Name and Claim is a Foolish Game

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Name and Claim is a Foolish Game

September 2, 2009 by Dave Wells

And the people stayed up all that day, all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers); and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was aroused against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very great plague. Numbers 11:32-33

Who will give us meat to eat?

We all know that post-Exodus Israelis were a complaining collection of people. My New King James Bible implies that the rationale behind their whining was fueled by a ‘craving’ for meat. For the sake of this message, I must defer to the King James Version, for I believe it more accurately identifies their motivation. The KJV simply records that they, “fell a lusting.” It wasn’t that Israel was tired of manna, but rather they wanted something they perceived to be better than what they had. After all, we deserve the best, don’t we?

The Lord Will Give You Meat and You Shall Eat

In fact Numbers 11:20 records that Israel would have so much meat, it would come out of their nostrils and as verse 33 cites, as soon as the meat touched their lips, those who lusted were struck with a death plague. The initial application for us is an obvious one—be careful what you ask for because you just might get it. However I submit to you that as we appreciate that correct principle, it completely obliterates a false one: i.e. ‘name-it-and-claim-it’ theology.

They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel, But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tested God in the desert. And He gave them their request, But sent leanness into their soul. Psalm 106:13-15

We Can See the Mistake

Israel named it and claimed it and they got what they asked for—from God. So should we? Do we know better now than Israel did then? Again, the answer is obvious; just because we can does not mean we should—just because God is gracious does not suggest that we should claim whatever it is our heart desires.

Sadly, this false prosperity teaching exists today because those who practice it incorrectly interpret the results of their requests. God allows the lust to be satisfied and the people mistakenly believe that it is His good will for their lives. The reality is that God likely allowed it in the hopes that they might identify the error of their ways and learn to trust Him more deliberately. God knows what we need; therefore, like Moses did so many times in the wilderness, we should be seeking His will rather than telling Him ours.

Therefore do not worry, saying, ’What shall we eat?’ or ’What shall we drink?’ or ’What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:31-33

Posted in Bible, Bible Prophecy, food and drink, health, investment, Jesus, religion | Tagged Book of numbers, false teachings, israel, Jesus Christ, Manna, moses, name it and claim it, prosperity theology, quail, twitter | 2 Comments

2 Responses

on September 2, 2009 at 9:38 PM | Reply compassiondave

Thank you Kathy for your transparency. I too left a church of over 20 years (about 7 years ago) and I know the agony that it brings.

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on September 2, 2009 at 9:10 PM | Reply Kathy

I spent 20 years in a church that taught prosperity. In those years, I quietly questioned this and many of the teachings from this ministry. Although I have to say I grew spiritually, I could never rectify the teachings of “If you need a bigger house,” or “If you want a better car…” to Jesus’ own teachings about the birds of the air and the lilies of the field…or seeking first the Kingdom of GOD, not my own…If the teachings went hand in hand with being blessed to be a blessing, it would be one thing. Unfortunately, they were not.
The teachings became so severely self-seeking over the past couple of years, I finally surrendered to my heart, and left. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve done, as it was the most stabile thing I knew, I was very involved in ministry, and the people I considered family.
Feeding the poor, bringing hope to the hopeless, being the hands and feet to the lost and dying, living to build God’s kingdom on the planet are my heart’s desire. They always have been. If the spirit of the Lord is upon me, is it not to do these things and the greater things that Jesus said we would do?
For those who are reading, Compassion is one of the most wonderful ministries you can link arms with to do the work of the Lord on earth. The love you can share with a child can change that one life who, in turn, can effect their entire community for the Lord. The price of sponsorship is a very small sacrifice to make to touch a child for the Kingdom of God.

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