Israelites Gather Quail in the WildernessBible World
78:26Psalms 78:26
He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.
God by His own power caused an east wind to blow in heaven and brought in the south wind to rain quail and feathered fowl as dust like the sand of the sea in and around the camp to satisfy craving for flesh. He granted this demand after giving bread from heaven and water in the wilderness, though withholding flesh and feeding manna, angels' food, was working for their good to preserve health and lengthen life physically, mentally, and morally and to educate them into correct habits. Israel did not believe or trust Him to give the best food, but despised, hated, and rejected manna and lusted and murmured in discontent for the flesh meats of Egypt to which appetite had accustomed them. The flesh was given only for a short time in anger and judgment upon gluttony and lust, and while the meat was yet in their mouths wrath came in plague, disease, and death to thousands, slaying the fattest and chosen men. Their course, part of a psalm recounting rich blessings met with poor return, stands as a warning not to forget God the source of strength, complain under trial, or defile the body by lust and self-indulgence, but to stay connected with Him and advance in the divine life.
Wilderness Provision of Meat
Psalm 78 recounts the rich blessings God bestowed on Israel and the people's poor return for all those benefits. God was working for Israel's good by withholding flesh and feeding them instead with manna, the bread from heaven, angels' food. That was the very best food to preserve health and lengthen life physically, mentally, and morally, for flesh is not man's natural food but produces disease and shortens life. His purpose in the wilderness was to educate Israel into correct habits so they would be a pure, holy, healthy people.
Despite this, Israel did not believe in God or trust in His salvation to give them the food that would best preserve health. They despised, hated, and rejected manna, murmured that He could not furnish flesh in the wilderness, and encouraged earthly appetite. They were not hungry but lusted, hankered, and murmured in discontent and dissatisfaction for meat and the flesh pots and flesh meats of Egypt to which they had become accustomed. They centered their thoughts on that food and craved food beyond the simple food God had given, just as people do now.
After giving bread from heaven and water in the wilderness, God by His own power caused an east wind to blow in the heaven and brought in the south wind to grant their demand for flesh. The winds carried quail and feathered fowl in vast abundance, raining flesh upon them as dust and like the sand of the sea to fall in and around their camp, satisfying their craving. The flesh was granted only for a short time and in anger and judgment upon their gluttony and lust. They ate and were filled, but while the meat was yet in their mouths the wrath of God came upon them in plague, disease, and death to thousands, slaying the fattest of them and smiting down the chosen men of Israel, ending in dissension, sickness, and death.
Lessons Against Lust and Distrust
The winds that brought flesh were set in motion against a background of one part of the people working constantly against a good God. By disobedience they brought themselves into the condition that was the sure result of their own course of action. Under rebuke and chastisement they repented, yet when temptation returned they fell again into self-indulgence and self-gratification. The demand answered by those winds was a craving for food beyond the simple food God had given, an expression of dissatisfaction and indulgence of appetite.
They were not hungry but lusted, because in Egypt they had become accustomed to flesh food. God had withheld flesh because it is not man's natural food but produces disease and shortens life, and He purposed in the wilderness to educate them into correct habits so they would be a pure, holy, healthy people. Instead He fed them with the very best food, manna, the bread from heaven, angels' food, which would have preserved health and lengthened life. Because they did not believe in God nor trust in His salvation, and murmured that He could not furnish flesh in the wilderness, He gave them their own desire in anger by His own power causing an east wind and a south wind to bring feathered fowl in vast abundance like dust and like sand to fall in and around their camp. They ate and were filled, but while the meat was yet in their mouths His wrath came upon them and slew the fattest of them and smote down the chosen men of Israel, and their fate stands as a warning against lust and defiling the body.
The same dealing shows God to have been the source of Israel's strength, whom they forgot when trials came and turned to complaining. The warning is not to complain and forget God when trials come. The lesson instead is to stay connected with the source of all wisdom and power, to fully receive truth of heavenly origin, to be sanctified through it, and to keep continually advancing in the divine life.
