A scripture again is taken from the 11th chapter of the book of Numbers and we'll be looking at verses 4 through 6, Numbers chapter 11 verses 4 through 6. Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving and the people of Israel also wept again and said, oh that we had meat to eat. We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions and the garlic, but now our strength is dried up and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at. Amen. May God richly bless both the reading and the hearing of His Holy Word. There are a couple of things that we should note as we look at this passage. One, I'm reminded of Jesus' words in the New Testament when he, one of his rebukes against the Pharisees is that he says you search high and low to make disciples of men only to make them twice the child of hell that you are. In which case Jesus is rebuking not the evangelistic zeal that the Pharisees had for unbelievers but what the Pharisees, what had become to those who had been converted or were part of the worship ceremonies of the people of God, what they had become under their tutelage. In other words what they had discipled them to become. And Jesus basically says we produce what we believe and so since your belief is off what you produce in your discipleship is also off. I can't help but think of late Dr. Evie Hill who said that he counseled a couple of once that were going through some challenges and the husband had a whole series of complaints about his wife and then finally he just said well she's just mean as a bear. And Dr. Hill says he turns to the man and he says well what she liked that when you married her and he says no that's the problem. He says she was sweet and everything when I married her but now so Dr. Hill looked at him and said so this is what she has become under your leadership and that kind of changes things doesn't it. And so that's what Jesus is getting at when he rebukes the Pharisees that what they were were unbelievers but what you make them when they get under your tutelage is worse than unbelievers. And I think that's basically what we see in this particular passage in the 11th chapter of the book of numbers. We know by the way in the ESV where it says rabble the term therefore rabble it refers in other text as the mixed company or the mixed congregation and what it refers to is when the children of Israel left Egypt. And they there were not only Israelites that left but there are others that left. Now it could have been some who were disenchanted Egyptians and they saw the power of God and were convinced that God's power and so they joined the company of the Israelites. Or it could have been other people groups that had been enslaved as were the Israelites and when the Israelites got their liberty that they joined in them. But one of the things that we understand from the very beginning from the time that the Lord calls Abram we understand that God always anticipates strangers being included into the covenant community. And as we saw a part of our response of reading which references the great commission in the great commission part of our responsibility as they covenant community is to preach and teach to the nations and when the nations respond we are to receive them and disciple them in the very things that we have been taught. That's not just a New Testament concept, that's an Old Testament concept even when it came to the introduction of the Passover. The Lord says that when you come into the land and then you are to do this for the sake of your children so that when your children ask but then also even your neighbors and your strangers who come in. So the law of God always makes room for non-Israelites to at some point be included into the covenant community. And so it's no surprise that when the children of Israel leave Egypt that there are those who were witnesses of the display of God's mighty power in the plagues against Egypt that they wanted to go with them. That they wanted to be a part of that company, that they wanted to be associated with the God who freed them from bondage. And so here we see this mixed company and in our text we see some horrible things about the mixed company but before we see them at work really the passage kind of opens going back to the first verse where it speaks not just of the mixed company. But it seems like this is the instigation of the people of the Israelites because we are told that the people complain in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes. So it seems as if, especially given the fact that in verse 4 we see a distinction made between the mixed congregation or the mixed company and then the people in verse 1, it leads me to think that the ones who were leading this cry of war. This cry of complaint or these cries of complaint were the people of God, those who had the most history with God, those who had the revelation of God's promise to Abraham passed on in their tradition, those who understood the mighty hand of God. Because Moses was concerned about when the Lord called him at the burning bush and he says go and tell Pharaoh to let my people go. And Moses said but now when I go before your people who should I say sent me. And how, they are not going to just believe me, take me at my word because these people have a tradition, yes it's been obscured by their experiences but they have a tradition of revelation from God and they know God. They know the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob and so these are the people that are given to complaining. And now hold in mind that we