1.

REFLECTIONS.

O W dangerous is it to provoke God by murmuring, mur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer, says the apostle, 1 Cor. x. 10. We should guard against a fretful, discontented temper; and surely nothing can make it appear more odious, or detestable, than the conduct of Israel here. They murmured for nothing; they strangely magnified their enjoyments in Egypt, to make their present mercies appear less. This is the usual way of fretful spirits; they magnify their own former enjoyments, or those of others, that they may now be thought most miserable. Let us remember that God hears our murmurings; and not dare to break out into unseemly language. He is especially provoked when we do so, because it is dishonourable to him, and has a bad influence upon others. If we have any good ground for complaint, we ought to spread it before the Lord but he is displeased if we complain without cause. Let a man think what comforts he enjoys, what sins he commits, and how far he fails of his duty, and he will see infinitely more reason to rejoice and be thankful, than to complain.

2. How mean does it look to be so eagerly concerned about the things of this life! The Israelites complain that they had nothing but manna, and they must have flesh. This is below the character of an Israelite, much more that of a christian. Having food and raiment, as Israel had, let us be content; and not be over anxious what we shall eat, or what we shall drink. The gentiles seek after these things, who are strangers to God and his providence, his promises and covenants; but christians ought not so to do. When nothing will serve men but such and such delights and gratifications, it is a sign of the dominion of a worldly, carnal mind. May we, therefore, learn to have our conversation without covetousness, and to be content with such things as we have.

3. How easily can God command refreshment in the greatest extremity! The manna was a constant miracle, and so was the prodigious quantity of fowls. How excellent is his dominion over the kingdom of nature! All creatures are at his disposal. It is then very unreasonable in us to distrust his power and care, when we see the tokens of his providence every day and every hour. Let us guard against unbelief, for it will make us the most miserable of men. We may learn also from this extraordinary instance of divine power, to cast all our care upon God, who careth for us; and when tempted to distrust him, let us ask ourselves the question which he asked Moses, Is the Lord's hand waxed short ? Are his stores exhausted? Do his mercies fail? Let us think of the experience we have had of his goodness in former instances, and not affront and dishonour our heavenly Father, by an unbelieving disposition.

24

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CHAP. XI. 24, to the end.

The seventy elders are gathered, and quails sent.

ND Moses went out of the tabernacle, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle, appointed them to come before the Lord at the door of 25 the tabernacle. And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the Spirit that [was] upon him, and gave [it] unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, [that] when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease; that is, through all that day they spoke to the people in a sublime and elevated manner, concerning the greatness and glory of God, the excellency of his laws, and the reasonableness of submitting to his government and disposal in all things; so as to show that they were under a divine influence ; and these serious, remonstrances and admonitions rendered the sin of the people, which immediately followed, the more aggravated.

26

:

But there remained two [of the] men in the camp, the name of the one [was] Eldad, and the name of the other Medad and the Spirit rested upon them; and they [were] of them that were written, nominated and appointed to come, but went not out unto the tabernacle, perhaps being unwilling to take the charge upon them, as Saul was, 1 Sam. x. 22. and God's providence so ordered it that they prophesied in the camp. 27 And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad 28 and Medad do prophesy in the camp. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, [one] of his young men, answered, and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. This he spake out of zeal for his master, (v. 29. so Luke ix. 49, 50. Mark ix. 38.) because they seemed, by their staying behind, to refuse to 29 have any dependence upon Moses. And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? dost thou think their conduct reflects upon me, or derogates from my honour? would God that all the LORD's people were prophets, [and] that the LORD would put 30 his Spirit upon them.† And Moses gat him into the camp, well pleased and satisfied, he and the elders of Israel, who were thus solemnly admitted and fixed in their office.

31

And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the Red sea, and let [them] fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's

• This was an additional proof that whatever there was of the sublime in the discourses of the other elders, it was not in consequence of their being before God, and their being elevated with the honour done them, but because his Spirit came upon them: so that even these men, though probably hid in their tents, could not forbear breaking out into a sublime discourse.

This was a most noble reply, and expresses the meek disposition of Mosos, and his affectionate regard for all the people.

journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it 32 were two cubits [high] upon the face of the earth.* And the people stood up all that day, and all [that] night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least, gathered ten homers :† and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp, to dry in the sun, or per33 haps to salt. And while the flesh [was] yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD Smote the people with a very great plague; probably the chief murmurers or ringlead34 ers were seized with sickness till they died. And he called the name of that place, Kibrothhattaavah, that is, the graves of lust, to which their immoderate desires brought them; because there they buried the people that lusted.

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1.

[And] the people journeyed from Kibrothhattaavah unto Hazeroth; and abode at Hazeroth.

WE

REFLECTIONS.

