Terrible Murmurings of God’s People
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great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is
God’s.”
Deuteronomy 1:16, 17
.
“And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took
of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders:
and ... they prophesied, and did not cease.” Like the disciples on the
Day of Pentecost, they were endued with “power from on high.” It
pleased the Lord to honor them in the presence of the congregation,
that confidence might be established in them.
A strong wind blowing from the sea now brought flocks of quails,
“about a day’s journey on this side, and a day’s journey on the other
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side, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the face of the
earth.”
All that day and night and the following day, the people labored in
gathering the food miraculously provided. Immense quantities were
secured. All that was not needed for present use was preserved by
drying, so that the supply, as promised, was sufficient for a whole
month.
God gave the people that which was not for their highest good
because they persisted in desiring it. But they were left to suffer the
result. They feasted without restraint, and their excesses were speedily
punished. “The Lord smote the people with a very great plague.” The
most guilty among them were smitten as soon as they tasted the food
for which they had lusted.
At Hazeroth, the next encampment after leaving Taberah, a still
more bitter trial awaited Moses. Aaron and Miriam had occupied
a position of high honor and leadership in Israel. Both had been
associated with Moses in the deliverance of the Hebrews. Richly
endowed with gifts of poetry and music, Miriam had led the women of
Israel in song and dance on the shore of the Red Sea. In the affections
of the people and the honor of Heaven she stood second only to Moses
and Aaron.
But in the appointment of the seventy elders, Miriam and Aaron
had not been consulted, and their jealousy was excited against Moses.
They felt that their position and authority had been ignored. They
regarded themselves as sharing equally with him the burden of lead-
ership and regarded the appointment of further assistants as uncalled
for.