should pause here also and note that complaining, I know it's second nature this morning we talked about impatience and we are so accustomed to impatience that we don't understand that it's sinful and that it's part of our fallen nature but so is complaining. Complaining is also, even though we are very accustomed to it and we are accustomed to doing it we don't understand that complaining itself God views in a most despicable way. In fact we see the response that God has to the complaining it's almost as if he is like I'm just fed up with it and so when the people complain it notice what it says in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes. Now one has to think what are they talking about the misfortunes and it would be the discomforts that they have experienced since they left Egypt. Now the reason God probably is angry with this is not only because he has proven himself since they left Egypt but also because ultimately what they are doing is complaining against him. No matter what it is that he's done they are complaining against him and so God responds by consuming the people and fire comes out from the Lord but in any event this complaining sets a pattern it becomes the norm within the camp. So since the people of God have complained it's no wonder that by the time we get to verse 4 that the mixed company follow the lead of those who are their role models in the faith and now we see that complaining becomes something else and by the way you notice that the Israelites join in as well. But in verse 4 it says and the rabble or the mixed company that was among them had a strong craving. Now what is it that the connection that we want to see here is the complaining in verse 1 that has now produced craving in verse 4. By craving in fact the term that's translated craving is the same one that is equivalent with lusting so this is more than hunger. And usually when we when food is in physical things become the source of our complaint usually is more than the food in the same way with it's amazing how we blow things up and so in this case the craving this lusting is a passion or desire that drives their actions. And so we are told that because the children of Israel complain in essence we're not told this but but what in essence what follows is because the children of Israel set this pattern of complaining then it allows the those who are the mixed company to pitch in and say yeah by the way. And then notice now the children of Israel jump in and follow the pattern that set by the mixed company so it says in verse 4 and the children and the people of Israel who also wept so this craving this desire is what opens in verses 4 through 6 that the mixed company had a strong craving. The craving is greater than the things they call out you see it's the craving the craving it's it's something there's there's a passion within them that is void of a love or passion of God. So their passion they they fill it they talk about the melons and the garlic and and and the leaks and all the stuff they ate but but really it's not if you gave them a basket full of leaks they would still have the craving. See the craving is a desire for something at a level they're trying to satisfy something at a physical level that can really that can only be satisfied at the level of the soul it's the discontent that that fallen humanity has when we are not reconciled to God or if we are reconciled to God when our reconciliation with God is not when when it's not nurtured the relationship and reconciliation that we have with God when it is not nurtured and one of the ways in which we nurture the relationship and the reconciliation that we have with God is by enjoying what he has provided. So since they have a craving in place of satisfaction in other words a longing and a lusting it's it's one of those things you just I just want to eat something and you think you know what it is and then you get it no that's not what it is there's there's a deeper hunger there's a hunger and a thirst at the level of the soul that is probably being portrayed here and the reason I can say that is being portrayed here even though it's they they are using food and stuff is because of what happened. You see what it's it begins by separating the craving for from the means that they seek to sat or they use to satisfy the craving in verse four we are told that they had a craving and then we are told in verse five how they are looking to satisfy it and so because they have a craving for something other than God Himself notice how they make much of what they once had and that's what we do. They go back and they start looking at at better days and and it's amazing how our our memory works our memory works where when we are plugged into something good we forget everything that's bad and when we're plugged into something that's negative we forget everything that's good. That's our blue moods our our blue moods are when we the only thing that we can think about is what hurts never about what makes a smile never about what makes us happy at that moment and that's just part of again part of our fall in nature is that we are prone to those kind of swings and the same thing when people want to romanticize the past that we forget all of the negative and we think only of the good. And what's the ironic thing here is that these are people that God did not come to save but when he came to save the Israelites they were so happy to get out of Dodge they were ready to go but look at what they now elevate and they bring to the surface they bring the fact that oh boy