God by His own power caused an east wind to blow in heaven and brought in the south wind to rain quail and feathered fowl as dust like the sand of the sea in and around the camp to satisfy craving for flesh. He granted this demand after giving bread from heaven and water in the wilderness, though withholding flesh and feeding manna, angels' food, was working for their good to preserve health and lengthen life physically, mentally, and morally and to educate them into correct habits. Israel did not believe or trust Him to give the best food, but despised, hated, and rejected manna and lusted and murmured in discontent for the flesh meats of Egypt to which appetite had accustomed them. The flesh was given only for a short time in anger and judgment upon gluttony and lust, and while the meat was yet in their mouths wrath came in plague, disease, and death to thousands, slaying the fattest and chosen men. Their course, part of a psalm recounting rich blessings met with poor return, stands as a warning not to forget God the source of strength, complain under trial, or defile the body by lust and self-indulgence, but to stay connected with Him and advance in the divine life.
Wilderness Provision of Meat
Psalm 78 recounts the rich blessings God bestowed on Israel and the people's poor return for all those benefits. God was working for Israel's good by withholding flesh and feeding them instead with manna, the bread from heaven, angels' food. That was the very best food to preserve health and lengthen life physically, mentally, and morally, for flesh is not man's natural food but produces disease and shortens life. His purpose in the wilderness was to educate Israel into correct habits so they would be a pure, holy, healthy people.
Despite this, Israel did not believe in God or trust in His salvation to give them the food that would best preserve health. They despised, hated, and rejected manna, murmured that He could not furnish flesh in the wilderness, and encouraged earthly appetite. They were not hungry but lusted, hankered, and murmured in discontent and dissatisfaction for meat and the flesh pots and flesh meats of Egypt to which they had become accustomed. They centered their thoughts on that food and craved food beyond the simple food God had given, just as people do now.
After giving bread from heaven and water in the wilderness, God by His own power caused an east wind to blow in the heaven and brought in the south wind to grant their demand for flesh. The winds carried quail and feathered fowl in vast abundance, raining flesh upon them as dust and like the sand of the sea to fall in and around their camp, satisfying their craving. The flesh was granted only for a short time and in anger and judgment upon their gluttony and lust. They ate and were filled, but while the meat was yet in their mouths the wrath of God came upon them in plague, disease, and death to thousands, slaying the fattest of them and smiting down the chosen men of Israel, ending in dissension, sickness, and death.
Lessons Against Lust and Distrust
The winds that brought flesh were set in motion against a background of one part of the people working constantly against a good God. By disobedience they brought themselves into the condition that was the sure result of their own course of action. Under rebuke and chastisement they repented, yet when temptation returned they fell again into self-indulgence and self-gratification. The demand answered by those winds was a craving for food beyond the simple food God had given, an expression of dissatisfaction and indulgence of appetite.
They were not hungry but lusted, because in Egypt they had become accustomed to flesh food. God had withheld flesh because it is not man's natural food but produces disease and shortens life, and He purposed in the wilderness to educate them into correct habits so they would be a pure, holy, healthy people. Instead He fed them with the very best food, manna, the bread from heaven, angels' food, which would have preserved health and lengthened life. Because they did not believe in God nor trust in His salvation, and murmured that He could not furnish flesh in the wilderness, He gave them their own desire in anger by His own power causing an east wind and a south wind to bring feathered fowl in vast abundance like dust and like sand to fall in and around their camp. They ate and were filled, but while the meat was yet in their mouths His wrath came upon them and slew the fattest of them and smote down the chosen men of Israel, and their fate stands as a warning against lust and defiling the body.
The same dealing shows God to have been the source of Israel's strength, whom they forgot when trials came and turned to complaining. The warning is not to complain and forget God when trials come. The lesson instead is to stay connected with the source of all wisdom and power, to fully receive truth of heavenly origin, to be sanctified through it, and to keep continually advancing in the divine life.