You're listening to Tim Bulkeley's 5 minute Bible
Humour in the Bible: Book 4:
Numbers
We've noticed already how
horrible situations sometimes elicit humour cuba
and then of course we notice it again
Mumbers chapter eleven
presents us with such a horrible situation
Now,
when people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes
the misfortunes are specified, but the people are forever in the book of Numbers
complaining to the LORD about just about everything
they sound like a bunch of whining teenagers
we've also noticed that humor is often
either produced or signaled by exaggeration
this story has plenty of
light gentle exaggeration in it
just listen
the LORD heard it
now there's a surprise
and his anger was kindled
then the fire the lord turned against them and consumed some of the outlying
parts of the camp
So, the situation is terrible
but not too terrible because it's only the outline parts that have been burned
but the people cried out to Moses
and Moses prayed to the LORD
of the fire abated
You see, in this chapter we have this kind of chain going on
with people complaining
to anyone who will listen
but in particular complaining to Moses
and poor Moses having to take their complains to God
after God has already got angry with them for their complaints
the situation is shaping up nicely
so the place was called Taberah
because the fire of the LORD burned against them. We're reminded the situation
is terrible
"The rabble among them
had a strong craving
and the Israelites also wept again and said if only we had meat to eat
we we remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt for nothing
the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions and the garlic
but now everything is dried up and there's nothing at all but this manna
to look at
Oh, yeah! Egypt was great
wonderful place, good for a holiday
Oh, come on! Go back and read chapter one of Exodus again
this is so totally unrealistic
that it has to be intended to be at least amusing
and raise a slight smile
and then the complaint about manna
it must be terribly boring stuff mustn't it?
at this point the narrator inserts a little note for us
verse seven
Now, manna was like coriander seed and its colour was
like the color of gum resin
the people went around and gahered it, ground it in mills or beat it in mortars
then put it in pots and made cakes of it and the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked in oil
or in
some other translations, honey cakes
terrible stuff no wonder they're complaining
when the dew fell on the camp at night
the manna would fall with it
Oh, dear! The poor dears!
Isn't life hard!
when your food tastes like cakes baked with oil
or honey cakes
and you just have to go out and pick it up in the morning
Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families
all at the entrance to their tents
then the LORD became angry
Moses heard that God became angry
something funny is going on - strange that is not humorous at this point -
and Moses was displeased
so the LORD is very angry and Moses he's merely displeased
something strange is going on
i'm sure it is
so Moses said to the LORD: Why have you treat your assessment so badly?
What's God done to Moses?
Why have I not found favour in your sight?
that you lay the burden of all this people on me
Ah, I see!
but notice how Moses goes on this is really fascinating stuff
Did I conceive all this people? Did I give birth to them?
That you should say to me carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries a sucking
child
to the land that you promised on oath to their ancestors
See what Moses is saying?
Am I this people's mother?
Don't expect me to mother them!
You're their mother, you look after them!
Now... that has to be a touch of amusing especially since God has been busy
mothering them providing them with food
everyday day-in day-out
oh
I think the story is meant to raise at least a smile
And I didn't promise you knock about slapstick in every book
just occasionally