Numbers 11:4 NKJV
Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat?
Beloved,
Desire is good until it becomes an uncontrollable craving. When your emotions and cravings are what control you, you’re living in a dangerous and vulnerable state. The children of Israel in the wilderness kept complaining to Moses about the food and delicacies they seemingly lacked. All they could think of is that Egypt had it and they did not. Scriptures says it was the mixed multitude among them that began to lust greatly for familiar food. The “mixed multitude” is a reference to the external influence that compromises the values and identity of a nation or person. External influences and a failure to develop a standard against them is what typically triggers any state of craving that compromises the identity of a man. It makes a person to beg and crave till it gets to a point of dangerous obsession.
Beloved, in the kingdom of God, we ask, we don’t crave or covet. Craving or coveting is not a kingdom word because it does not meet a need, neither does it move us forward or fulfill righteousness in any way. Nothing we covet or crave brings glory to God not does it satisfy our souls. The purpose for which they are wanted is to satisfy our lust.
Consider Ahab as a biblical example, he lusted after Naboth’s vineyard not because he needed it, but simply because he liked the look of it, and his lust eventually led to the untimely death of an innocent man, 1 Kings 21. We will not be happy when we cross over to the state of craving even if we end up having the object of our craving. Ahab got the vineyard, but he also got God’s judgment in addition. We will continue to look at examples from scripture next time.
I commend you to God and to the word of His grace.
I call you blessed. I call you NATIONS.
