Lesson date: 10/23/5855AA

Verses 1-3 – The Children of Yisra’el have now been on their journey for one month. Because they had to flee quickly, during the night of Passover/Unleavened Bread, they could not carry a large store of provisions. It is at about this time, between Elim and Sinai, that their provisions have been exhausted. Once again we see them grumbling: H3885 – לין / לוּן – lûn / lı̂yn – BDB Definition: 1) to lodge, stop over, pass the night, abide

As you can see, the word for grumble, grumbled or grumbling means to stop, lodge, tarry or literally stay the night. Until Exodus/Shemoth 15:24 it is not translated as grumble or murmur. It literally means to stop your forward progress and spend the night((grumbling)). How many times have we stopped our forward progress in the Word so that we could grumble “during the night”?? What happens if we are grumbling and complaining?? We are not focused on the Word of Elohim. Why? Because we, ourselves, got in the way. We put our needs, wants and desires ahead of His, so we lost focus of what was the most important part of keeping His Word. What are the “two” commands of Yeshua? Mat 22:37 And יהושע said to him, “ ‘You shall love יהוה your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being, and with all your mind.’ ((Deu_6:5.))

Mat 22:38 “This is the first and great command.

Mat 22:39 “And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ ((Lev_19:18.))

Mat 22:40 “On these two commands hang all the Torah and the Prophets.”

If we are busy loving and obeying YHVH and loving our neighbor as ourselves we have no time, or need, to grumble among ourselves. It is when we stop doing these two commands that we have time and desire to grumble.

So what had happened? Well, we see that during the intervening period of “30” days the Children of Yisra’el had lost their focus. They were no longer worried about the Commands of Elohim but were instead worried about their stomachs: Php 3:19 Their end is destruction, their mighty one is their stomach, and their esteem is in their shame – they mind the earthly.

1Co_6:13 Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods – but Elohim shall destroy both it and them. And the body is not for whoring but for the Master, and the Master for the body.

Here is one the beautiful parts of the Word: “when we sat by the pots of meat”. The word for meat is: H1320 – בּשׂר – bâśâr – BDB Definition: 1) flesh 1a) of the body 1a1) of humans 1a2) of animals 1b) the body itself 1c) male organ of generation (euphemism) 1d) kindred, blood-relations 1e) flesh as frail or erring (man against God) 1f) all living things 1g) animals 1h) mankind

Now, are you ready for the entire meaning of meat? Here it is: H1319 – בּשׂר – bâśar – BDB Definition:((verb)) 1) to bear news, bear tidings, publish, preach, show forth 1a) (Piel)  1a1) to gladden with good news 1a2) to bear news 1a3) to announce (salvation) as good news, preach 1b) (Hithpael) to receive good news

The word “basar” is the word from which we derive the word (noun) for “the Good News” – besorah(noun-the good news) or the plural “bosorot”: Heb 5:12 For indeed, although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first elements of the Words of Elohim. And you have become such as need milk and not solid food.((G5160 – τροφή – trophē – trof-ay’ – From G5142; nourishment (literally or figuratively); by implication rations (wages): – food, meat.))

Heb 5:13 For everyone partaking of milk is inexperienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.

Heb 5:14 But solid food is for the mature whose senses have been trained by practice to discern both good and evil.

1Co 3:1 And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual ones but as to fleshly, as to babes in Messiah.

1Co 3: I fed you with milk and not with solid food((G1033 – βρῶμα – brōma – bro’-mah – From the base of G977; food (literally or figuratively), especially (ceremonial) articles allowed or forbidden by the Jewish law: – meat, victuals.)), for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able,

1Co 3:3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is envy, and strife, and divisions among you, are you not fleshly and walking according to man?

We can see a direct link from the word for “meat” and the word for the noun form of basar, besorah, the Good News. Please look at what Sha’ul is saying about the “Good News”, that it is meat and not milk. It is not easy to digest but it is filling and nourishing for the whole “body” not just satisfying the appetite. It is evident in what Sha’ul writes that it takes “maturity” to digest it and to live upon it, otherwise we revert back to the food of “babes” and that is milk. So, what is milk? The basics: Heb 6:1 Therefore, having left the word of the beginning of the Messiah, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of belief toward Elohim,

Heb 6:2 of the teaching of immersions, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of everlasting judgment. ((This must be milk but does it look like milk in today’s theology?))

Heb 6:3 And this we shall do, if Elohim indeed permits.

Looking at it, the Children of Yisra’el went from camping with the Leader at Palm Springs to the Wilderness of Sin and had no meat to eat, or had meat and were not able to handle it in the form that they had. And this lead to grumbling.

Breaking it down, it took only 30 days from witnessing the Right Hand of Elohim working miracles in their midst to grumbling against the Most High. Remember, they were still being led by day by the pillar of cloud and at night by the pillar of fire. They could still see the proof of the mighty works of YHVH right in front of their very eyes, but their stomachs got the best of them.

Verses 4-5 – Pouring out His Blessings like rain. When He does this to a ‘people’ or nation it is a test.