EGW → Biblical Foundation
Select an Ellen White book from the sidebar to see each passage mapped to the Bible verses it amplifies, cites, or echoes.
Scripture Index
Ellen White & Bible Cross-Reference
Numbers 11:1
"And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp."
"the greater guilt. Furthermore, they had covenanted to accept Jehovah as their king and to obey His authority. Their murmuring was now rebellion, and as such it must receive prompt and signal punishment, if Israel was to be preserved from anarchy and ruin. “The fire of Jehovah burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.” The most guilty of the complainers were slain by lightning from the cloud. PP 379.1 The people in terror besought Moses to entreat the Lord for them. He did so, and the fire was quenched. In memory of this judgment he called the name of the place Taberah, “a burning.” PP 379.2"
EGW directly quotes and elaborates on the events described in Numbers 11:1, including the fire of the Lord and the naming of Taberah. This is a clear and direct reference.
Numbers 11:4
"And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?"
But the evil was soon worse than before. Instead of leading the survivors to humiliation and repentance, this fearful judgment seemed only to increase their murmurings. In all directions the people were gathered at the door of their tents, weeping and lamenting. “The mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic: but now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.” Thus they manifested their discontent with the food provided for them by their Creator. Yet they had constant evidence that it was adapted to their wants; for notwithstanding the hardships they endured, there was not a feeble one in all their tribes. PP 379.3 The heart of Moses sank. He had pleaded that Israel should not be destroyed, even though his own posterity…
EGW directly quotes Numbers 11:4 and provides context and commentary on the Israelites' lusting and complaining about the manna. This is a clear and direct reference.
"After three days’ journey open complaints were heard. These originated with the mixed multitude, many of whom were not fully united with Israel, and were continually watching for some cause of censure. The complainers were not pleased with the direction of the march, and they were continually finding fault with the way in which Moses was leading them, though they well knew that he, as well as they, was following the guiding cloud. Dissatisfaction is contagious, and it soon spread in the encampment. PP 377.3"
Both passages discuss the complaints of the mixed multitude during the Israelites' journey. EGW elaborates on the nature and spread of the dissatisfaction, directly reflecting the sentiment in Numbers 11:4.
"The mixed multitude that came up with the Israelites from Egypt were a source of continual temptation and trouble. They professed to have renounced idolatry and to worship the true God; but their early education and training had molded their habits and character, and they were more or less corrupted with idolatry and with irreverence for God. They were oftenest the ones to stir up strife and were the first to complain, and they leavened the camp with their idolatrous practices and their murmurings against God. PP 408.3"
Both passages refer to the 'mixed multitude' who left Egypt with the Israelites and their negative influence, specifically their tendency to complain and introduce foreign practices. EGW elaborates on the nature of their corruption and their role in stirring up strife, which is directly related to the event described in Numbers 11:4.
"Yet even this evidence of the Lord's controlling hand was not sufficient to restrain discontent, rebellion, and treachery among the Israelites. “The nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them. For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah.” Here are seen the evil results of intermarriage with idolaters. A family of Judah had become connected with the enemies of God, and the relation had proved a snare. Many others had done the same. These, like the mixed multitude that came up with Israel from Egypt, were a source of constant trouble. They were not wholehearted in His service; and when God's work demanded a sacrifice, they were ready to violate their solemn oath of co- operation and support. PK 657.2"
EGW draws a parallel between the 'mixed multitude' in Numbers and those intermarried with idolaters in Nehemiah's time, both causing trouble and lacking wholehearted devotion. The connection is thematic, not a direct quote or explicit allusion.
Numbers 11:4-6
"And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes."
"Again they began to clamor for flesh to eat. Though abundantly supplied with manna, they were not satisfied. The Israelites, during their bondage in Egypt, had been compelled to subsist on the plainest and simplest food; but then keen appetite induced by privation and hard labor had made it palatable. Many of the Egyptians, however, who were now among them, had been accustomed to a luxurious diet; and these were the first to complain. At the giving of the manna, just before Israel reached Sinai, the Lord had granted them flesh in answer to their clamors; but it was furnished them for only one day. PP 377.4"
The EGW passage directly recounts and expands upon the events described in Numbers 11:4-6, including the Israelites' complaining about the manna and longing for the food they had in Egypt. It provides additional context and interpretation of the events.
"God might as easily have provided them with flesh as with manna, but a restriction was placed upon them for their good. It was His purpose to supply them with food better suited to their wants than the feverish diet to which many had become accustomed in Egypt. The perverted appetite was to be brought into a more healthy state, that they might enjoy the food originally provided for man—the fruits of the earth, which God gave to Adam and Eve in Eden. It was for this reason that the Israelites had been deprived, in a great measure, of animal food. PP 378.1"
Both passages discuss the Israelites' desire for meat and dissatisfaction with the manna. The EGW passage provides an interpretation of this event, linking it to their time in Egypt and God's desire for them to have a better diet.
