Numbers 11:10-15:Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and the anger of the Lord was greatly aroused; Moses also was displeased. So Moses said to the Lord, “Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,’ to the land which You swore to their fathers? Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now—if I have found favor in Your sight—and do not let me see my wretchedness!”
The people complained and murmured so terribly that their leader was pushed to the wall. The meekest man on earth could not handle the complaint and murmuring of his people anymore. It’s either water, food or meat, there was always something to complain about. From the frustration of the complain of his people, Moses also complained to God. He even told God to kill him immediately. That is what murmuring and complain can do. Do you know that your complain and murmur can make a man anointed by God to desire to die? Have you realized what damage your complaining about little things can cause in the life of another?
They cried to Moses for meat and Moses cried to God for death. Many gifts, potentials, ministries etc have probably ended because of the people’s constant and consistent complain over what does not make sense. They complain about their pastors, leaders, their spouses, the weather, children in-short about everything.
Moses, instead of seeking Gods strength and grace to withstand the pressure and suicidal spirit that comes with complain and murmur, he was infested with the virus of complain and began to complain. Please note that the spirit of complain and murmur is contagious. If you stay long enough around people who complain, you will certainly be contaminated and infected. You will surely and most assuredly complain too.
Moses’s complain revealed a dimension of God that Moses never knew. Immediately after his complain, the anointing (the Spirit within Him), the driving force that sustained him was re-distributed and shared to 70 people. He probably expected encouraging words from the Lord, perhaps he wanted some gentle pat and a feeling of well-done Moses. But God did not even negotiate or discuss the matter. He immediately told Moses directly to go and gather 70 people so that the Spirit given to Moses would be re-apportioned to those men.
When Elijah came up with similar pattern, complaining that he was the only man left etc. God reminded him that there were 7,000 reserved prophets. God immediately found a replacement in Elisha the son of Shaphat.
1st Kings 19:15-16: ….. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.
Dearly beloved, many people have ended their ministry abruptly because of this subject matter. Do not only listen but please pray it in. Pray for Grace, pray for strength and ask God to do something within.
