This is the end of a very unpleasant story. The Israelites were in the wilderness with Moses and God was raining down manna daily to feed them. They were tired of it. They were crying (all 600,000 of them) for meat. They were complaining and saying how good it had been in Egypt because their diets were so much varied (of course they conveniently forgot they were slaves and quite abused). God heard them and rained down quail. He wasn't happy about it though.
When all was said and done the instigators of this discontent were killed and buried. And they were called "greedy."
I read this and I see myself. Ouch!. I am not one who craves lots of stuff so I could say I'm not greedy, but I do find myself discontent sometimes when I can't pay our bills, when our cupboards are pretty empty, when life is hard. I can find myself struggling with myself trying to be content but sometimes losing that battle.
People seem to be meat-eaters or non-meat eaters. I eat meat but I can go for days without meat and be content. My husband is one who needs to eat meat or his diet is lacking. On the flip side if we don't have any carbs around: no fruit, no bread/crackers, no fresh veggies, no fiber kind of stuff and only meat I am not happy. I'd rather not eat than just eat meat. So, I can see how these people were discontent. Would I have been one of the ones struck with the plague? I don't know.
Greed=excessive desire
Greedy=craving.
"And the greedy man curses and spurns the LORD." Psalm 10:3b
"And (Jesus) said to them, 'Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his lief consist of his possessions.'" Luke 12:15
be "content with what you have" Hebrews 13:5b
Are we content? Paul in Philippians 4 writes, "I have learned to secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need."
We can learn it. We can learn to be content ALWAYS!