Numbers 11'13

1
Warnings!

• Numbers 11.1-3

2
Many Kinds of Warnings in Life!
3
Many Kinds of Warnings in Life!

• Fore!

4
Many Kinds of Warnings in Life!

• Timber!

5
Many Kinds of Warnings in Life!
6
Numbers 11.1-3

• Now the people became like those who mourn over
  evil / a disaster in the ears of Yahweh. So when
  Yahweh heard it, his anger was inflamed. The fire
  of Yahweh burned against them, consuming the
  outskirts of the camp. But the people cried out
  to Moses. Moses interceded with Yahweh, so the
  fire died down. That place there was named
  Taberah, because the fire of Yahweh burned
  against them.

7
Numbers 11.1a

• Now the people became like those who mourn over
  evil / a disaster in the ears of Yahweh.

8
1. The People Wronged Yahweh

• "The People"
• First occurrence in the book of Numbers.
• It has militant overtones over against "children
  of Israel" and "my people"

9
1. The People Wronged Yahweh

• NIV - ". . . complained about their hardship in
  the hearing of the LORD."
• NRSV - ". . . complained in the hearing of the
  LORD about their misfortunes. . . ."
• TNK - ". . . took to complaining bitterly before
  the LORD. . . ."

• What were they "complaining about"?
• A Famine?
• Lack of Water?

10
1. The People Wronged Yahweh

• They "became like those who mourn over evil / a
  disaster in the ears of Yahweh."
• They acted as though Yahweh had not been
  providing for them taking care of them.

11
1. The People Wronged Yahweh

• Num 10.29, 23 Moses conversation with Hobab
• "We are setting out to the place of which Yahweh
  said, "I will give it to you all. Come with us!
  and we will be good to you for Yahweh has
  promised good concerning Israel."
• "And if you go with us, the good which Yahweh
  would cause good to us will also be good to you."

12
Numbers 11.1b-c

• So when Yahweh heard it, his anger was inflamed.

13
2. Yahweh becomes Angry

• "The OT does not consider divine anger to be
  merely a negative thing. It can also be an
  indication of the unlimited greatness and
  sovereignty of God." Johnson

14
2. Yahweh becomes Angry

• "Yahweh's anger against his people is mixed with
  a clearly expressed element of compassion. Yahweh
  is a compassionate and merciful God therefore he
  is longsuffering and does not become angry
  easily." Johnson

15
Numbers 11.1d-f

• The fire of Yahweh burned against them, consuming
  the outskirts of the camp.

16
3. Yahweh Gives a Warning

• This passage does not say that anyone was killed
  by the fire!

17
Numbers 11.2a

• But the people cried out to Moses.

18
4. The People Appeal to Moses

• The word "cry" is usually the word that is used
  to represent a "cry for help to Yahweh"
• Here it is sadly directed toward Moses to
  intercede on their behalf.

19
Numbers 11.2b

• Moses interceded with Yahweh, so the fire died
  down.

20
5. Moses Intercedes

• To intercede means to become a "Loyal Opposition"

21
Numbers 11.3

• That place there was named Taberah, because the
  fire of Yahweh burned against them.