I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Numbers 11-13.

Yesterday I wrote about the fiery cloud which led the people of Israel through the wilderness.  Yet despite that daily evidence of God’s presence with them, today we read that the Israelites complained about the food which God provided them.  Even Moses complained to God (although his complaint was mostly about having to deal with the rest of the Israelites).  There are two lessons here.  The Israelites complained because they chose to remember only the good parts about their time in Egypt.  When they thought about the things in Egypt which they missed, they failed to remind themselves why they had given those things up.  As for Moses’ complaint, that arose from him not delegating any of his responsibilities.  He tried to do it all himself, which no one could have done.  Many leaders suffer burnout just as Moses did because they do not recruit others to carry some of the burden with them.

Then Aaron and Miriam complained about Moses’ authority.  When Moses began delegating some of his authority to the 70 elders, Aaron and Miriam felt slighted.  Before Moses chose the 70 elders, for all intents and purposes, Miriam and Aaron, as his siblings and the only people to whom he had delegated any power, had equal power with Moses.  When it was just the three of them, the people had to assume that anything Miriam or Aaron said represented what Moses said.  The 70 elders were a small enough group to go directly to Moses for clarification if they thought something Miriam or Aaron said did not match what Moses had said.  So, despite the continual evidence of God’s presence and care, the Israelites, even the highest among them, complained and whined about what God provided for them.