"Where's The Beef?"

"Where's The Beef ?"

Numbers 11: 9-25

Good Morning!

Sometimes it is just impossible to make everyone happy all of the time! In our passage reading today we find Moses, of all people, feeling a bit overwhelmed! He was so tired of the complaining by the children of Isreal because they were tired of eating manna every day without meat.

They went so far as to say that they had it better in Egypt than they did now. I have to say, I would have been pretty stressed too if I had six hundred thousand people that needed meat to eat every day!
Sometimes when I think about having a camp for single parents and their children to come to, I admit that it seems like it would take allot of food and work to feed 200 - 300 people for a week! I know I'll definitely need some pointers and allot of help to do that. I can't even imagine how Moses must have felt!
The only good thing that I see in the first few verses is Moses called out to God. Then he was kind of telling God he didn't really want the job any more! I mean he was ready for God to just take him on out of there! Look at verses 9 - 15,

Num 11:9 And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.
Num 11:10 Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly: Moses also was displeased.
Num 11:11 And Moses said to the LORD, Why hast thou afflicted thy servant? and why have I not found favor in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?
Num 11:12 Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say to me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing-father beareth the sucking child, to the land which thou sworest to their fathers?
Num 11:13 Where should I get flesh to give to all this people? for they weep to me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.
Num 11:14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.
Num 11:15 And if thou dealest thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favor in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

Moses felt like he had been punished and he said ,"if this is my punishment, just kill me, please!" He then said, "did I bring these people into the world?" He was ready to just disown them right then and there and take off to California! No really, but he was feeling pretty depressed about all of this responsibility and no support group to back him up!

Have you ever been in this situation on a much smaller scale? Do you ever feel you are doing it all on your own and it's way too much to handle? Let's see what God said to Moses next!

Num 11:16 And the LORD said to Moses, Gather to 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 to the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.

I love that part when God tells Moses that these men are going to stand with him!

God told Moses to get the appointed that were suppose to be there to help lead these people! God knew they were hiding in the middle of all these complaining people too because they had probably wimped out when the going got rough and everyone started shouting at Moses!

Instead of saying, "I'm here for you Moses!" "Let's all pray over this and ask God for help right now!" Moses was desperate and felt like it was all his problem to deal with. He had kind of gotten his eyes off of the solution(God) and got his eyes desperately on the problem!(satan)

Isn't that what we do sometimes when we are overworked or underpaid or tired of doing the daily chores that come with being the single parent of your household? Let's see what God's solution was,

Num 11:17 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 mayest not bear it thyself alone.

God took that spirit that was on Moses and put it on the seventy elderly men of Isreal! Why did he put it on the elderly men? I think they may have been the ones who were old enough to know better than to complain for one thing. Secondly, they had been around and their faith in God had grown stronger through the trials and tribulations. The people would listen to them.

I love where it says in verse 25 that God took that spirit that was on Moses and gave it to the seventy elders! Moses was suddenly relieved of all that stress and burden because God spread it out over the entire group and Moses knew he had their support and help finally.

Num 11:25 And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it to the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that when the spirit rested upon them; they prophesied, and did not cease.

Not only did the elders get the spirit of Moses but God gave them the power to spread the news that meat was coming until everyone had been told without stopping! I would imagine it took several days to tell 600,000 people the news. That is roughly a little less than 9,000 people per elder and they didn't have email, cell phones ad texting back then!

Once again, I say to you, "God loves it when we ask!" The solution is just a request away and you too will experience the relief and support that God has in store for you!

Please, share your burdens and needs with us by going to our Single Parents Daily link to the right at the Sites2See. We want to pray with you and support you in your burdens!

Here God can give your spirit of burden to others who can be of support to you.

Luke 11:9 And I say to you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened to you.