process of moving into His kingdom. God is still preparing Christians in the same way He prepared the Israelites. It is good to follow Gods instructions and live according to His ways; otherwise, it will be impossible to enter His kingdom.
Conclusion
The book of Numbers 11 starts with a story about some Israelites complaining about the situation they were during their journey from Egypt. God continues doing well to them; however, the Israelites continue to complain about how things are going wrong. They never take a moment to appreciate some miracles God does for them, including parting the waters of the red sea to allow them to close and escape slavery. Their continued lack of appreciation irate God and in two instances, God uses fire and a plague to punish them. The Israelites continued complaining affects Moses their led. Moses questions God on several occasions. Because of his lack of faith, he never gets to reach the Promised Land.

 References
Coogan, Michael D., Ed. The New Oxford Annotated Bible. Fourth edition (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010), 293-295.
Fitzmyer, J. A., & Roland, M. (2003). New Jerome Biblical Commentary: Study Hardback Edition. New York City: Bloomsbury Academic.
Horsley, R. A. (2007). Scribes, Visionaries, and the Politics of Second Temple Judea. Louisville: Presbyterian Publishing Corp.
Laymon, C. M. (1971). The Interpreter's one volume commentary on the Bible: introduction and commentary for each book of the Bible including the Apocrypha, with general articles. Michigan: Abingdon Press.
Mays, J. L. (2000). HarperCollins Bible Commentary - Revised Edition. New York: Harper Collins.
Osburn, W. E. (2011). Zondervan illustrated Bible dictionary. Choice, 49(2), 275.
Petersen, D. L. (2009). Theological Bible Commentary. Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press.
Robert Jamieson., Blue Letter Bible (London: BLB Institute, 2000), pp. 256-259.
Smyth & Helwys Pub. (2000). Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary. Macon: Smyth & Helwys Publishers.
Topping, R. R. (2007). Revelation Scripture and Church Theological Hermeneutic Thought of James Barr Paul Ricoeur and Hans F. London: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
Walton, J. H., Mark, W. C., & Victor, H. M. (2000). The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. Westmont: InterVarsity Press.