"The Jews honored Moses as the giver of the manna, ascribing praise to the instrument, and losing sight of Him by whom the work had been accomplished. Their fathers had murmured against Moses, and had doubted and denied his divine mission. Now in the same spirit the children rejected the One who bore the message of God to themselves. “Then said Jesus unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven.” The giver of the manna was standing among them. It was Christ Himself who had led the Hebrews through the wilderness, and had daily fed them with the bread from heaven. That food was a type of the real bread from heaven. The life-giving Spirit, flowing from the infinite fullness of God, is the true manna. Jesus said, “The bread of God is that which cometh down out of heaven, and giveth life unto the world.” John 6:33 , R. V. DA 385.5"
Both passages deal with the Israelites' dissatisfaction with the manna and their longing for something else. EGW uses this as a parallel to the Jews' rejection of Jesus, even though He is the true bread from heaven.
Numbers 11:5
"We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:"
"Why is it so hard to lead a self-denying, humble life? Because professed Christians are not dead to the world. It is easy living after we are dead. But many are longing for the leeks and onions of Egypt. They have a disposition to dress and act as much like the world as possible and yet go to heaven. Such climb up some other way. They do not enter through the strait gate and narrow way. 1T 131.2"
The EGW passage explicitly mentions 'longing for the leeks and onions of Egypt,' which is a direct reference to Numbers 11:5. The allusion is used to illustrate the temptation to return to worldly comforts and desires instead of embracing a life of self-denial.
Numbers 11:8
"And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil."
"While preparation for the Sabbath is to be made all through the week, Friday is to be the special preparation day. Through Moses the Lord said to the children of Israel: “Tomorrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake today, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.” “And the people went about, and gathered it [the manna], and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it.” Exodus 16:23 ; Numbers 11:8 . There was something to be done in preparing the heaven-sent bread for the children of Israel. The Lord told them that this work must be done on Friday, the preparation day. This was a test to them. God desired to see whether or not they would keep the Sabbath holy. 6T 354.4"
The EGW passage directly quotes Numbers 11:8 to illustrate the preparation of manna, connecting it to the concept of Sabbath preparation.
"At nightfall the camp was surrounded by vast flocks of quails, enough to supply the entire company. In the morning there lay upon the surface of the ground “a small round thing, as small as the hoarfrost.” “It was like coriander seed, white.” The people called it “manna.” Moses said, “This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.” The people gathered the manna, and found that there was an abundant supply for all. They “ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it.” Numbers 11:8 . “And the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.” They were directed to gather daily an omer for every person; and they were not to leave of it until the morning. Some attempted to keep a supply until the next day, but it was then found to be unfit for food. The provision for the day must be gathered in the morning; for all that remained upon the ground was melted by the sun. PP 295.1"
Ellen White directly references Numbers 11:8 in this passage.
Numbers 11:15
"And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness."
"My ambition to become a scholar had been very great, and when I pondered over my disappointed hopes, and the thought that I was to be an invalid for life, I was unreconciled to my lot and at times murmured against the providence of God in thus afflicting me. Had I opened my mind to my mother, she might have instructed, soothed, and encouraged me; but I concealed my troubled feelings from my family and friends, fearing that they could not understand me. The happy confidence in my Saviour's love that I had enjoyed during my illness was gone. My prospect of worldly enjoyment was blighted, and heaven seemed closed against me. 1T 13.3"
Both passages express a deep sense of despair and a desire for death due to perceived affliction. EGW's passage describes her feeling of being unreconciled to her lot and murmuring against God, while Numbers 11:15 is Moses' plea to God to kill him rather than continue to bear the burden of the people. The connection lies in the shared sentiment of overwhelming distress and a questioning of God's providence.
Numbers 11:16
"And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee."
"The Lord hearkened to his prayer, and directed him to summon seventy men of the elders of Israel—men not only advanced in years, but possessing dignity, sound judgment, and experience. “And bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation,” He said, “that they may stand there with thee. And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.” PP 380.1"
EGW directly quotes Numbers 11:16 and provides context, explaining the reason for selecting seventy elders to assist Moses. This is a clear and direct reference.
"“And, behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the Lord; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, for all the king's matters: also the Levites shall be officers before you. PK 197.4"
Both passages describe the appointment of leaders and officers to assist in governance. Numbers 11:16 describes Moses appointing elders, while the EGW passage describes Jehoshaphat appointing officials for religious and secular matters. The parallel lies in the delegation of authority.
Numbers 11:16-17
"And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee. And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone."
"We cannot afford to deprive our home missions of the influence of middle-aged and aged ministers to send them into distant fields, to engage in a work for which they are not qualified, and to which no amount of training will enable them to adapt themselves. The men thus sent out leave vacancies which inexperienced laborers cannot supply. 5T 392.3"
Both passages address the importance of experienced leadership and the need to delegate responsibilities appropriately. Numbers 11:16-17 describes God's instruction to Moses to gather elders to share the burden of leadership, while the EGW passage cautions against sending experienced ministers to distant fields where they may not be effective, thus creating a void in home missions.
