Overkill

OVERKILL - TRIAL NUMBER 7

Numbers 11:4-6 Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our soul is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” This heart and soul attitude is more than just complaining. It is an intense craving to indulge. Israel became tired of eating manna, and remembered seven things they desired from Egypt. (v.5). They said their soul was dried up. They craved seven things (the fullness of self indulgence - Overkill). This was a trial for Moses too, as their murmuring became a great burden for him. (vs.10-15). There were too many needs and too much to do. So God gets him to choose out 70 men to help upon whom he will give his Spirit (That worked out to about 1 helper per 42,850 people).The same provision was made in Acts when the Apostles chose the seven deacons.; Acts 6:3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” The Lord decided to give Israel as much to eat as they wanted, till it came out of their nostrils; Numbers 11: 19 Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have despised the Lord who is among you, He allowed a multitude of quails to fall around them, and when they were eating them God smote Israel with another plague (severe blow) (maka). God can give us what we want, to show us that it brings death and not life. This same word maka is used in Proverbs to show the inward work of cleansing. Proverbs 20:30 Punishment that hurts chases evil from the heart. TLB Ps 106:14 They demanded better food, testing God's patience to the breaking point. So he gave them their demands but sent them leanness (wasting and emptiness) in their souls. The OT displays finality in judgment, while in the NT the new replaces the old. Defqon 1 was 15/9/18 where two died and 700 sought medical assistance. Our current culture has given access to all forms of self indulgence to people of all kinds of different ages and circumstances and the consequences have caused grave torment of the soul. There is also a groundswell of realization and regret as people today observe the damage that this unrestrained indulgence is doing to people of this age in which we live. The problem with an entitlement-based culture is that the lack of restrictions and restraint along with the encouragement of self determination, if not addressed, means that further and greater damage will occur. And the reality is that this behaviour can be curtailed and disciplined with good leadership and wise counsel and social restraints. So the good news is that the wake up call can be heeded and the injury can be redeemed. (The story of the shepherd and the injured lost sheep) The bigger reality is that God wants us to have his best in over abundance, and he has made his best available and accessible; 1Corinthians 3:21… For God has already given you everything you need. He has given you Paul and Apollos and Peter as your helpers. He has given you the whole world to use, and life and even death are your servants. He has given you all of the present and all of the future. Everything is yours, and you belong to Christ, and Christ is God's. We say ‘But Lord I cannot believe that is true’. The Lord says ‘That is why I gave you faith’.