And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.
God granted Israel's lusting for flesh in the wilderness, yet with the meat He sent spiritual poverty and leanness into their souls because they prized earthly craving above His better provision. The indulgence did not prove harmless, but ended in gluttony and plague with thousands dying while the meat was still between their teeth. When people persist in having their own way without seeking God's counsel He may still let them have what they ask, yet getting what is desired brings no spiritual good or true rest, and what the unconsecrated heart most wants can become pain and bitterness. When self-interest and worldly gain are put before religion and eternal things, desire may be fulfilled while God withholds light and leaves the soul lean. The record stands as a warning to be studied by God's people in the last days against refusing what God provides and yielding to perverted appetite, since such indulgence turns blessing into physical and spiritual loss.
Wilderness Request and Judgment
In the wilderness Christ Himself guided Israel as their unerring guide and light, enshrouded in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Through all their experiences He was seeking to teach them obedience to their heavenly Guide and faith in His power to deliver, as shown in their deliverance from affliction in Egypt and their passage through the Red Sea revealing His power to save. When they rebelled against Him and went contrary to His will He punished them, and when they persisted in rebellion and were determined to have their own way He gave them that for which they asked. By that granting He showed them that what He withheld from them He withheld for their own good, and every judgment that came as a result of their murmurings taught that vast multitude that sorrow and suffering are always the result of transgression of the laws of God.
Israel became discontented with the food God had provided and lusted for the flesh-pots of Egypt. Instead of waiting for God's counsel they demanded animal food to satisfy earthly craving. That craving persisted in rebellion and resistance to His better provision and restrictions.
God granted their request for flesh but sent leanness into their soul. By prizing earthly desire and earthly food above spiritual things they suffered spiritual loss and impoverishment. They failed to reach God's ideal of character and did not attain the sacred pre-eminence He intended for them, and they did not fulfill His purpose for them.
The granting of their request did not make indulged appetite harmless, but proved harmful rather than a blessing. Their indulgence ended in gluttony until a plague came, bringing disease and death to many. Thousands died while the meat was still between their teeth, turning the granted desire into judgment and showing that disregarding God's guidance to follow appetite can turn a blessing into a curse. Their continued resistance to a non-flesh diet showed the restriction was not accepted wholeheartedly or made permanent.
Warning and Present Application
The wilderness record to which the verse belongs stands as warning and lesson for God's people in the last days and is to be studied regularly. It is addressed to all who claim to be children of God and is to be read carefully to learn the necessity of appreciating God's goodness, mercy and love. The psalm belongs with Psalms 103, 104, 105, 106 and 107 repeated together by a large and ever-increasing company until it becomes a multitude, moving one by one through a very narrow gate through which not even the lightest burden can be carried, so that those unwilling to relinquish their idols are left behind.
When people insist on having their own way and lust for what they want instead of waiting for God's counsel, God may allow them to receive what they ask, yet getting what is desired does not bring spiritual good. Insistence on self leaves the soul spiritually impoverished and lean, and getting one's own way does not bring true rest, for true rest is found in yielding to God and taking His yoke. God may grant desires that are persisted in without seeking His counsel, allowing the result to expose folly or to punish sin. What an unconsecrated heart most wants can then become a source of deep pain and bitterness.
When self-interest and worldly gain are put before religion and eternal things, people may receive what they desire while suffering spiritual poverty, as God withholds precious light and leaves the soul lean. The granting of Israel's demand for flesh did not make indulged appetite harmless, for they ate until gluttony brought plague and death to many. Their craving resisted God's better provision and restrictions, and the gift brought harm rather than blessing, with thousands dying while the meat was still between their teeth. The episode warns against refusing what God provided, disregarding His guidance, and yielding to excessive and perverted appetite and desire, since such indulgence brings physical and spiritual loss rather than blessing and can turn a blessing into a curse.
God granted Israel's lusting for flesh in the wilderness, yet with the meat He sent spiritual poverty and leanness into their souls because they prized earthly craving above His better provision. The indulgence did not prove harmless, but ended in gluttony and plague with thousands dying while the meat was still between their teeth. When people persist in having their own way without seeking God's counsel He may still let them have what they ask, yet getting what is desired brings no spiritual good or true rest, and what the unconsecrated heart most wants can become pain and bitterness. When self-interest and worldly gain are put before religion and eternal things, desire may be fulfilled while God withholds light and leaves the soul lean. The record stands as a warning to be studied by God's people in the last days against refusing what God provides and yielding to perverted appetite, since such indulgence turns blessing into physical and spiritual loss.
Wilderness Request and Judgment
In the wilderness Christ Himself guided Israel as their unerring guide and light, enshrouded in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Through all their experiences He was seeking to teach them obedience to their heavenly Guide and faith in His power to deliver, as shown in their deliverance from affliction in Egypt and their passage through the Red Sea revealing His power to save. When they rebelled against Him and went contrary to His will He punished them, and when they persisted in rebellion and were determined to have their own way He gave them that for which they asked. By that granting He showed them that what He withheld from them He withheld for their own good, and every judgment that came as a result of their murmurings taught that vast multitude that sorrow and suffering are always the result of transgression of the laws of God.
Israel became discontented with the food God had provided and lusted for the flesh-pots of Egypt. Instead of waiting for God's counsel they demanded animal food to satisfy earthly craving. That craving persisted in rebellion and resistance to His better provision and restrictions.
God granted their request for flesh but sent leanness into their soul. By prizing earthly desire and earthly food above spiritual things they suffered spiritual loss and impoverishment. They failed to reach God's ideal of character and did not attain the sacred pre-eminence He intended for them, and they did not fulfill His purpose for them.
The granting of their request did not make indulged appetite harmless, but proved harmful rather than a blessing. Their indulgence ended in gluttony until a plague came, bringing disease and death to many. Thousands died while the meat was still between their teeth, turning the granted desire into judgment and showing that disregarding God's guidance to follow appetite can turn a blessing into a curse. Their continued resistance to a non-flesh diet showed the restriction was not accepted wholeheartedly or made permanent.
Warning and Present Application
The wilderness record to which the verse belongs stands as warning and lesson for God's people in the last days and is to be studied regularly. It is addressed to all who claim to be children of God and is to be read carefully to learn the necessity of appreciating God's goodness, mercy and love. The psalm belongs with Psalms 103, 104, 105, 106 and 107 repeated together by a large and ever-increasing company until it becomes a multitude, moving one by one through a very narrow gate through which not even the lightest burden can be carried, so that those unwilling to relinquish their idols are left behind.
When people insist on having their own way and lust for what they want instead of waiting for God's counsel, God may allow them to receive what they ask, yet getting what is desired does not bring spiritual good. Insistence on self leaves the soul spiritually impoverished and lean, and getting one's own way does not bring true rest, for true rest is found in yielding to God and taking His yoke. God may grant desires that are persisted in without seeking His counsel, allowing the result to expose folly or to punish sin. What an unconsecrated heart most wants can then become a source of deep pain and bitterness.
When self-interest and worldly gain are put before religion and eternal things, people may receive what they desire while suffering spiritual poverty, as God withholds precious light and leaves the soul lean. The granting of Israel's demand for flesh did not make indulged appetite harmless, for they ate until gluttony brought plague and death to many. Their craving resisted God's better provision and restrictions, and the gift brought harm rather than blessing, with thousands dying while the meat was still between their teeth. The episode warns against refusing what God provided, disregarding His guidance, and yielding to excessive and perverted appetite and desire, since such indulgence brings physical and spiritual loss rather than blessing and can turn a blessing into a curse.