"E may learn from this part of the chapter, how easily God can punish us, even when answering our unreasonable desires, by turning them into plagues and miseries. He gave this discontented people their desire, but sent his wrath with it. Psalm lxxviii. 31. God highly resented this notorious affront and took such a method of showing his displeasure, by which they might read their sin in their punishment. Let this moderate our desires; let us be careful that they are reasonable, and not pretend to prescribe to God. He may grant our request, to our unspeakable grief and torment. God is a wise and affectionate father; and if he denies his children any thing, it is because it is not good for them. Let us then always be disposed to say, Father, not as I will, but as thou wilt.

2. We see the energy of the Spirit of God in fitting men for whatever they are called to. How remarkably did he pour it out on these seventy elders, to fit them for their work! It was his Spirit, poured out on his servants in former ages, that furnished them with their gifts and graces; and it should be our wish and prayer that it may be poured out upon the ministers of God; that his Spirit may clothe them, and furnish them for the services to which they are called; that when they may be ready to suspect themselves, and to decline any important service, they may be animated to it, and strengthened for it. The residue of the Spirit is with God: to him let us look, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift: He will give his Spirit to all them that ask it.

The Psalmist says, It rained flesh like dust, and feathered fowl, or flying fowl, like sand of the sea, (Psalm 1xxviii. 25) Some have supposed they were locusts, because of the quantity, and their being common food, capable of being dried by the sun, and kept a long time; but it is in the original, Fwl of the wing, or flying fowl.

+ Some good commentators think it should be rendered heaps, or large quantities.

3. How amiable is it to conquer the workings of envy, and to endeavour to root it out of the mind. Moses sought not himself, nor his own honour, but the glory of God, and the good of his people. When Joshua would have had him silence the two prophets, who did not come into the tabernacle, he rejected the proposal with disdain. How amiable a spirit! The spirit of the gospel is a spirit of meekness and love. Instead of grieving at the superior abilities, and greater acceptance of others, we should rejoice in them, and bless God for them; be glad that Christ is preached, and souls saved, though by those who are not of our party or persuasion; yea, by whom our party may be lessened. Instead of having them forbid preaching and labouring for souls, as hath been frequently done by warm zealots, we should bid them good speed in God's name, and pray that their numbers may be increased. Remember what the apostle James saith, ch. iii. 16, 17. Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy

CHAP. XII.

Miriam and Aaron's sedition, and Miriam healed.

·AND Miriam, (see Brod, xv. 20.) and Aaron spake

against Moses, despised his authority and affronted him, because of the Ethiopian woman, or Cushite, whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman, that is, Zipporak, the daughter of Jethro, who was an Arabian, which 2 part of the country was called Cush, or Ethiopia."

And they

said, hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? why then should we not have a share in the government? at least be advised with in matters of moment? especially considering that we never were guilty of debasing and mingling the holy seed, as he hath. And though Moses did not hear all their insolent speeches, or animadvert on 3 those he did hear, yet the LORD, heard [it.] (Now the man Moses [was] very meek, above all the men which [were] 4 upon the face of the earth.†) And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, to stop the sedition immediately, as it might have a very bad effect on the peo

This was a great many years before, and there was no law that could directly affect this case. Perhaps Miriam and Zipporah had some private quarrel; Miriam might think that Zipporah's relations, Jethro and Hobab, had been too much attended to, and that she and Aaron should have been consulted in choosing the seventy elders.

Some have thought that Joshua inserted this verse; but it is more probable that Moses wrote it in the simplicity of his heart, under the direction of the Spirit of God, to show how groundless the charge was. See Patrick in loc..

file; and he said, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of 5 the congregation. And they three came out. And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood [in] the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam : and they both came forth.

6

And he said, Hear now my words; though you are prophets, yet know, there is a difference in prophets, nor do I put equal authority and honour upon all of them if there be a prophet among you, [I] the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, by causing the representation of a thing to pass before his eyes when awake, [and] will speak unto him 7 in a dream when asleep. My servant Moses [is] not so, not such a prophet, to whom I reveal myself only by dreams or visions, but he is one whom I greatly regard, and who [is] faithful in all mine house; he does not act partially, he is no selfseeker, as you charge him, but is faithful over all my church 8 and people. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, more plainly than with others, and not in dark speeches, not in parables, and obscure figurative expressions; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold, more of God's similitude than any other, without fainting and terror: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them, and he departed, he withdrew the sign of his presence, as judg 10 ing them unworthy of any further discourse. And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle, and, behold, Miriam, because she began the quarrel, [became] leprous, [white] as snow :* and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and behold [she was] leprous. It was his business, as high priest, to do it, and he pronounced her unclean; which must greatly affect him, who 11 had deserved the same punishment. And Aaron spake to his younger brother with great humility, and said unto Moses, Alas! my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, where12 in we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned. Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb; like a child dead in the womb; let her not live in this miserable condition, continually shut out of the camp and useless to society.

13

And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee; thus showing how soon he had for14 given the injury. And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed to come into his presence for seven days? much more when I have expressed my anger against her, and poured shame and contempt upon her let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and 15 after that let her be received in [again.] And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days, to humble her, to give her

• This was the worst kind of leprosy, and was reckoned incurable.