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| 1 And it came to pass, that, when the people were giving themselves up to murmuring, it was grievous in the ears of Yahweh,–so Yahweh hearkened, and kindled was his anger, and the fire of Yahweh burned among them, and consumed the uttermost part of the camp. |
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| 2 Then did the people make outcry unto Moses,–and Moses prayed unto Yahweh, and the fire sank down. |
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| 3 So he called the name of that place, Taberah [i. e. "A Burning"],–because there burned among them the fire of Yahweh. |
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| 4 Moreover, the mixed multitude that was in their midst, concealed not their lusting,–and so even the sons of Israel, fell away and wept, and said: Who will grant us to eat, flesh? |
A lusting – Typifying God's people seeking worldly doctrines (specifically, Evolution) instead of religious (spiritual) food. R5267:3*
Wept again – To murmur is to dispute the divine wisdom and promises and to long for food of one's own provision. R5306:2,6
The prayers of murmurers, when answered, often bring sorrow. R3061:2
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| 5 We remember the fish that we did eat in Egypt, without money,–the cucumbers, and the water-melons, and the leeks and the onions, and the garlick. |
Remember the fish – How apt are all to remember the pleasures of the sinful condition and to forget its hardships. R3036:3
The world's theories. R5307:1
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| 6 But, now, our soul is dried up, there is nothing at all,–unless, unto the manna, [we turn] our eyes. |
Beside this manna – Representing the living Bread supplied to the world by God in Christ. T122; R4037:5
Divine truth. R5307:1
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| 7 Now, the manna, was, like coriander seed, and the appearance thereof like the appearance of bdellium. |
Manna – Meaning "What is it?" R4012:4
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| 8 The people used to go about and pick it up, and grind it with a pair of millstones, or pound it in a mortar, and boil it in a pot, and make it into round cakes,–then was the taste thereof like the taste of a sweet cake made with oil. |
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| 9 When the dew came down upon the camp by night, the manna came down thereupon.
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Manna fell upon it – Evidently deposited in, or from, the dew by some power of God working in harmony with the natural laws of chemistry not yet thoroughly understood. R3036:4
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| 10 So then Moses heard the people weeping by their families, every one at the entrance of his tent,–then kindled the anger of Yahweh fiercely, and, in the eyes of Moses, it was grievous. |
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| 11 And Moses said unto Yahweh–Wherefore hast thou let thy servant come to grief, and wherefore have I not found favour in thine eyes,–that thou shouldest lay the burden of all this people, upon me? |
Moses – Who acted representatively in making the Law covenant with Israel, as Christ acted representatively in bringing it to an end. R1725:3-5
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| 12 Did, I, conceive all this people, or, I, beget them,–that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father carrieth a suckling, unto the soil which thou didst swear unto their fathers? |
As a nursing father – God dealt with Moses in making the Law covenant; he stood in the position of a father to the nation and they were regarded and treated as children under age. R5046:3, R1725:3
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| 13 Whence should, I, have flesh to give to all this people,–for they keep weeping by me, saying, Oh give us flesh, that we may eat! |
Give us flesh – Desires for worldly doctrines (specifically, Evolution) instead of religious (spiritual) food--Manna. R5267:3*
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| 14 Unable, am, I, by myself, to carry all this people,–for they are too heavy for me. |
Is too heavy for me – Moses, instead of being a schemer after power and authority, was really an overworked servant. A47
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| 15 But, if, in this way, thou art going to deal with me, slay me, I beseech thee, slay, if I have found favour in thine eyes,–and let me not see my grief. |
Kill me – Moses urged that if this burden must remain with him it would be better for him to die. R5306:4
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| 16 Then said Yahweh unto Moses–Gather thou unto me seventy men, from among the elders of Israel, of whom thou knowest that they are elders of the people, and their overseers,–then shalt thou take them unto the tent of meeting, and they shall station themselves there, with thee. |
70 men of the elders – Supposedly the original Sanhedrin. R4037:2, R5306; 4
Elders of the people – The civil government which was established was virtually a democracy. HG533:6
A form of government calculated to cultivate the spirit of liberty. HG534:2
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| 17 Then will I come down, and speak with thee there, and will take of the spirit that is upon thee, and put upon them,–and they shall carry, with thee, the burden of the people, and, thou, shalt not carry it, by thyself. |