remember the days remember when we had this and we when we had that remember remember when we had need to eat remember when we ate food. Fish and we were in Egypt and it didn't cost us anything I mean that's like saying remember when we were back on the plantation and master used to come and bring us free food every night remember that remember when we had onions and leeks remember that and that's what we have a tendency to do the complaining has a way of maximizing problems and minimizing what is real and what is present. In fact even in look and romanticizing the past no one says remember the night when the Lord came through and struck down the first born of everything in Egypt remember that night when the death angel came and not even a dog bark nobody says that but here's what they say when God has delivered them after God has delivered them and the children of Israel set this pattern of complaining complaining about their misfortunes complaining against God because they're tired of been and it's interesting it's almost it's if it weren't so sad it would be comedy when you read all of the complaints of the Israelites wouldn't we have been better off to die didn't we have places to bear this is at the crossing of the red sea by the way. Didn't wouldn't it have been better for us to die and be buried in Egypt rather than to die out here in a watery grave where nobody's going to be able to come to our funeral isn't wouldn't we have been better off if he had just left us alone. Thank God that God is not sensitive to our complaints he responds but he's not sensitive in other words he doesn't he doesn't save us and start trying to save us and then we start complaining so we'll just go back. I'm sorry I leave you no he brings us he snatches us as a stronger man snatches one from the clutches of a strong man snatches us from the clutches of the enemy and then he works the enemy spirit out of us. And so in this case the children of Israel complain because of their misfortunes and the miss and the mixed company now pitch in and they talk about what they used to have they remembered the meat they remembered the fish they remembered the cucumbers they remembered the melons they remember the leaks they remember the onions they remember the garlic they remembered that it didn't cost them anything but they forgot they were in bondage isn't that convenient. They forgot they were in darkness they were they forgot the anger of the Egyptians when Pharaoh when when Moses first came to set them free and he's oh you guys have free time so continue to make bricks and build and find your own straw and many were beaten they forgot the fact that Pharaoh killed the first born or killed all of the males that were born of a certain age they forgot all of them. And they joined in the course with the with the mixed multitude of oh it was better off back then then here's the interesting thing the third thing that we see is that as they make much of their past they minimize what God has presently given them. Now I know I'm prone to hyperboot about those things that is the most interesting thing in the Bible or the most understatement the greatest understatement in all of the Bible but I might be on to something here I think this might be the most the most significant understatement in all of the scriptures in the boldness of an audacity of this statement and it's also very indicative of so many believers who are in Christ. After they complained about all of the food that they have we see two things in verse six first off we see something that explains their complaining and here's what what what explains their complaining it says at the end of verse six or in verse six but now our strength is dried up and the reason that such an accurate statement is because their strength was tied to their physical food. And if the only thing that is strengthens that that strengthens them is physical food then their strength has dried up. If their strength is based on that which is left in Egypt it is dried up because they didn't have any strength to begin with but then here is the greatest understatement of all. Brace yourself I didn't say it this is what these people have got said and look and there is nothing at all but this manner to look at. We used to have free fish on Fridays I'm sure free onions, leeks, garlics, melons and we had we had all of that free and we could eat as much of it as we want as we wanted but now all we have now and our strength is dried up. I'm tired I'm out here tired because I don't have any of what I used to eat when I was on my training regimen for being a slave in Egypt I don't have that anymore I'm tired now I don't have any more strength. The only thing that is in front of me is manner. Now isn't that an understatement what a revelation into the souls all they have is manner so what I want to do in closing is look at this manner what is it that they have we know what they don't have they don't have they don't have they don't have onions they don't have Egypt grown melons they don't have the fish that comes out of the Nile anymore all they have is manner. That's all they have and notice what they said to look at that's the part of their problem they they looking at it but they don't understand what they're looking at. What is this well first off let's understand about manner the source of the manner what does manner come from in fact Moses obliges us because he tells us in verse seven he goes on to explain what manner about the manner or verse. Verse 7 he goes on to talk about the manner and tells us what it was like