Complain and God May Give You Both What You Want and What You Deserve - Numbers 9-12

Numbers 11:31-35 (ESV Strong's)

Then a wind from the Lord sprang up, 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, around the camp, and about two cubits above the ground. And the people rose all that day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail. Those who gathered least gathered ten homers. And they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck down the people with a very great plague. Therefore the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had the craving. From Kibroth-hattaavah the people journeyed to Hazeroth, and they remained at Hazeroth.

Complain and God May Give You What You Want ... And What You Deserve.

Even though the nation of Israel was free from the position of slaves in Egypt, they were still slaves to the life style they had.  They were still addicted to the old desires.  Despite God redeeming them from Egypt, they constantly wanted to go back there:

Numbers 11:4-6 (ESV Strong's)

Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”

Moses was frustrated with them.  God was frustrated with them.  But, God gave them the desires of their heart.  He sent quail for them to eat.   But, like every time we get the desire of our heart, it will turn around and hurt us.  God wants our desires to be with Him.  But, the nation of Israel proved you can take the people out of Egypt but you can just take Egypt out of the people.  This is what sin does to us.   We might be redeemed by God’s grace and have the penalty of sin removed, but we still desire the same old sin within our hearts.  God wants to cleanse that from us, but that is the battle we are all in.  We might be redeemed from the penalty of sin, but the power of sin is still fighting us, even though we are dead spiritually to it.   As we yield to Christ in faith we can see Him change our hearts and minds and our new desire to to “know Him and the power of His resurrection.”   If we don’t walk in faith with Him and allow His power to change our desires, we will be like the nation and ask for the “meat” of the past.   God just might give us what we want and allow that hunger to also give us what we deserve.