I have seen that those who have had but a few years’ experience in the cause of present truth, are not the ones to lead out in the work. Such should manifest a delicacy in taking positions which will conflict with the judgment and opinion of those who witnessed the rise of the cause of present truth, and whose lives are interwoven with its progress. God will not select men of but little experience to lead out in this work. He will not choose those who have had no experience in the sufferings, trials, opposition, and privation endured to bring this work up to the platform on which it now rests. It is now easy, compared with what it once was, to preach the third angel's message. Those who now engage in this work, and teach the truth to others, have things made ready at their hand. They cannot experience such privations as laborers in present truth have endured before them. The truth is brought out for them. Arguments are all prepared. Such should be careful how they become exalted, lest …
Both passages deal with the selection of leaders and the importance of experience. The Numbers passage speaks of God choosing elders to share Moses' burden, while the EGW passage discusses the importance of experienced individuals leading out in the work of present truth. The connection is thematic, but not a direct allusion.
Numbers 11:18
"And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the Lord, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the Lord will give you flesh, and ye shall eat."
"Moses was directed to prepare the people for what God was about to do for them. “Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the Lord, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the Lord will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; but even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?” PP 380.3"
The EGW passage directly quotes Numbers 11:18, making it a clear explicit allusion.
Numbers 11:21-22
"And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month. Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?"
"“The people, among whom I am,” exclaimed Moses, “are six hundred thousand footmen; and Thou has said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month. Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them?” PP 381.1"
EGW directly quotes Numbers 11:21-22.
Numbers 11:23
"And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lord’s hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not."
"He was reproved for his distrust: “Is the Lord's hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether My word shall come to pass unto thee or not.” PP 381.2"
The EGW passage directly quotes Numbers 11:23.
"promised to remove all difficulties, and to give him final success, then any further shrinking back and complaining of his unfitness showed distrust of God. It implied a fear that God was unable to qualify him for the great work to which He had called him, or that He had made a mistake in the selection of the man. PP 254.2"
Both passages deal with the theme of doubting God's ability and power. However, the connection is not a direct quote or explicit reference, but rather a shared theme. Confidence adjusted down slightly.
Numbers 11:25
"And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease."
"Moses now summoned the seventy to the tabernacle. “And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.” Like the disciples on the Day of Pentecost, they were endued with “power from on high.” It pleased the Lord thus to prepare them for their work, and to honor them in the presence of the congregation, that confidence might be established in them as men divinely chosen to unite with Moses in the government of Israel. PP 381.4"
EGW directly quotes Numbers 11:25 and draws a parallel between the seventy elders receiving the Spirit and the disciples on the Day of Pentecost. This is a clear and direct reference.
Numbers 11:29
"And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!"
Again evidence was given of the lofty, unselfish spirit of the great leader. Two of the seventy, humbly counting themselves unworthy of so responsible a position, had not joined their brethren at the tabernacle; but the Spirit of God came upon them where they were, and they, too, exercised the prophetic gift. On being informed of this, Joshua desired to check such irregularity, fearing that it might tend to division. Jealous for the honor of his master, “My lord Moses,” he said, “forbid them.” The answer was, “Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them.” PP 381.5 A strong wind blowing from the sea now brought flocks of quails, “about a day's journey on this side, and a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the face of the earth.” Numbers 11:31 , R.V. All that day and night, and the following day, the people labored in gathering the food miraculously provided. …
The EGW passage directly quotes Numbers 11:29, making it a clear and intentional allusion.
Numbers 11:31
"And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth."
Again evidence was given of the lofty, unselfish spirit of the great leader. Two of the seventy, humbly counting themselves unworthy of so responsible a position, had not joined their brethren at the tabernacle; but the Spirit of God came upon them where they were, and they, too, exercised the prophetic gift. On being informed of this, Joshua desired to check such irregularity, fearing that it might tend to division. Jealous for the honor of his master, “My lord Moses,” he said, “forbid them.” The answer was, “Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them.” PP 381.5 A strong wind blowing from the sea now brought flocks of quails, “about a day's journey on this side, and a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the face of the earth.” Numbers 11:31 , R.V. All that day and night, and the following day, the people labored in gathering the food miraculously provided. …
Ellen White directly references Numbers 11:31 in this passage.
Numbers 11:33
"And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague."
"In deep sadness the people had buried their dead. Three thousand had fallen by the sword; a plague had soon after broken out in the encampment; and now the message came to them that the divine Presence would no longer accompany them in their journeyings. Jehovah had declared, “I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.” And the command was given, “Put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.” Now there was mourning throughout the encampment. In penitence and humiliation “the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.” PP 327.1"
Both passages describe a plague as a consequence of the Israelites' actions. EGW mentions a plague in the context of their sin, and Numbers 11:33 describes a plague as punishment for their lusting after meat.