The Journey from Lust to Bondage

Scripture:

Numbers 11:31-35 And there went forth a wind from the Lord and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall [so they flew low] beside the camp, about a day's journey on this side and on the other side, all around the camp, about two cubits above the ground. (32) And the people rose all that day and all night and all the next day and caught and gathered the quails. He who gathered least gathered ten homers; and they spread them out for themselves round about the camp [to cure them by drying]. (33) While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote them with a very great plague. (34) That place was called Kibroth-hattaavah [the graves of sensuous desire], because there they buried the people who lusted, whose physical appetite caused them to sin. [I Cor. 10:1-13.] (35) The Israelites journeyed from Kibroth-hattaavah to Hazeroth, where they remained.

Observation:

The remaining verses of the chapter describe the fulfillment of the dreadful promise given in Numbers 11:19-20 in the coming of the quails, and the plague which followed. The wind from the sea in Numbers 11:31 is referred to in Psalm 78 as both east wind and south wind which blew from the Arabian Gulf, bringing vast numbers of migratory birds from the south. The psalmist's description of meat raining on them "like the dust" and "like the sand of the seas" makes it clear that it was an unusual, indeed, miraculous manifestation in the natural realm. In what follows in Numbers 11:32-33, it becomes clear, as Calvin points out, that "God did not wait till satiety had produced disgust, but inflicted the punishment in the midst of their greediness."

Numbers 11:34 tells us that their physical appetite (also called lust) caused them to sin. Craving or lusting is more than inappropriate sexual desire. It can be an unnatural or greedy desire for anything (sports, knowledge, possessions, influence over others). In this circumstance, God punished the Israelites for craving good food! Their desire was not wrong; the sin was in allowing that desire to turn into greed. They felt it was their right to have fine food, and they could think of nothing else. When you become preoccupied with something until it affects your perspective on everything else, you have moved from desire to lust.

This takes place in Kibroth-hattaavah which means the "graves of sensual desire." From there they traveled to a place called Hazeroth, which means "fenced enclosure."

Application:

How does this apply to me?

Because of a complaining, discontented, thankless spirit, the children of Israel found themselves whining to each other, and to Moses, that they didn't have any meat to eat. As noted last week, they were crying "manna, manna, manna" with disdain in their attitudes toward God. I just read that one of the meanings of "complain" is to make a charge or accusation against God. In other words, that God isn't taking good care of me. When I don't believe that God is taking good care of me, then I begin to crave and lust after things that I feel that my relationship with God is keeping me from. When I do that, slow spiritual death begins to take place. I find myself in Kibroth-hattavaavah, or the "graves of sensual desire." I may get what I crave, but the final painful results will not be worth any amount of pleasure that I may obtain.

On top of that, I will end up in Hazeroth, which is a "fenced enclosure" or a place of bondage. It was in Hazeroth that Miriam, Moses' sister, being displeased that Moses had married a Cushite wife (Numbers 12:1) induced Aaron to join with her in rebelling against Moses. God vindicated the authority of his "servant Moses," and Miriam was smitten with leprosy. Moses interceded for her, and she was healed (Numbers 12:4-17). Now, even the leadership of the Israelites have begun to complain to each other. It is very easy to allow whining and complaining to influence my life instead of my life influencing the whiners and complainers away from the discontent they are verbalizing if I am not very careful.

They "grave of sensual desire", or lust, will eventually lead to the place of "fenced enclosure" and I will find myself in spiritual bondage and it is very likely that I will "remain there" for some time. The journey from lust to bondage is not that far away from any of God's Children. So, I must guard and fight against anything that will remove my thankful, and grateful attitude. I am blessed beyond measure...I need to act like it!

Galatians 5:1 Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.

Prayer:

"Lord, I thank you for the freedom and liberty that you have given to me. I am so sorry for the times I allow myself to complain and whine about something that I do not have, or something that I really wanted to do. When I whine or complain, I now realize that I am "charging" you Lord with not being able to take care of me or my needs. How easy do I begin to do that. I truly repent from the bottom of my heart. My heart, right now, is so full of thanksgiving and praise for each blessing that you have poured into my life. I do not want to see my spiritual life begin to drift from you, and die in "the graves of sensual desire." Nor do I want to end up in Hazertoh where I am fenced in with bondage because of my decisions. The Israelites "remained there" for some time. It took a while for them to leave the "fenced enclosure." My prayer today is that I will never again allow anyone to put a harness of slavery on me. I choose to stay away from "the graves of sensual desire" and the "fenced enclosures" that desperately want to swallow up my dreams, desires and purpose. I give you my desires, dreams and purposes, and die to the whims and lusts of the flesh. I love youLord, and thank you for this SOAP for my life today. In Jesus' name, amen!"