in its constitution but let's let's begin with this that the source of the manner is God himself. Now now understand this what I say that God is the source of the manner what I don't mean I don't mean it in the same way that when we say God put bread on our table. Does God put bread on our table yes he does but he does it through secondary means right he gives he gives us a means by which we can earn to purchase what farmers grow and others produce but ultimately at the end of the day God is the source of our bread on our table but God is not the source of manner in the same way that he's the source of bread on our table because none of us or not many of us God up this morning and went outside and got your breakfast off of your porch that someone had prepared beforehand and delivered for you right I don't think so. See that's that's not where we get that's not where we get our breakfast and when you go home at night you don't look outside and pick up your dinner which is prepared for some from by somebody and placed on your doorstep or on your lawn. God supplies the means and God supplies the resources by which you can receive that which nourishes your body not so with manner the source of manner is God himself and God directly in other words you go to bed at night you wake up you look out your tent and guess what's waiting for you. Man now with this man he said where did it come from no store no one farmed it no one no one planets man a seed and got mana no one no there's no mana fields no mana orchards God personally delivered mana every day and notice way Moses goes on to describe mana and there's one thing in it that I just absolutely love he says now the mana was like coriander seed in its appearance. Like that of Bedilla the people went about and they gathered it they gathered it they ground it in hand mills or they beat it in mortars and and they boiled it in pots and they make cakes of it and the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil which means if you put it in a brown bag it left a little spot that's the best food. Yeah that's the best food when it leaves you a brown bag little greasy and where did this come from it came from the hand of God this man was durable it could be prepared in a number of ways but when you ate it it was sweet to the taste and little oil just just a little bit and so this mana has its source from God and guess what it was also free they they don't mention that. It was also free it was prepared and delivered by God himself but here's the second thing to understand about this mana the mana was sufficient it was sufficient every door had enough mana or every tent had enough mana for that tent. You didn't have to look around say well what about baby you know because baby's big and he's even a lot now whatever you had in your household the mana was sufficient to supply the needs of your household. Nobody went lacking and you know God had this law for his people concerning the Sabbath and so on the Lord's day or on the Sabbath no one was supposed to go out and do any work and that would have include gathering the mana that God himself supplied so what God does was on Saturday on Friday he supplied enough mana for Saturday and it was so sufficient he says I know you're tempted you're tempted to have leftovers. You're tempted to double up on mana for tomorrow no mana is good for the day as long as you needed and somebody didn't believe it. I love the fact that we that somebody didn't believe it so that we could have it on record what happens when you try to double store on what God freely gives. They woke up in the morning so that they could have some early morning mana while everybody was waiting to get theirs and they went and there was nothing but worms. Because God is sending a message in the mana that the one who supplies it knows what you need and whatever you need I've given it to you. You don't have to save up you don't have to store you don't have to steal from God. And so the mana was sufficient it was sufficient to meet the needs of the household and it was sufficient to supply them so that they didn't have to break God's law in order to get it. If it was a double family you know sometimes family lives in they they they move in together the mana was good for the whole tent. Nobody had to go out begging for mana because the one who supplied it knows what his people need it. The mana was sufficient the mana the source of the mana was God himself but the mana was sufficient to meet the needs of God's people it was sufficient for the day. In fact not only was it sufficient for the day it was sufficient for the journey. There's a statement in the book of Joshua when the children of Israel enter into the Promised Land and just before they cross over the Jordan River the scripture says and the mana ceased. The mana ceased wonderful statement another one of those understatements in the Bible the mana cease what that meant is the mana God stopped supplying the mana because he's showing them greater things the mana was to supply them until he got them to their greater promise. Then here's the third thing that we see about the mana the mana satisfied. The mana satisfied it it was not only sufficient for the household and sufficient for the need but it satisfied and it satisfied at two levels if you understood the mana it's satisfied at two levels. On one level it satisfied our physical needs the physical needs of God's people for whatever reason they wanted more but the mana enabled them to do everything that God had called them to do. Sometimes you can eat