The Punishment of Discontent
“And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; and the Lord heard it, and his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.
“And. the people cried unto Moses, and when Moses prayed unto the Lord, the fire was quenched.
“And he called the name of the place Taberah, because the fire of the Lord burned among them.
“And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting; and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, who shall give us flesh to eat?
“Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent, and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.
“And Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? And wherefore have I not found favour in tjiy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?
“Have I conceived all this people — have I begotten them, that thou shouldst say unto me. Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the suckling child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?
“Whence should I have flesh to give to all this people; for they weep unto me, saying. Give us flesh, that we may eat.
“I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.
k “And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight, and let me not see my wretchedness.”
We have recently been considering- the discontented state of the people. We now proceed to discuss its cause and effect.
What was the reason that the Israelites were so dissatisfied, and expressed themselves so impiously? Alas! all had not perished in the Red Sea, who ought to have been drowned in it. There was with the children of Israel, a people who bore the curious name of Haasaphsuph, which is well rendered by the expression, “a mixed multitude.” What kind of a people they were, I cannot say. They were distinguished from the children of Israel, and were, therefore, no descendants of Abraham. In Nehemiah, the term implies the Ammonites and Moabites, who, according to a divine regulation, were never to form a part of the people of God. But what the people were, who are here meant, it is difficult to decide. However, they were the cause of temptation, sin, and consequent punishment to the children of Israel.
This “mixed multitude” is still to be met with in spiritual Israel, and that in a two-fold respect.
First, the christian church originally consisted entirely of true christians, regenerate, and believers. The dreadful persecutions they experienced, prevented any other than such as were really sincere, and taught of God, from joining them, or else such individuals were separated from them again by these very persecutions, which no one could endure without being in actual possession of grace and spiritual life. They were not of them, otherwise they would have contmued with them. Although, for a time, they might have assumed the christian name, yet they continued to belong to Judaism, heathenism, the world, and the powers of darkness. Their apostacy was, therefore, no loss, but a gain. Yet even at an early period, all kinds of tares mingled themselves with the wheat, which could not be hindered, but was, nevertheless, to be lamented. But when, at length, external and worldly advantages were connected with Christianity, and some were even compelled by fire and sword to assume it — the number of the heathen diminished greatly, whilst that of nominal Christians increased amazingly; but truth, godliness, and the kingdom of God gained little by it.
An immense “mixed multitude” accompanied the Israelites, and mingled with them far too much. The christian church became like a net, full of good fish and bad, or like a field, where tares and wheat grow together, so much so even that the wheat is scarcely perceptible on account of the quantity of tares, and godliness because of abounding ungodliness. But such a mixed multitude is unfit for the service of God, and at length a separation takes place, the wheat from the chaft”, the former being gathered into the barn, the latter cast into the fire. The church of God is not increased by marriage nor by confirmation, but by a birth from God. The riiajority of those who call themselves Christians, have no real right to that appellation, but belong to the “Haasaphsuph.”
There have been those in all ages, who by a strict church-discipline, have endeavoured to amend this deplorable state of things, and were desirous of gathering churches consisting entirely of true Christians; but they failed in both respects. The penalties which the church enjoins, are of that nature, as to be no punishment to the majority, but that which they prefer; since they consist solely of excluding the individual from its fellowship and the sacrament. But from these the wicked and unbelieving abstain of themselves, and would regard it in the light of a punishment, if they were compelled to attend the preaching of the word and to partake of the sacrament. Other little penances, formerly enjoined, are now become obsolete. We are, therefore, left secretly to grieve and pray over the breach made in Zion, and the wound of Joseph, and do what we are able. The Lord will at length send those, who shall fill up the gaps, and repair the ways, and will visit the transgressors with heavy judgments, and at length with the judgment day, when he will separate the sheep from the goats. Meanwhile, let every one be diligent to become a Christian, an anointed one, not merely in name, but in deed, and in truth.
Even as this “mixed multitude” did not perish with Pharaoh in the Red Sea, but adhered to the Israelites and accompanied them, so in the justification of life, though sin may have for ever lost its damning and controuling power through the blood and the Spirit of Christ in true believers, yet Scripture and experience teach us, that, even in the latter, the flesh or carnal will still exists together with the spirit, and that these are opposed to each other; that with the new man, there is still an old man, who must be crucified and slain by the former. And in the strife between the two, the deep depravity of the human heart, the utter inability of the natural will to the performance of that which is gjood, the horrible power of sin, the insufficiency of the law, and all our own efforts, the craft of the devil, and the inexpressible necessity of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, as well as his suretyship, and the victorious power of his Spirit, are made manifest.
The behaviour of the lustful people, made Moses, who took no part in it, apprehensive of evil consequences. And he had cause; for the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly. He had immediate recourse to punishment, and sent out a fire amongst them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp; and hence the place was called Taberah, or burning, as also Kibroth-hattaavah, or the graves of lust. God, in this instance, is angry according to the’ spirit of the law; and O, how far do its requirements extend — how unlimited is the holiness of God! No evil work has yet been committed. They had merely lusted, and that too after something which was by no means evil in itself. Certainly some wicked words were used, which were offensive to God, whom they challenged to work a miracle, if he were able; and here the assertion proved true, “Be not deceived; God does not suffer himself to be mocked.” But yet how frequently does this occur, and what would become of mankind, if they were always to be punished in such a manner, as he inflicted it upon his chosen people! How many excuses might have been made; but nothing of the kind was listened to, however plausible it might sound. The law says, “Thou shalt not covet;” for desire is sin, and ought-never to enter into our hearts. And ‘* cursed is every one, who continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them.”
