17/06/2026
Murmuring
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! (Numbers 11:4, ESV)
Murmuring is as old as the word itself. We know of people who murmur. Or if we see ourselves better than others, then we say, the children of Israel were murmurers. That may be true but now our job is not to pinpoint but to be humble and accept our shortcoming and sin because we complain a lot, we murmur a lot and we dispute a lot.
Deuteronomy 1:26-27 says, “Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. And you murmured in your tents and said, ‘Because the LORD hated us he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.
Notice that Moses reminded the Israelites that "[they] rebelled against the command of the Lord...And [they] murmured..."
Murmuring is going against God's expressed will. It's plain rebellion. That is exactly what God's chosen nation did during their entire wilderness wandering: Grumble. Right after they came out of Egypt after being pursued by the Egyptians, the people complained and disputed against Moses (Ex. 14:9-12). When they were about to enter the Promised Land, they (the ten spies) brought a bad report to Moses about the giants, etc. in the land and they disheartened the people (Num. 13:25ff). The beginning words of chapter 14 reveals rebellion and disobedience to God's plan as promised to their forefather Abraham. The result: forty years of wilderness wandering and the eventual deaths of all who disobeyed God.
But let's go back to Egypt for awhile.
After the institution of the feast of the Passover and after plundering the Egyptians, A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds. (Exodus 12:38, ESV).
These non-Israelites were with them the rest of their journey. 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! (Numbers 11:4, ESV)
The rabble (the mixed multitude who went up with them) craved, and Israel started to complain, murmur and accuse God. The chapter ends in tragedy; 33 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. 34 Therefore the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had the craving. (Numbers 11:33-34, ESV)
Paul cited this specific incident to warn us.
6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play." 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. (1 Corinthians 10:6-8, ESV)
Murmuring is contagious. It influences others. It sows doubt. It brings plague. It damns. Be warned.
✍️ Ptr. Neil Miña (06/14/26)
