Lay It on Me

14 / L AY I T ON M E

and devour one another" (Galatians 5:15). Numbers 11 reveals that the Hebrews grew tired of manna and began to complain. The taste of Egypt was still in their mouths. "Who will give us meat to eat?" they asked (Numbers 11:4). To appease the grumblers, God sent quail that accumulated three feet deep in the desert (Numbers 11:31)! God allowed them to gorge their flesh by eating flesh. After a period of time, judgment fell and the flesh eaters died in the wilderness (Numbers 11:33). When believers devour one another with cutting words, the entire body of Christ is affected. When people use harsh words to cut and destroy people, the result will be physical sickness. Paul wrote to the Corinthian church and addressed the division and strife among them. Paul revealed: For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep (1 Corinthians 11:29, 30). During severe droughts and famines, humans have not only devoured other humans, but things a person would never eat suddenly become appetizing! During a famine in 2 Kings 6:25, people were selling dove's dung and donkey brains in order to survive. Starving people will do just about anything! When famine hit Bethlehem, one Jewish family made an unusual move. They crossed the Jordan River into the land of the Moabites. For Elimelech, a Jew, and his family to live in Moab was an unusual occurrence. The Moabites were