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Numbers 11:4-23 – Praying through the Bible #45 – A Prayer from Being Pushed
“They (supply name) really push my buttons.” Whether it is intentionally, because of personality conflicts or personal experiences; some people easily annoy us. It’s like we have an “Annoy Me” button on our forehead with their name written on it. And just like a button on machine, we react. Sometimes the reaction is not immediate so they keep pushing, and pushing, and pushing the “Annoy Me” button until we finally explode. Modernizing this idiom further, when it comes to annoying us, there is an app for that, and they have it.
Applying this idiom back in time, Israel pushes Moses’ buttons. Israel murmurs “there’s nothing to look at but this manna!” (Nm 11.6). Moses hears “the people, family after family, crying at the entrance of their tents” (Nm 11.10). And what does their leader do? He acts just like them – he whines! But not about manna; he whines about God in prayer to God! “Why have You brought such trouble on Your servant? Why are You angry with me, and why do You burden me with all these people? ….If You are going to treat me like this, please kill me right now. If You are pleased with me, don’t let me see my misery anymore” (11.11-15).
Although unrecognizable, this is the same leader who earlier mediated, “Now if You would only forgive their sin. But if not, please erase me from the book You have written” (Ex 32.32). Stress can break us. Constant irritation can erode our sensibilities. Leadership can pull us downward into imitating those we are leading instead of lifting them upward. How easy it is to become exactly like those we complain about.
God is not willing to give up on Moses or Israel. God has two solutions. God always has solutions. The first is “a division of labor” wherein Moses would receive help from 70 men like Jethro advised before (Nm 11.6; Ex 18). This makes me wonder if Moses had a hard time delegating. Delegate before you break!
The second is another provision of quail (Ex 16). Angrily God says Israel will eat meat “for a whole month – until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes nauseating to you” (11.20). Moses again acts with an immature faith. He whines in prayer doubting God – “You say, ‘I will give them meat, and they will eat for a month.’ If flocks and herds were slaughtered for them, would they have enough? Or if all the fish in the sea were caught for them, would they have enough?” (11.21-22). Someone in army logistics calculated it would take 12 million pounds of food daily to feed Israel in the wilderness. If God had miraculous dropped bread out of the sky for almost 2 years, Moses should have had faith God could provide meat for a month. God retorts, “Is the LORD’s power limited?” (11.23). Now both doubting Moses and ungrateful Israel are pushing God’s buttons.
Prayer Challenge: Pray not to become like the people we are leading whether in church or family; but that we all will grow more like God. Pray for greater gratitude and faith.
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