Hence we see how very deficient men are in the true and correct idea of sin and its lawlessness and culpability. If they do much, they grant, it is true, that this or that act is sin, a transgression of the law, and yet maintain that it may be committed, without the individual being on the whole a wicked man, and possessing a perverse and evil heart. Words are made light of, and they are far from believing, that for every idle word they may have spoken, they are punished in the sight of God; for the deity the world figures to itself is a wretched being, which it neither fears nor loves, and from whom — speaking seriously — it expects neither good nor evil. But that lust should be sin, it will by no means allow; yet, notwithstanding, it does not cease to be true, that even lusting and desiring is a damnable sin,
However, it is nothing surprising, that this should not be recognized. Even the Apostle Paul acknowledges that there had been a period of his life, in which he also, by reason of the blindness of his heart, had not perceived this. And hence he succeeded in regarding himself as blameless with respect to the law, because he did not transgress the other nine commandments in an outward manner. But how was he astonished, when his eyes were, opened to see that even lust or desire was sin! This gave him, so to speak, the key to the whole gospel, and no man was more joyful at its contents than he, when it revealed to him the righteousness which avails in the sight of God, which comes through faith in Jesus Christ, whom he had previously so violently opposed. When you begin with him to understand and know that desire is sin, you will also grieve with him on account of it,
M very gladly flee to Christ, and, like Paul, place an inestimable value upon him. But that lustful desire is sin, and worthy of death, the present portion of Scripture teaches us in a very. striking manner, if we are only susceptible of teaching, and willing to be taught.
The requirements of God are of great extent. We must on all occasions renounce our own will, and obey, without the smallest contradiction, the only good will of God; we must, if called upon, part with even our most harmless wishes, and willingly endure the most painful sufferings and privations. But who is sufficient for these things, unless God enable him? We must nevertheless be seriously concerned to become a perfect man, ready to every good work through faith in Jesus Christ. The Christian ought to learn to submit to every thing, accommodate himself to every thing, and assent to every thing — sin excepted.
The occurrence in the camp displeased Moses, and rendered him anxious. He raises a complaint, and pours it out in many words, as we read in verses 11 — 15, which do not evidence much faith in the sight of the Lord. He seems to himself too incapable for that which he has to perform, and thus thinks of himself in the abstract. He first of all complains that the Lord is not gracious enough to him. ‘* Wherefore,” asks he, “have I not found favour in thy sight?” Thus expressing a formal doubt qf the Lord’s good pleasure towards him; nor is it any uncommon or singular phenomenon, that persons who have received the most powerful and all-pervading assurances of the divine favour, are afterwards assailed by violent scruples, which, however, prove nothing against the correctness of such assurances. For doubts are no proofs. This sometimes arises from faults committed; at other times not so. Yet even this is salutary for many reasons. The Christian ought not to place his confidence in the assurances he may have received, but solely in Christ; and as soon as the former prevents the latter, it is good that it be assailed. It is also useful in promoting humility. He learns to know his weakness, that he may cleave the more closely to that, which he supposed he held so firmly -his dependance upon the Lord; seeing that “no man can receive any thing, except it be given him from above.”
Moses however, thinks that God is not sufficiently gracious to him, otherwise God would not have laid the burden of all the people upon him; and asks, ‘’Wherefore dost thou afflict thy servant?” It is no singular or unheard-of case, that believers may also imagine, if God were gracious to them he would avert from them such sufferings, trials, and temptations, as those by which they are surrounded; and they are unable to make the two agree. They are also ready to say, “If I have found favour in thy sight, wherefore dost thou thus afflict thy servant?” How is it possible that, if this were the case,- 1 should have so much to suffer and endure ?~that I should experience such feelings of unbelief and corruption — that all my prayers find so little hearing, and that my trials are of such a kind, duration, and violence? Ought nothing whatever, therefore, to induce us to doubt of his love, even in the smallest degree?
If we reflect on the fate of the primitive Christians, and would measure the Lord’s favour to them by their
m2 persecution, must we not rather regard them as objects of his wrath than of his love, seeing that they were treated as sheep for the slaughter, and killed all the day long?
And how does it stand with them inwardly?. Is it always Sunday, Easter, Ascension-day, Pentecost, and Christmas? or is there also a time of fasting as in Lent? Is it always summer, or is there also a rude autumn — always sunshine, or sometimes gloomy days, storm, and tempest? Do all true Christians invariably experience that the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; or are they likewise conscious that they must enter into it through much tribulation? Read of Job, hear a. David, listen to a Jeremiah. See how gloomy, contracted, and oppressed their hearts frequently appear, and learn from them, that the grace which rules over an individual, may suffer him to feel in such a manner, as to make him infer wrath rather than love from it. How does it sound, when Job says, “The arrows of the Almighty pierce me, his arrows drink up my spirit. Thine eyes look upon me, therefore I am consumed. When I say, my bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint, then thou scarest me with dreams and terrifiest me through visions!” or when David says, “I am afflicted, ajid ready to die from my youth up, while I suffer thy terrors, I am distracted!”
And are all these no proofs to the cojitrary of divine love? Are we to believe and hope, when nothing is to be hoped for? Shall we regard the evil day, as if it were a good day?
O Lord, do thou strengthen us! Without thee we k can do nothing; but all things when thou enablest us. He that is not a Christian is wretched in the midst of prosperity. The Christian is happy in the midst of suffering. For the Lord will deliver and honour him. “Nevertheless, T am still with thee*!” Amen.