12.民數記 11:1

12. Against Murmuring
And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. Numbers 11:1
Reherse the historical fact. Observe how the mischief began in the outskirts among the mixed multitude, and how the fire of the Lord burned in the uttermost parts of the camp. The great danger of the church lies in her camp-followers or hangers-on: they infect the true Israel. Hence the need of guarding the entrance of the church, and keeping up discipline within it. Grumbling, discontent, ungrateful complaining — these are grievous offences against our gracious God.
We shall consider the subject in a series of observations.
I. A DISSATISFIED SPIRIT CAUSES DISPLEASURE TO THE LORD.
  1. This we might infer from our own feelings, when dependents, children, servants, or receivers of alms are always grumbling. We grow weary of them, and angry with them.
  2. In the case of men towards God it is much worse for them to murmur, since they deserve no good at his hands, but the very reverse. "Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins" (Lam. 3:39; Ps. 103:10)?
  3. In that case also it is a reflection upon the Lord's goodness, wisdom, truth, and power. See the complaint in verses 4-6.
  4. The evil lusting which attends the complaining proves its injurious character. We are ready for anything when we quarrel with God (1 Cor. 10:5-12).
  5. God thinks so ill of it that his wrath burns, and chastisement is not long withheld. See verse 33 of this chapter, and other parts of Scripture.
II. A DISSATISFIED SPIRIT FANCIES IT WOULD FIND PLEASURE IN THINGS DENIED IT.
Israel had manna, but sighed for fish, cucumbers, melons, onions, etc. But to set an imaginary value upon that which we have not:
  1. Is foolish, childish, pettish.
  2. Is injurious to ourselves, for it prevents our enjoying what we already have. It leads men to slander angels' food and call it "this light bread" It led Haman to think nothing of his prosperity because a single person refused him reverence (Esther 5:13).
  3. Is slanderous towards God, and ungrateful to him.
  4. Leads to rebellion, falsehood, envy, and all manner of sins.
III. A DISSATISFIED SPIRIT FINDS NO PLEASURE FOR ITSELF EVEN WHEN ITS WISH IS FULFILLED.
The Israelites had flesh in superabundance in answer to their foolish prayers, but:
  1. It was attended with leanness of soul (Ps. 106:15).
  2. It brought satiety;-"until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you" (verse 20).
  3. It caused death. He "slew the fattest of them" (Ps. 78:31).
  4. It thus led to mourning on all sides. Kibroth Hattaavah, or, "the graves of lust" was the name of this station (verse 34).
IV. A DISSATISFIED SPIRIT SHOWS THAT THE MIND NEEDS REGULATING.
Grace would put our desires in order, and keep our thoughts and affections in their proper places, thus:
  1. Content with such things as we have (Heb. 13:5).
  2. Towards other things moderate in desire. "Give me neither poverty nor riches" (Prov. 30:8).
  3. Concerning earthly things which may be lacking, fully resigned. "Not as 1 will, but as thou wilt" (Matt. 26:39).
  4. First, and most eagerly, desiring God. "My soul thirsteth for God" etc., (Ps. 42:2).
  5. Next, coveting earnestly the best gifts (1 Cor. 12:31).
  6. Following ever in love the more excellent way (1 Cor. 12:31 ).
Helpful Notes
I have read of Caesar, that, having prepared a great feast for his nobles and friends, it fell out that the day appointed was so extremely foul that nothing could be done to the honor of their meeting; whereupon he was so displeased and enraged, that he commanded all them that had bows to shoot up their arrows at Jupiter, their chief god, as in defiance of him for that rainy weather; which, when they did, their arrows fell short of heaven, and fell upon their own heads, so that many of them were very sorely wounded. So all our mutterings and murmurings, which are so many arrows shot at God himself, will return upon our own pates, or hearts; they reach not him, but they will hit us; they hurt not him, but they will wound us therefore, it is better to be mute than to murmur; it is dangerous to contend with one who is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29).—Thomas Brooks
God hath much ado with us. Either we lack health, or quietness, or children, or wealth, or company, or ourselves in all these. It is a wonder the Israelites found not fault with the want of sauce to their quails, or with their old clothes, or their solitary way. Nature is moderate in her desires; but conceit is insatiable.— Bp. Hall
Murmuring is a quarreling with God, and inveighing against him. "They spake against God" (Num. 21:5). The murmurer saith interpretatively that God hath not dealt well with him, and that he hath deserved better from him. The murmurer chargeth God with folly. This is the language, or rather blasphemy, of a murmuring spirit — God might have been a wiser and a better God. The murmurer is a mutineer. The Israelites are called in the same text "murmurers" and "rebels" (Num. 17:10); and is not rebellion as the sin of witchcraft? (1 Sam. 15:23). Thou that art a murmurer art in the account of God as a witch, a sorcerer, as one that deals with the devil. This is a sin of the first magnitude. Murmuring often ends in cursing: Micah's mother fell to cursing when the talents of silver were taken away (Judg. 17:2). So doth the murmurer when a part of his estate is taken away. Our murmuring is the devil's music; this is that sin which God cannot bear: "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me?" (Num. 14:27). It is a sin which whets the sword against a people; it is a land-destroying sin: "Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer" (1 Cor. 10:10). — T. Watson
Losing our temper with God is a more common thing in the spiritual life than many suppose.— F.W. Faber
Life is a field of nettles to some men. Their fretful, worrying tempers are always pricking out through the tender skin of their uneasiness. Why, if they were set down in Paradise, carrying their bad mind with them, they would fret at the good angels, and the climate, and the colors even of the roses.— Dr. Bushnell
I dare no more fret than curse or swear.— John Wesley
A child was crying in passion, and I heard its mother say, "If you cry for nothing, I will soon give you something to cry for" From the sound of her hand, I gathered the moral that those who cry about nothing are making a rod for their own backs, and will probably be made to smart under it.
Charles Hadden Spurgeon

