The Heaton File

Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. (Acts 12:1-3)

Why James?

Luke does not elaborate on the death of James, but it had an impact on the family and friends of James. Sons of Zebedee, James and his brother John, were fishermen called by the Lord early in His ministry. They were also business partners with Peter and Andrew, who were fishermen in the region of the Sea of Galilee. Chosen by the Lord to be an apostle, James became part of Jesus’ inner circle. Peter, James, and John accompanied Jesus to the mountain where the Lord was transfigured. At the healing of Jairus’s daughter, only Peter, James, and John were permitted to go in with Jesus. The Lord had private meetings with the three apostles. When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane praying, He allowed only Peter, James, and John to join Him.

Nothing is said about James in the beginning of Luke’s account of the Acts of the Apostles. He is mentioned with the eleven when Matthias is chosen. Then he is mentioned as the one Herod chooses to inflict harm upon the church. King Herod wanted to harass and persecute the early church because he knew it would please the Jews. It is unclear why he chose James, but he seemed to believe James was influential enough to impact the church. Peter was not the first choice. Herod wanted to afflict the church in a big way by choosing James.

Luke records that Herod killed James with the sword (beheaded). Herod arrests Peter and places him in prison guarded by sixteen elite soldiers. He intended to follow the same pattern with Peter and kill him with the sword. However, because of the Passover, Herod chose to wait before killing Peter. While Peter was imprisoned, the church prayed constantly for him. After Peter is released from prison by an angel of the Lord, the apostle finds himself at the home of Mary, the mother of John. Many were gathered, seeking the Lord’s petitions to save Peter from certain death. Peter was delivered, but James was not.

Why was Peter spared and James killed? The scriptures do not tell. There is little doubt that, when James was arrested, his family and the church felt great concern. The church prayed that James be delivered, but he was not. Realizing Herod’s intention, the church prayed fervently for Peter’s release. He was released. Seeking the answers to why God allowed James to die and why Peter was spared exceeds the wisdom and knowledge of man. Understanding why a righteous man like James was killed so early in the ministry of the church comes without answers. Peter did a lot of for the kingdom of God. The remainder of Luke’s Acts of the Apostles focuses on the ministry of Paul. James had an important role in the foundation of the church, and his death highlights the cruelty of man against man. Was it possible for God to deliver James? The only answer is a resounding “yes,” but it was not in the will of the Lord.

God has a greater plan unknown to men. When men try to understand the workings of the Lord God, they tread on ground that is holier than they can manage. The will of God is unknown to the mind of man. How He decides to have His will accomplished is not a matter of debate among His children, because no one can fully grasp the full picture of God’s will and determination for humanity. James died at the hands of a cruel and evil man. The gospel of Christ did not change Herod, nor did it keep righteous people (like Stephen) from being killed. Thousand died in the early church. Why someone dies and why someone lives are not important questions. What must be understood is how the glory of God is manifested in the lives of God’s children.

The family of James grieved his passing. They sought answers, but none were found. The human emotion of grief filled their hearts. What kept the faithful strong in the Lord was their faith in an Almighty God who knows and cares for all His children. How God manifests His work in the affairs of men is reserved for the heavenly sphere where God dwells. The mind of God is far above the mind of men. His will is always for His glory, and sometimes that glory brings grief to a family. It must always be remembered that the heart of the Christian dwells in the eternal comfort of God’s love, and that one day everyone will pass through the valley of death to their eternal home. Live in such a manner that death is nothing more than a brief sleep before the day of resurrection.

My apologies for the lack of posts over the past few weeks. Our son is in the hospital battling cancer, and we have been overwhelmed with caring for him. As time permits, the blog will return with articles. Thank for your kind encouragement and prayers.

kent

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. (Colossians 3:8)

Sins Of The Tongue

Some parts of scripture are difficult to digest and hard to understand. These studies require more diligence to glean the Holy Spirit’s meaning and purpose for the text. Many passages are crystal clear in their meanings. It does not require a Greek scholar to erudite a meaning or pontificate a principle. When the Holy Spirit tells the Christian to put off anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy language, the meaning is as clear as the divine mandate demands. Trying to excuse the text only means the unwilling heart refuses to accept the teaching of the Lord and remove sin from the heart.

