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.