Moses poured out his heart to God in a strong lament? He had grown weary from the burden of leading God’s grumbling people. Moses voiced his complaint to God about God. And how did God respond? Did God give up on Moses? Did God walk away from Moses? Numbers 11:16-17 says: “The LORD said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them. They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone.”
God gave Moses a plan to help him with his burden. Amazingly, God poured out His Spirit on some of the very same people who had been complaining about Moses. They very one causing Moses burden would be used to bring Moses relief!
God’s care for desperate people is consistent with his merciful and gracious character. "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and save those who are crushed in spirit." God had told Moses in Exodus 3:7: “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying our because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.”
God is saying: “I see, I hear, I am concerned.” Sometimes we wonder if God really cares. Does God really hear our cry of despair? Moses thought the answer to those to questions were, NO! This was Moses complaint in Numbers 11:21-22: “But Moses said, “Here I am among six hundred thousand men on foot, and you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’ Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?”
There were millions of them in desert, and God said He provide a month’s supply of meat. And God response to Moses ought to be a powerful reminder to us. The Lord answered Moses in verse 23:, “Is the LORD’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.”
When we are in trouble, it is easy to give in to despair. Our situation may seem hopeless and it may seem as though God has deserted us and is uncaring. But remember...God sees. God cares. God provides.
God asked Moses, and he asks us, "Is my arm to short to provide for you?’ There is only one right answer. "The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit." Our desert and barren situations are fertile ground to experience God’s miraculous provision.
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