Anger is one letter short of danger because it always comes with its own set of problems. Words spoken in anger do not encourage, exhort, or enlist feelings of fondness. Anger allowed to boil becomes sin. Paul reminded the Ephesian church not to let the sun go down on their anger. There is a boiling point at which righteous indignation becomes sinful anger. The emotion of anger has destroyed relationships, marriages, and friendships and has brought irreparable harm to others. Uncontrolled anger is a sin. There is no excuse. It cannot be assumed that God approves of anger as a means of communication. Jesus became angry, but His anger was directed toward righteous indignation over sinful behavior. He never allowed anger to become sin. The Christian is not to be known as a person of anger. Getting angry at another motorist does not fit the mold of a child of the Holy God. Anger leading to shouting and screaming is not a holy relationship. The Holy Spirit demanded that anger be removed from the life of the Christian.

Wrath is similar to anger but more intense. It becomes a passionate spirit of fierce anger and indignation. When a person goes into a rage, they become filled with wrath. Jesus got angry, but He never experienced wrath. What value is there when a child of God exhibits wrath? Where is the glory of God when the emotions boil over into words of wrath and exhibitions of violent behavior? This has no place in the life of the Christian. The Holy Spirit condemns the wrathful spirit and labels it a sin.

Malice is an outgrowth of anger and wrath. It becomes an extension of uncontrolled anger leading to wrath. The behavior of the malicious heart is one filled with the desire to brood over slights and find ways to bring revenge on another. It is an insidious way to hurt others. The poison of a malicious heart gossips to destroy, maligns to discredit, and hopes for evil to come upon another. Blasphemy is when an evil heart reviles and speaks evil of others to destroy them. There is the obvious use of blasphemy against God, but in this text, Paul means how the hearts of men spew out poisonous lies about others. It is sinful to speak evil of dignitaries and those in positions of authority. God does not accept the heart that is filled with blasphemy, whether against Him or those He created.

The final admonition from Paul speaks generally of anything untoward in the language of the Christian. Filthy language or a foul mouth is not part of the Christian character. Cussing is unacceptable. Using crude language is sinful. Lewd jokes, indecent stories, and unseasoned speech meant to incite passions are sinful. The world must see and hear the voice of the Christian as one whose speech is seasoned with the salt of God’s grace. To speak otherwise is not just unwise but unholy. The admonition of the Holy Spirit is to warn against those things that will jeopardize the soul’s salvation. Warnings against idle speech are given to mold the character of the Christian to be an example of holiness in a world filled with perverse language. The filthy rags of unkept speech should not be part of the clothing of holiness worn by the child of God.

And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. (Acts 22:16)

No Hesitation

The spirit of acceptance has always characterized obedience to God’s will without hesitation. When Ananias came to Saul of Tarsus, his message was for the persecutor to accept the will of God in his life and obey the Lord’s commands. It was a remarkable change for the man who violently challenged the early church, dragging men and women to prison, compelling saints to deny Jesus, and casting his vote for those condemned to die. Ananias exhorted Saul not to wait, but arise and be baptized, washing away his sins. Calling on the name of the Lord demands action. Saul responded immediately because his heart did not challenge the word of the Lord. There was no time to argue or fuss over whether baptism was necessary. Saul obeyed without hesitation.

Obedience to the word of the Lord demands acceptance without hesitation. God told Abraham to leave his country for a place unknown. Abraham obeyed immediately. When the son of promise was born to Abraham and Sarah, God tested Abraham, telling him to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that the Lord would show him. Abraham rose early in the morning and set out on the three-day journey to the place where he would offer his son. There was no hesitation as Abraham came to the place that God had told him about and built an altar to sacrifice his only beloved son. Without hesitation, Abraham took a knife to slay his son, but the Angel of the Lord stopped him. Abraham obeyed in faith believing the word of the Lord without doubting.

