The entire assembly (the Israelites and the mixed multitude of people who departed Egypt with them) has been complaining about the lack of meat and grumbling that life was better in Egypt because there was a variety of food there and plenty of it. They are longing for what's behind them instead of looking toward freedom in the wonderful land the Lord promised to give them. Moses went to the Lord for help in yesterday's passage and the Lord said He is going to send meat---so much meat that people won't be able to stand the sight of it. The meat is going to seem like a curse rather than a blessing because the Lord says at the heart of their complaints is a rejection of Him. (Numbers 11:20)
The Lord told Moses that He plans to provide meat every day for a month. Moses is a man of faith but even he stumbles at the idea of this much meat becoming available to them, as we'll see momentarily. For obvious reasons the people haven't been eating the animals of their flocks and herds; they will need these animals to begin their farming pursuits in the new land. Some of their animals are used along the way for offerings at the tabernacle, but from what we can tell from the Scriptures, the only times they ate meat in the wilderness was when they ate the portions they were allowed to keep from the types of offerings where the bringer is allowed to keep any of it.
Some commentators raise the question of why they didn't spend any time hunting game whenever they were encamped at one place or another. I don't know the answer to this except to speculate that it may be because the animals the Israelites consumed were supposed to be slaughtered in a very specific way. Slaughter had to be accomplished swiftly across the jugular with a special knife. No undue distress or pain was to be inflicted upon the animal, and a slash across the jugular pretty much caused instantaneous death. Hunting with a bow and arrow, unless it is done by an exceptionally skilled hunter, cannot always guarantee a quick and painless death. The hunter runs the risk of not making a kill shot on the first try and having to track down his game to deliver the fatal wound. In addition, the Israelites were forbidden to eat or even handle an animal that was found dead, so if the hunter doesn't catch up with his wounded game before it perishes on its own, I think this might render it unfit for consumption which makes the animal's death and the hunter's efforts a complete waste. There are some verses here and there in the Bible regarding hunting, so we can't say that the Bible specifically forbids hunting, but we can't say that the Bible especially endorses it either. The only hunter I can think of in the Bible is Isaac's son Esau. Since Esau wasn't a godly man, we can't say whether or not his method of acquiring and preparing food was acceptable to the Lord.
When Moses hears that meat is going to be supplied for every person in the community for a whole month, he is astonished and doubtful. "But Moses said, 'Here I am among six hundred thousand men on foot, and You say, 'I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!' Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?'" (Numbers 11:21-22)
I am reminded of the way the disciples in the New Testament were astonished and doubtful when Jesus announced His intention to provide bread for thousands of people in the wilderness. Although Moses has already seen the Lord perform many miracles, he doubts the Lord can provide a thirty day supply of meat in the wilderness. Although the disciples had already seen Jesus perform many miracles, they doubted He could provide bread for so many. But it would be hypocritical of us to criticize any of these men for their doubt, considering how many times the Lord has come through for us in the past and considering how many times we fall into doubt the next time we encounter a problem. It is a human weakness to have trouble believing that we can't "use up" the Lord's mercies. We seem to think He keeps a running tally of how many times He rescues us and that one day He's going to say, "Sorry, you've used up all the mercies allotted to you." This is not Biblical thinking and it's a type of thinking we need to actively work against by reminding ourselves what the Bible actually says about the Lord's love and compassion and mercy toward us: "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23)
It is only because of the Lord's great love for us that we are not consumed (in the original language: "to make an end of, to have done with, to finish off") because to our sins. We are not worthy of the Lord's compassion but He loves us and preserves us and sustains us anyway. Due to His unending love and faithfulness, His mercies are new every morning. This means He has an inexhaustible supply of mercy. This is why we shouldn't view a fresh trouble with this attitude: "Well, the Lord is probably tired of rescuing me. He's answered so many prayers already that I shouldn't ask Him for anything more. I feel like I'm bothering Him when I ask Him to come through for me yet again. By now I've bound to have used up all the mercy that any human being should ever hope to receive." When trouble comes, an appropriate Biblical response would be to say to the Lord: "I know I haven't used up all Your mercy because Your mercies are new every morning! I know You still love me and want to show compassion toward me. You've come through for me in many mighty ways in the past and I'm asking You to do it again because I know You can do it again. Great is Your faithfulness! You are still the same God today as You were when You rescued me the last time. You are still just as powerful, just as merciful, just as loving. Come to my rescue, Lord, just as You've done so many times before."
It helps to remind ourselves, in our thoughts and in our prayers, of everything the Lord has already done for us. It also helps to remind ourselves of all the miracles the Lord has performed in the Scriptures. This is how the prophet Habakkuk encouraged himself regarding the Lord's mercies, saying in prayer, "Lord, I have heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy." (Habakkuk 3:2) We can pray just like Habakkuk, saying, "Lord, I have heard of Your fame. I know You parted the Red Sea and led the children of Israel across on the dry ground. I know You provided water and manna in the wilderness. I know You healed the sick, caused the blind to sea, made the lame to walk, and brought the dead back to life. You are still the same God who performed these miracles of the past and I know You can perform great miracles and mighty wonders today. In our time---here in 2021---make them known. You are God and You do not change. What You've done in the past, do again, oh Lord."
Tomorrow the remainder of Chapter 11 begins with the Lord asking Moses whether he thinks anything is too hard for Him. We can conclude today by asking ourselves, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?", and by assuring ourselves that no, nothing is too hard for the Lord. So take to Him whatever need you have. His mercies are brand new today. His mercies will be brand new tomorrow. You can't use up what can never be used up.
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