Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible




The Israelites asked, and He brought quail,
And satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

And there went forth a wind from the Lord and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall [so they flew low] beside the camp, about a day's journey on this side and on the other side, all around the camp, about two cubits above the ground. And the people rose all that day and all night and all the next day and caught and gathered the quails. He who gathered least gathered ten homers; and they spread them out for themselves round about the camp [to cure them by drying]. While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote them with a very great plague.

Yet He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven; And He rained down upon them manna to eat and gave them heaven's grain. Everyone ate the bread of the mighty [man ate angels' food]; God sent them meat in abundance. read more.
He let forth the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by His power He guided the south wind. He rained flesh also upon them like the dust, and winged birds [quails] like the sand of the seas. And He let [the birds] fall in the midst of their camp, round about their tents. So they ate and were well filled; He gave them what they craved and lusted after. But scarce had they stilled their craving, and while their meat was yet in their mouths,


Therefore, when the Lord heard, He was [full of] wrath; a fire was kindled against Jacob, His anger mounted up against Israel, Because in God they believed not [they relied not on Him, they adhered not to Him], and they trusted not in His salvation (His power to save). Yet He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven; read more.
And He rained down upon them manna to eat and gave them heaven's grain. Everyone ate the bread of the mighty [man ate angels' food]; God sent them meat in abundance. He let forth the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by His power He guided the south wind. He rained flesh also upon them like the dust, and winged birds [quails] like the sand of the seas. And He let [the birds] fall in the midst of their camp, round about their tents. So they ate and were well filled; He gave them what they craved and lusted after. But scarce had they stilled their craving, and while their meat was yet in their mouths, The wrath of God came upon them and slew the strongest and sturdiest of them and smote down Israel's chosen youth.


Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked privately, Why could we not drive it out? He said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith [that is, your lack of firmly relying trust]. For truly I say to you, if you have faith [ that is living] like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to yonder place, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.

Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah through all the prophets and all the seers, saying, Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the Law which I commanded your fathers and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets. Yet they would not hear, but hardened their necks as did their fathers who did not believe (trust in, rely on, and remain steadfast to) the Lord their God. They despised and rejected His statutes and His covenant which He made with their fathers and His warnings to them, and they followed vanity (false gods -- "falsehood, emptiness, and futility) and [they themselves and their prayers] became false (empty and futile). They went after the heathen round about them, of whom the Lord had charged them that they should not do as they did. read more.
And they forsook all the commandments of the Lord their God and made for themselves molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah and worshiped all the [starry] hosts of the heavens and served Baal. They caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire and used divination and enchantments and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger. Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of His sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah. Judah also did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the customs which Israel introduced. The Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hands of spoilers, until He had cast them out of His sight. For He tore Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam son of Nebat king. And Jeroboam drew and drove Israel away from following the Lord and made them sin a great sin. For the Israelites walked in all the sins Jeroboam committed; they departed not from them Until the Lord removed Israel from His sight, as He had foretold by all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria to this day.

Yet they still went on to sin against Him by provoking and rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness (in the land of drought). And they tempted God in their hearts by asking for food according to their [selfish] desire and appetite. Yes, they spoke against God; they said, Can God furnish [the food for] a table in the wilderness? read more.
Behold, He did smite the rock so that waters gushed out and the streams overflowed; but can He give bread also? Can He provide flesh for His people? Therefore, when the Lord heard, He was [full of] wrath; a fire was kindled against Jacob, His anger mounted up against Israel, Because in God they believed not [they relied not on Him, they adhered not to Him], and they trusted not in His salvation (His power to save). Yet He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven; And He rained down upon them manna to eat and gave them heaven's grain. Everyone ate the bread of the mighty [man ate angels' food]; God sent them meat in abundance. He let forth the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by His power He guided the south wind. He rained flesh also upon them like the dust, and winged birds [quails] like the sand of the seas. And He let [the birds] fall in the midst of their camp, round about their tents. So they ate and were well filled; He gave them what they craved and lusted after. But scarce had they stilled their craving, and while their meat was yet in their mouths, The wrath of God came upon them and slew the strongest and sturdiest of them and smote down Israel's chosen youth. In spite of all this, they sinned still more, for they believed not in (relied not on and adhered not to Him for) His wondrous works. Therefore their days He consumed like a breath [in emptiness, falsity, and futility] and their years in terror and sudden haste. When He slew [some of] them, [the remainder] inquired after Him diligently, and they repented and sincerely sought God [for a time].

They forgot God their Savior, Who had done such great things in Egypt, Wonders and miracles in the land of Ham, dreadful and awesome things at the Red Sea. Therefore He said He would destroy them. [And He would have done so] had not Moses, His chosen one, stepped into the breach before Him to turn away His threatening wrath. read more.
Then they spurned and despised the pleasant and desirable land [Canaan]; they believed not His word [neither trusting in, relying on, nor holding to it]; But they murmured in their tents and hearkened not to the voice of the Lord. Therefore He lifted up His hand [as if taking an oath] against them, that He would cause them to fall in the wilderness, Cast out their descendants among the nations, and scatter them in the lands [of the earth].

That is true. But they were broken (pruned) off because of their unbelief (their lack of real faith), and you are established through faith [because you do believe]. So do not become proud and conceited, but rather stand in awe and be reverently afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches [because of unbelief], neither will He spare you [if you are guilty of the same offense].



And in their hearts they put God to the test
By asking for food according to their [selfish] appetite.

While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote them with a very great plague. That place was called Kibroth-hattaavah [the graves of sensuous desire], because there they buried the people who lusted, whose physical appetite caused them to sin.

So they ate and were well filled; He gave them what they craved and lusted after. But scarce had they stilled their craving, and while their meat was yet in their mouths, The wrath of God came upon them and slew the strongest and sturdiest of them and smote down Israel's chosen youth.