Goliath confounded the army of Israel for more than forty days. No man dared fight him as he was the champion of the Philistines. All the mighty men of Israel were fearful of the giant. King Saul was dismayed and greatly afraid of Goliath. The army of God could do nothing but cower in their tents. It was David who immediately stepped into the valley of Elah to face the giant. There was no hesitation on David’s part to face the giant because the Philistine dared defy the people of the Lord. With the courage of faith and the resilience of trust in God, the young shepherd faced Goliath and killed him. There was no hesitation on his part to do the will of the Lord.

On the Day of Pentecost, Jerusalem was filled with devout Jews from every nation. The Holy Spirit came upon the twelve apostles to declare the good news of the resurrected Christ. Peter showed how Jesus of Nazareth was the long-promised Messiah who would take away the sins of the world. The Jews had crucified Jesus, but God made Him Lord and Christ. When the crowd heard the message of salvation through Jesus Christ, they were pricked in their hearts and begged Peter to tell them what to do. Peter told them to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins. The gift of the Holy Spirit would be given to them as a promise from the heavenly Father.

There was no hesitation on the part of three thousand Jews who immediately obeyed the gospel. They did not argue that faith alone saves or that grace saves them apart from baptism. Three thousand devout Jews immediately obeyed the word of the Lord. The examples of conversion in the book of Acts show the same kind of urgency. There were no debates, arguments, or long discussions. The Ethiopian eunuch responded, “Here is water, what hinders me from being baptized?” Hearts opened to the word of God do not argue with God. Ananias told Saul not to wait, and the man from Tarsus did not wait. Why do you wait?

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:37-39)

The Thief Who Was Not A Christian

When Jesus was sentenced to death, Pilate included two men convicted of robbery to be crucified with Him. Jesus was put in the middle of the two men who railed and reviled against the man from Nazareth, blaspheming Jesus as He suffered. They mocked Jesus who said He would destroy the temple and build it again in three days, calling Himself the Son of God. The mockery was intense. Jesus was alone on the cross as the world reviled Him. After a few hours, one of the thieves had a change of heart begging Jesus for mercy. The thief chided his fellow transgressor, as guilty men declared that Jesus was innocent of any crime. He then begged Jesus to remember him when the Lord comes into His kingdom. Through God’s grace, Jesus told the thief that he would be with Him in Paradise.

Around 3:00 pm, Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed His last. A short time later, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies of the three men crucified should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, the Jews asked Pilate to hasten their deaths. This was done by breaking the legs causing extreme pain and hastening death. The soldiers came to the first robber and broke his legs and did the same to the second robber. They both died quickly thereafter. However, when the soldiers came to Jesus, they saw that He was already dead and did not break His legs. To confirm death, a soldier pierced the side of Jesus with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

The greatest miracle happened three days later when Jesus rose from the dead as Lord and Savior. Before ascending to the Father, the Lord spent forty days with the disciples teaching them concerning the kingdom of God. He instructed the eleven to go to Jerusalem and on the Day of Pentecost, the gospel of Christ was preached to an audience of devout Jews. In response to the apostles’ powerful message, three thousand Jews were baptized for the remission of sins through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Peter had proclaimed that Jesus was both Lord and Christ. These converts would later be known as Christians.

When the two thieves crucified with Jesus died, they suffered a terrible death by crurifragium. Jesus had already died and when the soldiers broke the legs of the two robbers, they died quickly thereafter. The thief who was promised Paradise died after Jesus breathed His last. He also died before the resurrection of Jesus. The covenant of grace through Jesus Christ was not established until the resurrection of Jesus when He was Lord and Christ. When the thief died, the Law of Moses was still binding for the Jews. He died under the Law of Moses. The thief was never a Christian as he died before Christ rose from the dead to establish the law of grace and truth.

The disciples of Jesus were first called Christians in the church at Antioch nearly fifteen years after the thief died. Paul would tell the Roman Christians that salvation included those who confessed with their mouths that Jesus was Lord and believed in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead. The thief could not have confessed Christ and believe Jesus was risen from the dead because Jesus had not risen from the dead. There was never a time when the thief was a Christian. He died under the Law of Moses, through the grace of Jesus, who promised him Paradise. The Law of Moses has been abolished, and the covenant of Jesus Christ requires everyone to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins, believing that Jesus died and rose from the dead. The thief could not do that – but you can.

