Recently I was reading through numbers and was reading about how the Israelites were longing to go back to Egypt and came across a phrase that grabbed my attention. Here are a couple of verses from Numbers 11:4-6,33-34 NIV:
[4] "The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! [5] We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost---also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. [6] But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna! ”
(The Lord in response to their complaints made quail cover their camp and they all went to eat the quail and this follows)
[33] But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the Lord burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. [34] Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had craved other food."
The thing that caught my attention was the note that said the meaning of Kibroth Hattaavah was "graves of craving". Wow, what a very specific indictment! The people were more concerned with their appetite for other things than the manna God provided and this ended up causing many deaths.
Now, as in all Old Testament passages of judgment, we must read them with an understanding that Jesus has paid the price for such sins and taken the punishment upon Himself. However, we can certainly learn from these verses and understand the key issue, that being that people were allowing their appetites to be more important than relationship with God, and following His plan. One could say that their appetites become an idol.
This morning I was reminded of Paul's writing about a similar thing, where He talked about people whose god was their stomach. I thought I would include a bit of the verses preceding this statement so we could understand the full context. Here are the verses - Philippians 3:12-21 NIV:
[12] "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. [13] Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
[15] All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. [16] Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
[17] Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. [18] For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. [19] Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. [20] But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, [21] who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."
The NASB actually translates verse 19 as follows, "whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things." ( Philippians 3:19 NASB).
Paul is encouraging the Philippians to pursue God, to run the race, to win the prize and the chief stumbling block he identifies is their appetite! Some things haven't changed, it was true for the Israelites shortly after being rescued from Egypt, it was true of the early church and I dare say, this same issue is true for us today. Our 'appetites' can mean several things, the original Greek word is koilia, and Is defined as follows - Mounce's: "any and all internal organs, translated in context as: belly, stomach, womb, etc.; by extension: the source of feelings and emotions."
Paul, after stating this says that one's who struggle with their appetites have their minds set on earthly things, and the important thing we need to do is set our minds on things above, where our true citizenship is, with Jesus. This is actually an interesting diagnosis and prescription. Paul is talking about people whose focus is on earthly things, who allow these earthly experiences (if you will) to be more important than anything else, more important than following God, more important than fulfilling their purpose, than living their lives as true followers of Christ.
I had an interesting experience with the Lord a few years back, where I was complaining about the fact that my high cholesterol and high blood pressure were forcing me to change my diet. The issue is that I wasn't changing my diet, choosing instead to eat the things I like, and one day the Lord basically said, 'the enemy is convincing you to take yourself out early, simply by getting you to eat the things you want to eat.' In other words, my diet was slowly killing me, or at least making an early death by heart-attack more likely. I realized that my appetite for certain things was not in line with God's purpose for my life. Given a choice to eat better, I was constantly choosing wrongly, and it had everything to do with my appetite. I see in these verses from Paul's letter a parallel.
I have come to understand that this 'appetite' can include any unhealthy activity we are embracing, to provide comfort, or relief from whatever situation we find ourselves in that we don't like. It could be loneliness, or frustration, poor self-esteem, grief, or any number of things. The issue is that we are turning to something other than the Lord, making an idol of these things, if you will. We are focused on ourselves, rather than looking to the Lord.
In the story from Numbers, the Israelites were experiencing the miraculous provision of the Lord in the form of manna, and yet they were complaining. They were thinking about what they didn't have rather than what the Lord was providing every single day! In Paul's example, he indicates that their "glory is their shame" and the Greek word translated as glory is defined by Strong as: "glory (as very apparent), in a wide application (literally or figuratively, objectively or subjectively): - dignity, glory (-ious), honour, praise, worship." In other words the thing they worship, the thing they set their eyes on, is their shame or disgrace, and ultimately will lead to their falling away, even to their destruction, if they allow them to be their focus. In the Israelite's case they were thinking about the meat and melons, onions and leeks, the things they liked to eat, rather than looking at God and His love and provision!
This morning I encouraged to check my appetites, to see what I am hungry for, to take a hard assessment at where my eyes and heart are set! I am encouraged to identify those areas where I need to change, to make the decision to change and then to walk out that change! I am encouraged to worship the Lord first, to make my appetites submissive to my relationship with the Lord! I want to "press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus!"
Amen and Amen!
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