Israelites Gather Quail in the WildernessBible World
78:27Psalms 78:27
He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:
God answered Israel's craving for meat by raining flesh and feathered birds upon them in vast abundance like dust and like sand, bringing them by His power with an east wind and a south wind to fall around their dwellings in the midst of the camp until they ate and were filled with their own desire. They were not hungry but lusted from habit formed in Egypt, distrusting God to give food best for health, despising and rejecting the simple wholesome manna, the bread from heaven, which would have preserved physical, mental, and moral health and lengthened life. He had withheld flesh for their good because it is not man's natural food but produces disease and shortens life, and His restrictions were meant to educate them toward a healthier diet that they might be a pure, holy, healthy people. The giving was an act of anger and brief concession to murmuring rather than the food suited to them, and while the meat was yet in their mouths His wrath slew the fattest of them and smote down the chosen men, so that indulgence brought dissension, sickness, and death rather than health and happiness. They were written as ensamples for admonition to God's people today upon whom the ends of the world are come, not to defile the temple of God with intemperate appetite but to advance continually in the divine life.
Wilderness Provision and Ingratitude
He rained flesh upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like the sand of the sea, answering their craving for meat with vast abundance let fall round about their dwellings in the midst of the camp until they ate and were filled with their own desire. The provision stands alongside the bread from heaven, and belongs among the rich blessings and generous benefits bestowed upon them. He brought the birds by His power, causing an east wind and a south wind to blow.
They were not hungry but lusted from habit formed in Egypt, where they had subsisted largely on flesh, and longed for Egypt's meat with an appetite opposed to His purpose to preserve their health. They distrusted Him to give food that would best preserve health, were dissatisfied with the simple, wholesome food He provided, despised it, and demanded meat. Their craving and disregard of His restrictions showed indulgence of appetite.
The food they rejected was manna, the bread from heaven, angels' food, the bread of the mighty. It would have proved a blessing by preserving physical, mental, and moral health and lengthening life. He had withheld flesh meat for their good because it is not man's natural food, and meat-eating produces disease and shortens life. His restrictions were meant to educate them in correct habits toward a healthier diet, that they might be a pure, holy, healthy people, and the flesh they received instead was limited and became a curse.
The raining of flesh came through disobedience and brought the sure result of their own course, for the children of Israel worked constantly against a good God. It belongs to a history of rich blessings repaid poorly, of generosity met with ingratitude. When trials came they complained and forgot the source of their strength. Under rebuke and chastisement they repented and then fell again through temptation, self-indulgence, and self-gratification.
Judgment and Health Warning
Granting flesh in abundance was an act of anger and judgment, a brief concession to discontent and murmuring rather than the food best suited to their training and mission. Though the supply was overwhelming, it was limited — held by those who taught it to one day's provision — and it became a curse.
While the meat was yet in their mouths wrath came upon them and slew the fattest of them and smote down the chosen men of Israel, so that with many God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Many died while eating what gratified their appetite, and thousands suffered disease and death from the granted animal food. Appetite and dissatisfaction led them to eat to excess, and many died in the resulting plague.
The indulgence answered craving but brought dissension, sickness, and death rather than health and happiness. Their craving amid dissatisfaction with simple, wholesome food, and their disregard of restriction, show that indulging appetite brings physical and mental decline. Their continued resistance to a non-flesh diet kept the matter a source of complaint, warning that turning from divine guidance and choosing self-indulgence brings suffering.
These things were written as ensamples for admonition to God's people today upon whom the ends of the world are come, not to defile the temple of God with intemperate appetite. Those in whom Christ abides, who fully receive truth of heavenly origin and are sanctified through it, will not repeat that complaining when trials come and forgetting the source of strength, but will continually advance in the divine life.
God answered Israel's craving for meat by raining flesh and feathered birds upon them in vast abundance like dust and like sand, bringing them by His power with an east wind and a south wind to fall around their dwellings in the midst of the camp until they ate and were filled with their own desire. They were not hungry but lusted from habit formed in Egypt, distrusting God to give food best for health, despising and rejecting the simple wholesome manna, the bread from heaven, which would have preserved physical, mental, and moral health and lengthened life. He had withheld flesh for their good because it is not man's natural food but produces disease and shortens life, and His restrictions were meant to educate them toward a healthier diet that they might be a pure, holy, healthy people. The giving was an act of anger and brief concession to murmuring rather than the food suited to them, and while the meat was yet in their mouths His wrath slew the fattest of them and smote down the chosen men, so that indulgence brought dissension, sickness, and death rather than health and happiness. They were written as ensamples for admonition to God's people today upon whom the ends of the world are come, not to defile the temple of God with intemperate appetite but to advance continually in the divine life.
Wilderness Provision and Ingratitude
He rained flesh upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like the sand of the sea, answering their craving for meat with vast abundance let fall round about their dwellings in the midst of the camp until they ate and were filled with their own desire. The provision stands alongside the bread from heaven, and belongs among the rich blessings and generous benefits bestowed upon them. He brought the birds by His power, causing an east wind and a south wind to blow.
They were not hungry but lusted from habit formed in Egypt, where they had subsisted largely on flesh, and longed for Egypt's meat with an appetite opposed to His purpose to preserve their health. They distrusted Him to give food that would best preserve health, were dissatisfied with the simple, wholesome food He provided, despised it, and demanded meat. Their craving and disregard of His restrictions showed indulgence of appetite.
The food they rejected was manna, the bread from heaven, angels' food, the bread of the mighty. It would have proved a blessing by preserving physical, mental, and moral health and lengthening life. He had withheld flesh meat for their good because it is not man's natural food, and meat-eating produces disease and shortens life. His restrictions were meant to educate them in correct habits toward a healthier diet, that they might be a pure, holy, healthy people, and the flesh they received instead was limited and became a curse.
The raining of flesh came through disobedience and brought the sure result of their own course, for the children of Israel worked constantly against a good God. It belongs to a history of rich blessings repaid poorly, of generosity met with ingratitude. When trials came they complained and forgot the source of their strength. Under rebuke and chastisement they repented and then fell again through temptation, self-indulgence, and self-gratification.
Judgment and Health Warning
Granting flesh in abundance was an act of anger and judgment, a brief concession to discontent and murmuring rather than the food best suited to their training and mission. Though the supply was overwhelming, it was limited — held by those who taught it to one day's provision — and it became a curse.
While the meat was yet in their mouths wrath came upon them and slew the fattest of them and smote down the chosen men of Israel, so that with many God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Many died while eating what gratified their appetite, and thousands suffered disease and death from the granted animal food. Appetite and dissatisfaction led them to eat to excess, and many died in the resulting plague.
The indulgence answered craving but brought dissension, sickness, and death rather than health and happiness. Their craving amid dissatisfaction with simple, wholesome food, and their disregard of restriction, show that indulging appetite brings physical and mental decline. Their continued resistance to a non-flesh diet kept the matter a source of complaint, warning that turning from divine guidance and choosing self-indulgence brings suffering.
These things were written as ensamples for admonition to God's people today upon whom the ends of the world are come, not to defile the temple of God with intemperate appetite. Those in whom Christ abides, who fully receive truth of heavenly origin and are sanctified through it, will not repeat that complaining when trials come and forgetting the source of strength, but will continually advance in the divine life.