Then he said, “The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:14-16)

Jesus Loves Me

One of the most popular Christian hymns is “Jesus Loves Me,” based on a poem by Anna Bartlett Warner (1827-1915). William Batchelder Bradbury (1862) created the familiar hymn known today. The poem appeared in a two-volume novel by Anna Warner and her sister, in which a young boy is at the brink of death and is being comforted by a Sunday school teacher who makes up a little song: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” It has become one of the most iconic and popular songs in Christian hymn writing.

The second verse of Warner’s poem reads, “Jesus loves me—he who died; Heaven’s gate to open wide; He will wash away my sin, Let his little child come in.” Converted to the Presbyterian faith and drawn into Methodist circles, Warner believed in an important Biblical commandment: sins are washed away. The song speaks about the love of God and the love Jesus had to die for all men. She writes that Heaven’s gates are open wide, and the Lord will wash away all sins. This washing is not done by faith alone or grace alone. Warner wrote in her song what the Bible teaches about how sin is removed.

When Ananias went to Saul of Tarsus to show him the way more perfectly, the disciple told the repentant Saul that he must “arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” Baptism is where sins are washed away through the blood of Jesus Christ. Calling on the name of the Lord is obedience to the word of the Lord. Jesus told the eleven to make disciples from all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Baptism and calling on the name of the Lord are actions of the heart and obedience to the will of God. Mark recorded the words of Jesus, in which the Savior said that those who believed and were baptized were saved, but those who refused to obey would be lost.

When the Lord began His work, He was baptized by John to fulfill all righteousness. Nicodemus came to Jesus seeking a greater understanding of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus told Nicodemus that a man must be born of the water and the Spirit to be saved. Every example of someone becoming a Christian included baptism. Both Paul and Peter affirmed the necessity of baptism. The most popular children’s song affirms what men have known for two thousand years. Sins are washed away in baptism.

Now these are the last words of David. Thus says David the son of Jesse; thus says the man raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel. (2 Samuel 23:1)

The Sweet Psalmist Of Israel

Reading the book of Psalms is an experience in which one finds the glory, majesty, and beauty of the grace of Jehovah God. It is not merely a book of poetry. Painted across each tapestry of praise, the joy of living in the presence of the Lord is declared with deep colors of prayer, meditation, security, righteous judgment, and bountiful hope. Jesus acknowledged the power of the Psalms before ascending as a testimony of Himself. Quoted often in the New Testament scripture, the musings of the ancient disciples declare the fulfillment of God’s divine plan. Martin Luther said the book of Psalms could easily be called a “little Bible” since it “contains, set out in the briefest and most beautiful form, all that is to be found in the whole Bible.”

The collection of one hundred fifty psalms is a complete picture of who God is. David, the king, is the author of nearly half the psalms. He is a man completely devoted to a life of thinking about his heavenly Father in every possible way. Called the “sweet psalmist of Israel,” the shepherd boy extols the character of the Lord as worthy of praise and honor because of the loving care of his Shepherd. David knew God as few men have ever known Him. He declared the coming of the Messiah. Justice would be meted out to those who rebelled against the Lord. Faithfulness is a common thread in his writings, and the praise of God’s mercy fills the page. If you want to know who God is, read the psalms.

Prayer is a vital part of the heart of God’s children. Look at the psalms on bended knee and find the words to express to the Father the yearnings of the heart. Learning to pray will come from the psalmist who spoke in tones of majesty the greatness of a loving Father. Use the words of the psalms to frame the words of prayer. David was a man after the heart of God because his heart was always talking to the Father.

Singing is not an act of worship contained within the Sunday morning building. David shows in his psalms that giving God glory through psalms is a way of living. Sing the psalms in your heart to praise the glory of what the Lord has done. He is greatly to be praised. The book of Psalms is a great story. Take time to read, meditate, praise, and glorify the Lord with the sweet psalmist of Israel.

