The Spirit and the Elders

Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Numbers 11:11-25 KJV 

11 And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me? 12 Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers? 13 Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat. 14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because [it is] too heavy for me. 15 And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness. 16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto 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 unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee. 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 bear [it] not thyself alone. 18 And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for [it was] well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. 19 Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; 20 [But] even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which [is] among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt? 21 And Moses said, The people, among whom I [am], [are] six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month. 22 Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them? 23 And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD'S hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not. 24 And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle. 25 And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that [was] upon him, and gave [it] unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, [that], when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What five (5) questions did Moses ask the Lord after the children of Israel complained to him about having no meat to eat in the wilderness? (v.11-13)
2) What did Moses say to the Lord out of his frustration with the people? (v.14-15)
3) What were the Lord's instructions to Moses? Why? (v.16-20)
4) What additional questions did Moses ask the Lord? (v.21-22)
5) How did the Lord respond to His servant? (v.23)
6) What did Moses and the Lord do next? (v.24-25)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
7) Have you ever voiced a complaint to the Lord concerning an individual, or a group of people, that He gave you spiritual authority over? If so, what was the Lord's response.

LIFE LESSONS
8) The Lord will never give us more than we can bear, but will guide and provide wisdom so that we may continue in our assignment.
9) The Lord will never be angry with us when we complain directly to Him. His is displeased when we complain to those who can do little, or nothing, to change our situation. Our trust should be in God alone.
10) When we complain to, or about, our spiritual leaders, we are indirectly complaining about the Lord.