12．反對抱怨（Against Murmuring

一、不滿足的心使主不悅

1. 這一點，我們從自身經驗就可推知：當受我們照顧的人、兒女、僕人，或接受施捨的人，總是埋怨不休時，我們也會對他們感到厭煩，甚至動怒。
2. 就人對神而言，抱怨就更加嚴重，因為人本不配從神手中得任何好處，反倒該受相反的待遇。「活人因自己的罪受罰，為何發怨言呢？」（哀 3:39；詩 103:10）
3. 抱怨也是對主的良善、智慧、真實與能力的指責。請看第 4–6 節中的抱怨內容。
4. 與抱怨相伴而來的惡慾，證明了它的破壞性。當我們與神爭辯時，什麼事都做得出來（林前 10:5–12）。
5. 神如此看重這罪，以致祂的忿怒被點燃，刑罰也不久就臨到。請看本章第 33 節，以及聖經其他經文。

二、不滿足的心幻想在被拒絕的事物中找到快樂

以色列人有嗎哪，卻想念魚、黃瓜、甜瓜、韭菜、洋蔥等；他們對自己沒有的東西賦予過高的價值：

1. 這是愚蠢、幼稚、任性的表現。
2. 這會傷害自己，因為它使人無法享受已經擁有的。這種心態使人譏諷天使的食物，稱之為「這淡薄的食物」。哈曼也是如此，因為一個人不向他下拜，就覺得自己一切的榮華都算不得什麼（斯 5:13）。
3. 這是對神的誹謗，也是忘恩負義。
4. 它引向悖逆、虛謊、嫉妒，以及各樣的罪。

三、不滿足的心，即使願望實現，也得不著真正的快樂

以色列人因愚昧的祈求得了大量的肉，但結果是：

1. 靈魂卻枯瘦（詩 106:15）。
2. 帶來厭膩——「直到肉從你們鼻孔裡出來，使你們厭惡」（20 節）。
3. 導致死亡——「祂殺了他們中間肥壯的人」（詩 78:31）。
4. 因此遍地哀哭，那地方名叫「基博羅‧哈他瓦」，意即「貪慾之人的墳墓」（34 節）。

四、不滿足的心顯明心思需要被整頓

恩典能使我們的慾望歸位，使思想與情感各安其所：

1. 對已擁有的知足（來 13:5）。
2. 對其他事物保持節制的渴望——「使我也不貧窮，也不富足」（箴 30:8）。
3. 對可能缺乏的地上事物完全順服——「不要照我的意思，只要照你的意思」（太 26:39）。
4. 首先且最熱切地渴慕神——「我的心切慕神」（詩 42:2）。
5. 接著，切慕那更美的恩賜（林前 12:31）。
6. 並且常在愛中行那最妙的道路（林前 12:31）。

有益的註解

我曾讀到關於凱撒的事：他為貴族與朋友預備了一場盛宴，但那天風雨大作，無法好好舉行。他大為惱怒，命令凡有弓的人向他們的主神朱庇特射箭，彷彿向神挑釁。然而箭射不到天上，反而落回自己頭上，許多人因此受了重傷。我們的嘀咕與抱怨，也正是射向神的箭，卻終將落在自己身上；它們傷不了神，卻會傷害我們。因此，寧可沉默，也不要抱怨；與那位烈火之神爭辯是危險的（來 12:29）。
——湯瑪斯‧布魯克斯
神為我們操心甚多：不是缺健康，就是缺安寧，不是缺兒女，就是缺財富，不是缺同伴，就是對自己諸多不滿。真奇怪，以色列人竟沒抱怨鵪鶉沒有調味料，或衣服舊了，或旅途孤單。自然的需要是有限的，妄念卻是無窮的。
——霍爾主教
抱怨就是與神爭吵、控告神。「他們向神發怨言」（民 21:5）。抱怨的人實際上是在說：神待我不好，我配得更好；他是在指控神不夠智慧。這是抱怨之靈的語言，甚至是褻瀆——彷彿神本可以成為一位更好、更智慧的神。抱怨的人是叛亂者；經文同時稱以色列人為「抱怨的人」和「悖逆的人」（民 17:10）。悖逆豈不是如同行邪術的罪嗎？（撒上 15:23）在神看來，抱怨的人如同巫師、術士，是與魔鬼來往的人。這是極大的罪。抱怨常以咒詛告終：米迦的母親在銀子被拿走時就咒詛人（士 17:2）。我們的抱怨正是魔鬼的音樂，是神所不能忍受的罪：「我忍耐這惡會眾向我發怨言，要到幾時呢？」（民 14:27）這是磨快審判之劍的罪，是毀滅土地的罪（林前 10:10）。
——華生（T. Watson）
在屬靈生命中，對神發脾氣比許多人想像的更常見。
——法柏（F. W. Faber）
對某些人而言，人生就像一片荊棘地；他們焦躁不安的性情，總是不斷刺痛自己。即使把他們放在樂園中，帶著這樣的心態，也會對天使、氣候，甚至玫瑰的顏色感到不滿。
——布什內爾博士
我不敢發怒，正如我不敢咒罵或說髒話一樣。
——約翰‧衛斯理
我聽過一個孩子因無故哭鬧，母親對他說：「你若為無事而哭，我很快就會給你一件值得哭的事。」從她手掌落下的聲音，我明白了一個教訓：為無事哭泣的人，正是在為自己製造刑杖，終必嚐到痛苦。
——查爾斯‧哈登‧司布真（Charles Haddon Spurgeon）