Israelites Gathering Quail in the Wildernessby KandD
78:29Psalms 78:29
So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;
Psalm 78:29 records how God answered Israel's lustful murmuring by sending flesh in abundance, letting quails fall around the camp until they ate and were filled with the food they craved. They were not hungry in the wilderness, for God had given them manna, angels' food, the simple and wholesome provision best fitted to preserve physical, mental, and moral health, but accustomed to flesh in Egypt they despised and rejected it and wept for meat. Their eating and being filled was unbelief and distrust, preferring lustful appetite to trust in His wise provision and discipline, and yielding to self-indulgence and gluttony. What they received proved a curse rather than a lasting good, for while the meat was yet in their mouths the wrath of God came upon them, and its use brought dissension, sickness, plague, and death to thousands. It thus stands as the contrary example to true Bible religion, in which Christ abides within and heavenly truth is received unto sanctification and continual advancement instead of complaining.
Wilderness History and Provision
Psalm 78:29 belongs to a psalm that recounts the rich blessings God bestowed on His people and their poor return and response to those benefits. Israel in the wilderness was not hungry, but accustomed to flesh food in Egypt, they hankered after meat and murmured with lust for the food of Egypt. They wept and complained that God had brought them out to pine away.
God had provided manna, angels' food, as their food, the very best food, simple and wholesome. It was given to preserve physical, mental, and moral health, to preserve health and lengthen life, to make them a pure, holy, healthy people, and to educate them in correct habits. This was because He knew meat-eating is not man's natural food but produces disease and shortens life, so He withheld it for their good. They despised, hated, and rejected it and refused to restrain appetite.
In answer to lustful murmuring God by His power caused an east wind and brought in the south wind, raining flesh upon them as dust and feathered fowl like the sand of the sea. He let it fall in the midst of their camp round about their habitations. He thus gave them their own desire and the food they craved, and they ate and were filled and satisfied. Their desire for flesh was granted only for a short time, the provision that answered their craving being allowed for only one day.
Rebellion Lessons and Consequences
The eating and being filled shows Israel working constantly against a good God, preferring a lustful appetite to trust in His provision rather than trusting Him to give the food that would best preserve health. Their weeping and complaining revealed unbelief and distrust in His salvation, disregard for His wise discipline in the simple, wholesome food He had provided, and refusal to restrain appetite. When trials came they complained and forgot the source of their strength.
Their eating and being filled with their own desire was disobedience, self-indulgence, self-gratification, and yielding to temptation. Their craving led to gluttony. Receiving their desire did not bring health or happiness but proved a curse rather than a lasting good, allowed for only one day. Their rebellion and self-indulgence brought instead dissension, sickness, and death, and brought physical and mental decline.
They were not estranged from their lust, and while the meat was yet in their mouths the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fattest of them and smote down the chosen men of Israel. The gift brought judgment, and many died while eating the meat. Its use brought disease and death to thousands, and their craving led to gluttony and a plague from gluttony that killed many. Their course brought them into the state that was the sure result of their own action, followed by repentance under rebuke and chastisement and then falling again. The verse stands as the contrary example to Bible religion, in which Christ abides in the believer and truth of heavenly origin is fully received unto sanctification, producing continual advancement in the divine life instead of complaining.
Psalm 78:29 records how God answered Israel's lustful murmuring by sending flesh in abundance, letting quails fall around the camp until they ate and were filled with the food they craved. They were not hungry in the wilderness, for God had given them manna, angels' food, the simple and wholesome provision best fitted to preserve physical, mental, and moral health, but accustomed to flesh in Egypt they despised and rejected it and wept for meat. Their eating and being filled was unbelief and distrust, preferring lustful appetite to trust in His wise provision and discipline, and yielding to self-indulgence and gluttony. What they received proved a curse rather than a lasting good, for while the meat was yet in their mouths the wrath of God came upon them, and its use brought dissension, sickness, plague, and death to thousands. It thus stands as the contrary example to true Bible religion, in which Christ abides within and heavenly truth is received unto sanctification and continual advancement instead of complaining.
Wilderness History and Provision
Psalm 78:29 belongs to a psalm that recounts the rich blessings God bestowed on His people and their poor return and response to those benefits. Israel in the wilderness was not hungry, but accustomed to flesh food in Egypt, they hankered after meat and murmured with lust for the food of Egypt. They wept and complained that God had brought them out to pine away.
God had provided manna, angels' food, as their food, the very best food, simple and wholesome. It was given to preserve physical, mental, and moral health, to preserve health and lengthen life, to make them a pure, holy, healthy people, and to educate them in correct habits. This was because He knew meat-eating is not man's natural food but produces disease and shortens life, so He withheld it for their good. They despised, hated, and rejected it and refused to restrain appetite.
In answer to lustful murmuring God by His power caused an east wind and brought in the south wind, raining flesh upon them as dust and feathered fowl like the sand of the sea. He let it fall in the midst of their camp round about their habitations. He thus gave them their own desire and the food they craved, and they ate and were filled and satisfied. Their desire for flesh was granted only for a short time, the provision that answered their craving being allowed for only one day.
Rebellion Lessons and Consequences
The eating and being filled shows Israel working constantly against a good God, preferring a lustful appetite to trust in His provision rather than trusting Him to give the food that would best preserve health. Their weeping and complaining revealed unbelief and distrust in His salvation, disregard for His wise discipline in the simple, wholesome food He had provided, and refusal to restrain appetite. When trials came they complained and forgot the source of their strength.
Their eating and being filled with their own desire was disobedience, self-indulgence, self-gratification, and yielding to temptation. Their craving led to gluttony. Receiving their desire did not bring health or happiness but proved a curse rather than a lasting good, allowed for only one day. Their rebellion and self-indulgence brought instead dissension, sickness, and death, and brought physical and mental decline.
They were not estranged from their lust, and while the meat was yet in their mouths the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fattest of them and smote down the chosen men of Israel. The gift brought judgment, and many died while eating the meat. Its use brought disease and death to thousands, and their craving led to gluttony and a plague from gluttony that killed many. Their course brought them into the state that was the sure result of their own action, followed by repentance under rebuke and chastisement and then falling again. The verse stands as the contrary example to Bible religion, in which Christ abides in the believer and truth of heavenly origin is fully received unto sanctification, producing continual advancement in the divine life instead of complaining.