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)

Every Knee And Every Tongue

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He was with God at the beginning and created the world. Through the divine plan of the Father, Jesus came into the world as flesh to live and dwell among those He created. Jesus knew He would suffer and die a horrible death at the hands of those whom He formed in the image of His Father. The plan to save sinful man could only be established through the blood of God’s Son. When Jesus began His ministry, He taught as one with authority. His miracles confirmed His deity. No man could reason as Jesus did, and no authority could move the plan of God away from the salvation of all humanity. The words of Jesus remain the unchangeable word of God. When the Bible was completed as a divine canon, the Lordship of Jesus Christ was confirmed on every page.

Almost all men believe Jesus was a real person, but very few believe Him to be the Son of God. Believing Jesus is real is vital, but it does not mean the world accepts Him as anything more than a good man or teacher. Jesus did not come to earth to be a good man. His role as a teacher was not to impress the intellectuals of His day. What men fail to accept is that the man from Nazareth is the divine revelation of God’s will to save man from sin, and there is no other one in whom a man can be saved from eternal condemnation. Eternal life is dependent upon believing and accepting Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. Obedience is necessary to follow the words of Jesus. Faith alone cannot save. There must be a full acceptance of the words of Jesus Christ and a willingness to follow His word. Sadly, most of the world refuses to acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ.

The fact that the world does not accept Jesus as Christ does not diminish who He is and what He is. Jesus Christ is Lord, the Son of God, the Savior of the world. His words will judge men in the last day. All men will bow before Him. Kings, despots, peasants, and the commoner will share one experience on the day of judgment. God has highly exalted His Son above all men, and there is no name greater than Jesus Christ. Everyone will declare that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, on the final day. A man can deny Jesus all his life, but in death, he will see the glory of God through His Son.

Every knee will bow before the King of kings and Lord of lords. There will be no one standing before Jesus Christ with pride and arrogance. What men will seek who denied Jesus in life is mercy and pity, but there will be none to give. Every tongue will confess what they refused to acknowledge in life. There will be no unbelievers at the judgment bar of God. All men will believe and know that God is real, and His Son is the preeminent One who is above all men. His name will be exalted above all names. Every knee and every tongue will confess – no exceptions.

But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” (Numbers 13:31-33)

They Are Stronger Than We

Excitement filled the air as the Hebrews approached the land God had promised to Abraham. The years of bondage in Egypt were over, and a new land lay before the newly formed nation of Israel. God had shown His power to deliver the people and give them a law to be His own special people. Under Moses’ leadership, the land of Canaan spread before the anxious people, filled with anticipation and hope. Twelve men were chosen to spy out the land, to observe its fortifications, economy, and the types of people dwelling there. Leaders from every tribe were selected to report on the land’s conditions, whether the people who dwelled in it were strong or weak, few or many.

After forty days of spying out the land, the twelve men returned. They brought evidence of the land’s immense bounty (one cluster of grapes had to be carried between two men on a pole). They also brought some of the pomegranates and figs. The land was lush with the bounty of the land, flowing with milk and honey. Ten men were discouraged by what they saw of the people and the strength of the armies. They told the congregation that the people of the land were strong, that the cities were fortified and very large. It also concerned the ten spies, the descendants of Anak, who lived in the land. These were men of giant stature towering over the people. This frightened the ten spies, who discouraged the people.

The report from the ten spies caused the congregation to lift up their voices, crying out to the Lord all night. There was an insurrection to have new leaders and return to Egypt. The hearts of the people melted at the news of the ten spies. The men had convinced the people that they could not go up against the Amalekites, Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, and Canaanites. They convinced them that the people of the land were stronger than the nation of Israel. The tragedy of this message was how easily Israel had rejected Moses and Aaron and turned their backs on God, their deliverer. Lost in the fear of the giants of Anak and the strong fortified cities was remembering how often the Lord God had delivered the Hebrews and cared for them.

Rebellion begins with forgetting the power of God. The Hebrews were in bondage to the Egyptian slave masters. While the people greatly outnumbered their captors, there was nothing the Hebrews could do to save themselves. Moses came to the people with great signs and wonders to show the power of God over the nation of Israel. The plagues brought upon Egypt were not done as window dressing to impress the people. Every plague attacked a section of the nation of Egypt and dismantled its economy, military, government, and home. When the ten plagues were finished, God’s power had destroyed the greatest nation on earth. The Hebrews stood at the edge of the Red Sea, fearful that they were going to die at the hands of the Egyptian army. God delivered them and destroyed the army.

