Sometimes it is a sign of judgment (or possibly discipline)
when God gives us what we want. In his prophecy against Mount Seir God says, “Because
you cherished perpetual enmity and gave over the people of Israel to the power
of the sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of their final
punishment, therefore, as I live, declares the Lord God, I will prepare you for
blood, and blood shall pursue you; because you did not hate bloodshed,
therefore blood shall pursue you.” (35:5-6) They wanted bloodshed so bloodshed
would be there fate.
Remember the Israelites in the wilderness. They were not
satisfied with God’s provision of manna and craved meat. So God gave them quail
meat till it was coming out of their nostrils (Numbers 11:20). Listen to the
Psalmist’s commentary on this experience: “But they soon forgot his works; they
did not wait for his counsel. But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and
put God to the test in the desert; he gave them what they asked, but sent a
wasting disease among them.” (Psalm 106:13-15)
The lesson is to be satisfied with what God has for us and
not to crave other things instead. Romans 1 has a similar idea when three times
Paul says, “God gave them up” (24, 26, 28). In essence, God was giving them up
to what they were craving instead of worshipping him as the giver of every good
and perfect gift.
So be careful what you set your heart on and desire. Let it
be God and what he has for you. Stay away from anything that gets in the way.
Quail meat was not a bad thing in and of itself. But it was not God’s best for
the Israelites.
Prayer: Father, let me be satisfied in you. Empty me of the
hunger for other things that will shield me from you. Let my joy and delight
and fulfillment come from you.
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