I will take – Showing Israel's government to be a Theocracy. A46
Put it upon them – Fecundating their minds mechanically, without affecting them in any moral sense. E175
Bear the burden – God granted the prayer of Moses as a proper one. R5307:4
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| 18 And, unto the people, shalt thou say: Hallow yourselves by tomorrow, and ye shall eat flesh, for ye have wept in the ears of Yahweh, saying–Who will grant us to eat flesh? for it was well with us in Egypt,–so then Yahweh will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. |
Ye have wept – The murmurings of the people were classed as their prayers. They got what they desired, but with it a punishment. R5307:4
Let us take heed how we pray. R5307:4
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| 19 Not one day, shall ye eat, nor two days,–nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days: |
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| 20 for a month of days, until it cometh forth out of your nostrils, so shall it become to you a loathsome thing,–because ye have refused Yahweh who is in your midst, and have wept before him, saying, Wherefore, now, came we forth out of Egypt? |
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| 21 And Moses said, Six hundred thousand footmen, are the people in whose midst am, I: yet, thou, hast said–Flesh, will I give unto them, and they shall eat for a month of days. |
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| 22 Shall, the flocks and herds, be slaughtered for them, that it may suffice for them? Shall, all the fishes of the sea, be gathered together unto them, that it may suffice for them? |
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| 23 Then said Yahweh unto Moses, Shall, the hand of Yahweh, fail? Now, shalt thou see whether my word come to pass unto thee, or not. |
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| 24 And Moses went forth, and spake unto the people the words of Yahweh,–and gathered together seventy men from among the elders of the people, and caused them to stand, round about the tent. |
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| 25 Then Yahweh, came down, in the cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave unto the seventy men–the elders. And it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and then did so no more. |
They prophesied – This became a sign to the elders themselves and to all who heard it that they shared responsibility of leadership. R5306:5
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| 26 Now there were two men left behind in the camp–the name of the one, was Eldad, and, the name of the other, Medad, so then the spirit, rested on them–they, being among them who were written, though they had not gone forth unto the tent,–but they prophesied in the camp. |
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| 27 And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said,–Eldad and Medad, are prophesying in the camp! |
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| 28 Then responded Joshua, son of Nun, the attendant of Moses from his youth, and said,–My lord Moses, forbid them! |
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| 29 But Moses said unto him, Art, thou, jealous for, me? Oh would that, all the people of Yahweh, were prophets! Yea, let Yahweh put his spirit upon them! |
And Moses – Foreshadowing Christ's willingness to share the honors of the divine nature with the Church. R3553:1
Enviest thou for my sake? – An example of true and guileless statesmanship and meekness. A47
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| 30 Then was Moses received back into the camp,–he, and the elders of Israel. |
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| 31 Now, a wind, had sprung up, from Yahweh, and cut off quails from the sea, and let them lie over the camp–as it were a days journey here, and a days journey there, round about the camp,–and as it were two cubits, on the face of the land. |
Two cubits high – Every spring they come in great flocks and, wearied with the long flight across the Red Sea, fly so low, about two cubits from the ground, that they are easily captured. R4012:3, R5306:5; PD34/45
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| 32 And the people rose up all that day and all the night and all the next day, and gathered the quails, he that did least, gathered ten homers,–and they spread them out for themselves, spreading away, round about the camp. |
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| 33 The flesh, was yet between their teeth, not yet chewed,–when, the anger of Yahweh, had kindled upon the people, and Yahweh smote the people, with an exceeding great plague. |
Smote the people – Those who fill themselves with Higher Criticism and Evolutionary theories perish as New Creatures. R5307:1
Very great plague – An insidious pestilence, a fever from overeating. R5306:6, R3061:2
Errors produce a fever which consumes the New Creature. R5307:1
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| 34 And the name of that place was called, Kibroth-hattaavah,–because, there, they buried the people who had lusted. |
Kibroth-hattaavah – "Graves of greediness." R5306:6 Buried the people -- Thus did the Lord permit the murmurers to do themselves injury--a lesson for spiritual Israel. R5306:6
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| 35 From Kibroth-hattaavah, the people set forward to Hazeroth,–and they remained in Hazeroth. |
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