Arm's Length

            As I was reading my Bible this morning I found myself looking at Numbers 11and reading about Israeli and there journey through the wilderness. It is the section that talks about how they began to complain and moan about the lack of meat in their diet. It was interesting to me to see the way that the complaining people affected Moses’ attitude and his relationship with God.

¹⁴ I am not able to carry all these people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. ¹⁵ If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.” Numbers 11:14-15 (ESV)

Here we have the one person who God speaks to in a physical relationship they enjoy fellowship with one another in a personal manner just like you and I would talk tour best friend. But the whining of the people has driven a sense of resentment into the heart of Moses. You know sometimes in our own lives we experience this same feeling we deal with people everyday that seem to walk all over us and treat us badly for things that really are beyond our control. We even at times turn around and try to blame God for putting this sort of trial on us. However, as we see here God has the solution. He tells Moses to do two things call 70 elders to the tent of meeting and to tell the people to prepare themselves for the y shall eat meat tomorrow.

¹⁷ And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone. ¹⁸ And say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was better for us in Egypt.” Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. Numbers 11:17-18 (ESV)

You can tell Moses was just a human being just as we are today, because he is looking at the problem from his point of view. He does not question the seventy helpers God is going to give him no problem there that sounds great. It’s the feeding the people meat that has Moses questioning God’s ability. You see God does not promise to feed them for one day but for an entire month.

19 You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, 20 but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before him, saying, “Why did we come out of Egypt?”’ Numbers 11:19-20 (ESV)

What is the old saying to much of a good thing is still bad for you. God declares that in his providing for their needs he will also bring a sort of punishment upon them. Do you ever find yourself in a situation that when it started out seemed like it was a great thing only to determine that somewhere along the line you just don’t enjoy it anymore and that if you had it all to do over again you would have done it differently. In the end Moses probably wished he had not questioned God’s ability to provide. You see God responds to Moses’s questioning,

23 And the Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord’s hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not.” Numbers 11:22-23 (ESV)

Today are you in a situation that seems hopeless is the weight of the world pulling you into the questioning phase of your relationship with God? Do you believe that there are things that are too great for Him to accomplish in your life? If so I asked you to answer God’s question to Moses. Have you not already seen His workings do you not already know His grace. He has saved you from a life of torment and suffering He is more than able to meet the need you have today. Just be careful in the asking because sometimes what we accept as a blessing is in reality a plague designed to draw us back into relationship with God. You can read that in verses Numbers 11:31-35. Have a Blessed Day as You walk in the light of His Word.