WE USED TO HAVE LEEKS!

“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?’. We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic;’”

– Numbers 11: 4-5

“Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.”

“Birds of a feather flock together.”

“It is better to be alone than to be in bad company”

“If everyone else jumped off a cliff, would you jump too?”

These are not Bible verses. We’ve heard these quotes for most of our lives and there is good reason for that. Most clichés are grounded in truth in some way or another. Good company can lift you up higher. Positive and encouraging friends are able to build you up, give you confidence, and help you to make sound decisions. Bad company, while being a pretty good hard rock band in the 70s, can be a ball and chain on your life and ministry. Those who you surround yourself with can (and will) make or break you. I think that the biggest mistake made by believers, both new and seasoned, is their belief that they can keep their spiritual lives separate from and unaffected by their everyday surroundings and peers.

In the scripture above, we find the children of Israel being led out of captivity and heading to the land that God promised them. This journey was being undertaken not only by the Israelites but also the mixed multitude of non-Israelites who joined the exodus from Egypt. Just as a side note: there will always be those who follow and “hang on” to those going after God’s will. Not all of these people have our best interest in mind. Many are simply following what they see as the next big thing. Is your church in a season of explosive growth? You can count on there being a lot of people along for the ride. They’re pretty easy to spot as they make a lot of suggestions that turn into criticisms, but do precious little actual work. They usually won’t get involved and serve at all (unless of course a title is involved).

The mixed multitude in the company of Israel was intrigued by the plagues, the miraculous exodus, the parting of the Red Sea, and manna from the sky– at first. They were quick to join in the celebration and praise when God was performing mighty miracles. As we all know however, mountain top experiences don’t last forever. When the real journey began and the earth shattering miracles weren’t necessary anymore, the non-Israelites were the first to start grumbling. They liked the eye-candy of supernatural phenomena, but walking through the desert? Not so much.

The Bible says that these followers had greedy desires (Numbers 11: 4 – Amplified Bible). Naturally they did not keep these desires to themselves, but started lamenting out loud about the foods that they missed from Egypt. They talked about the cucumbers, the melons, the garlic, the leeks, and the onions. They reminded the Israelites about the variety of foods that they used to “enjoy”, and eventually the children of Israel joined the complaint chorus. How very very awful for them! There was more than just “Manna Café” back in Egypt. They were pretty down and out about it. Egypt was looking better and better.

They were slaves.

They were in captivity.

They had zero control over their own lives.

“BUT WE USED TO HAVE LEEKS!”

How incredibly petty does this sound to us? It’s easy to judge this generation of wishy washy Israelites, but they’re really a lot like us. As long as the miracles, healings, and dynamic church growth keep up, we are content and thriving. However as soon as the enemy starts attacking, or a leader falls from grace, or new membership plateaus, those that were along for the ride start complaining. If the true core of the body stays on the path and remains faithful, the boat doesn’t capsize. All too often though, the “mixed multitude” affects the rest of the body. Hastily built friendships and suspect allegiances can suddenly overshadow God’s will for our life and the direction of our local church.

We, as the church, must keep the big picture in view at all times. Many of us came out of bondage and the enemy would love to get us to focus on some simple and petty pleasure that was associated with that time in captivity. Sure, we used to have leeks, but we were slaves while eating them. The wonderful thing about living for God is that He is a good Father with good intentions for us. Isaiah 1:19 reads, “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;” God will give us so much better than leeks if we stay faithful and not allow the rabble to sway us. We must stay focused and not let anyone pull us off of our destined path!