something and your hungry again before it goes down good but the mana satisfied them it filled them you see the onions that they lacked it says their strength dried up mana when you're strengthened by the mana your strength doesn't dry up because it satisfies it satisfies the physical needs that God intends it to satisfy. It satisfies the body God doesn't give that's why we're told that it tasted good and you know some things that taste that are good for you are not always good to you you know some cash oil you remember cash oil when when children see you remember cash oil now and I don't know who said that that oil made out of the liver of a caught fish ought to be consumed by humans and said that it was good for us but it certainly wasn't good to us was it anybody remember caught liver oil yes that stuff is horrible okay and but again it stinks too and but yet we're told that it was good for us here's what we get in the mana the mana was good for the people of God so good that not only does it cease but when they entered into the promise land among the things that they put into the temple when the temple would be built among the things that they put in it was the arc of the covenant and in the arc of the covenant was a jar of mana just to remind them remember when see the mana supply them that's why the Lord when he gets ready to in the book of Deuteronomy when they're getting ready to enter into the promise land Moses reminds them just how sufficient and satisfying to them God has been for them he says you've been in the wilderness 40 years and your shoes haven't worn out and your clothes haven't worn out and your food you've been satisfied with mana every day every day and and God has satisfied you and strengthened you there is not an enemy that you have encountered that he is not strengthened you to defeat there is not an obstacle that you've encountered that he has not supplied you with sufficient strength and to overcome it the mana has all of the daily recommended vitamins that you need because it strengthens your body but the mana also is supposed to satisfy not only the body and the physical needs the mana was also supposed to satisfy the needs of the soul the purpose of the mana was so that God's people would know that the God who miraculously supply the mana has something better for me and while the mana ceases that God's provisions for me will never cease that's why it ended when they went into the promise land but ultimately brothers and sisters the mana points us to Jesus the mana itself was a reminder that just like the mana has the physical mana that fed the children of Israel that it came from God and it was freely given God doesn't get our input on what we need God sees our need and freely and fully supplies it in what he has given us in Jesus it comes from him we didn't work for it we didn't earn it Jesus came we didn't ask him to come from heaven he came because the father sent him from heaven in the same way that he sent the mana but brothers and sisters not only does the mana point us to the freeness of grace in the person of Jesus Jesus like the mana is sufficient he is sufficient for all that we need he is sufficient for life and Godliness what God has given us in Jesus is enough and we don't need anything else but not only that Jesus satisfies and that's why he could say in John's gospel that I am the bread of heaven your fathers ate mana in the wilderness and died but that mana was only pointing to the coming of the bread of life I by the way and the bread of life and anyone who eats of me you never hunger again why because Jesus satisfies the level of both the body and the soul so brothers and sisters here's what we see these people look to the mana in the same way that many contemporary Christians look to Jesus when we start longing for programs and everything else and puppet shows and gimmicks and dances and all of that what we're saying it was better when we were in Egypt we used to be able to do all that stuff but now all we get is Jesus all we have to look at is Jesus and brothers and sisters I dare say that if you have been saved from the bondage of sin yeah that's true all you have is Jesus but all you need is Jesus we're told that when the disciples the three of the inner circle disciples that were with Jesus on the mount of transfiguration one of the gospel writers tells us that Peter he went and in fact there's a word from God who speaks but Peter sees these figures Jesus and Elijah and Moses and he wants to build tabernacles tense to these to honor them and then the father spoke this is my beloved son here him and then the gospel writer goes on to say and they looked and they saw Jesus only somehow the other two were gone and all they could see was Jesus and preachers over the ages have preached on that Jesus only I know Charles Spurgeon and then someone just sent me a leak of a Lutheran brother just recently who preached on that and Jesus only and brothers and sisters that's what we need that's what we teach that's what feeds that's what satisfies at the level of the soul Jesus only I pray that we would not be a people in this generation or in this local church who would celebrate that which is fleeting and complained because the only thing that's left is Jesus because brothers and sisters all we need is Jesus we need Jesus only because Jesus only satisfies and Jesus only is sufficient and Jesus only is our salvation and what strengthens us in the journey what cures our complaining is when we see Jesus and Jesus only let's pray father we thank you for your word