The Blessing and Burden of Leadership

“Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance of his tent. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled.”

Numbers 11:10

Leading is never an easy responsibility, and it is fraught with adversity. Moses’ legacy provides us ample proof of this. He was called to take God’s covenantal people, Israel, out of Egypt and guide them to the Promised Land. This task bore many triumphs, moments of sweet corporate fellowship and praise. But there were also spiritual valleys, moments when a sense of collective distrust and rebellion permeated the Hebrew people. For instance, the Israelites made a foreign God as Moses was receiving the sacred commandments. And the people found many opportunities to openly complain about their dissatisfaction with everything associated with journeying through the desert.

That is the state of affairs when we open up Scripture to Numbers 11. Israel was brazenly ignoring the blessings they had received at God’s hand and choosing to candidly dismiss God’s sovereignty. Israel grumbled continually. What the Hebrew community had in freedom from Egyptian slavery and oppression apparently didn’t appease them for very long. They wanted more, and it was revealed in one particular example: the collective call, better yet demand, for meat (Numbers 11:4). Israel worked very little for manna since God reigned manna down upon the land, but the people were not content with it.

Moses ventured throughout the camp and heard the cries of his kinsmen. It overwhelmed him, and burdened him. Moses rightly brought the matter before God. The great prophet expressed confusion as to why he was saddled with so many of the peoples’ heartache. He honestly assessed the problem. He was a mere mortal and had neither the physical nor the mental prowess to provide meat for some several hundred thousand people. He felt sure that the hurt in the community would soon turn into contempt and violence, likely resulting in Moses’ execution for failing to deliver sustenance to the peoples’ voracious expectations. He asked the Lord to put him to death rather than face the carnal brutality of an angry mob.

But God offered Moses a most welcomed and gracious response. He informed Moses that He would allow some of the headship role to be disseminated with seventy of Israel’s elders. Remarkably, God revealed that He would share the Spirit that rested on Moses with the newly appointed leaders, thus confirming God’s authoritative presence and blessing in the matter. It is amazing to read how God patiently, gently addressed Moses’ predicament. The Lord was both sensitive to Moses’ concerns and spectacular in how He resolved the issue. Furthermore, God took care of avenging the misguided behavior and the shameful attitude that was running rampant throughout the Israelite camp.

In all, we, as God’s followers and leaders of varying degrees, must be patient, prepared, and prayerful, as Moses was. Clearly, we do not carry our burdens alone. God is among us and in us (as believers of Jesus Christ). Let us not lose heart when the “meat-moaners” of life approach us, or perhaps even threaten us. May we carry it to God and allow our Master to develop the Master plan.