The Lord provided manna to the people when they complained about having nothing to eat. At Rephidim, there was no water to drink, and God gave the people an abundance of water when Moses smote the rock. The Amalekites came against the Hebrews, who were not trained in war. By God’s grace, Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. At Mount Sinai, the presence of the Lord brought fear to the hearts of the people as they saw the glory of God on the mountain. There were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. Three thousand Hebrews were killed in the rebellion of the golden calf. Nadab and Abihu were killed for offering strange fire before the Lord.

The ten men convinced the people after returning from spying out the land that the people of the land were stronger than they were. They thought the people of the land were stronger than Israel. After all that God did and how He showed His great power, the people turned away from the Lord and refused to enter the land of promise. The heart of the people trusted in their own strength. As a result, three generations of Hebrews died in the wilderness. Who was stronger than God? The people were fearful because they did not trust in God. When men look to their own strength and wisdom for deliverance, they will only find bondage. God showed His power in so many ways, and the people still believed they could not conquer the land. Joshua and Caleb sought to dissuade the people, but to no avail.

God has provided the greatest power to deliver man from sin in His Son, Jesus Christ, but the world cannot believe there is anything to save in a carpenter’s son from Nazareth. The wisdom of man cannot accept the gift of God. There is nothing to consider from a man hanging from a cross. What the world cannot see is that the cross is the full measure of God’s power. Satan is not stronger than the will of a heart willing to follow after the Son of God. There is power in His blood. The glory of God is found in Jesus Christ. Only by His power is there salvation.

Now there went forth a wind from the Lord, and it brought quail from the sea, and let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp and about two cubits deep on the surface of the ground. The people spent all day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers), and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. (Numbers 11:31-32)

Learning To Be Content

It was not long after leaving Sinai that the people of Israel began to complain to Moses about the lack of meat in their diet. They knew God provided everything they needed as He had done with the manna and provisions of water, but in their carnal lusts, they demanded meat from God. The object of their complaint was an intense food craving. They insisted that God give them what they wanted. In their complaint, they “remembered” the bountiful meals they had in Egypt that included an abundance of fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. They complained they only food they had was the distasteful manna. Memory has a way of tricking the mind into forgetting how bad the good old days were. God delivered the Hebrews from Egypt, who were oppressed and in bondage. They did not sit around enjoying great feasts of fish and vegetables. Their memories came from their carnal desires and sinful attitudes toward God.

The Lord answered their complaint by bringing quail from the migratory patterns of the flocks coming from Africa and flying over the Red Sea and across the Gulf of Akaba. There were so many quail that a man could walk a day’s journey gathering the quail that fluttered about three feet off the ground. The people spent all night and the next day gathering quail in enormous numbers. A man who gathered the least brought home more than 55 bushels of meat by some estimates. The people complained to God in their lusts, and the Lord answered with more quail than they could manage. Fearful of losing any of the quail, the people worked feverishly to supply themselves with an abundance of meat, so afraid of losing any of the birds that they stayed up all night to collect them. Their greed filled their hearts with carnal lust.

When the people complained, God answered their prayers. But instead of giving God the glory for His benevolent provisions, the people greedily went after the quail with abandoned lusts to fill their bodies with carnal desires. While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord struck the people with a very great plague, and many died. The place was called Kibroth Hattaavah to remind the people of God’s punishment for yielding to the lusts of the flesh.

God gave the people meat in abundance. It was a lot of quail, but God was not trying to fill their bodies but to test their souls. He gave them so much quail to test their faith in Him. Instead of running headlong after the quail that was like dust on the ground, the people should have gathered what they needed and been satisfied. Then they should have expressed their gratitude to God for His grace. Learning to be content is a hard lesson when quail is a day’s journey around the camp, hovering three feet off the ground. There was no restraint. The wrath of God was a sign from God warning the people of Israel to trust in Him to provide all they needed, and that was all. It is a hard lesson for people to learn. Be careful when the quail is more than can be gathered in a day. It may be a warning from God to be content.