THE LORD'S ARM IS NEVER TOO SHORT

Passage: Numbers 11:16-23

Key verse: 11:23

NIV

16 The Lord said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders(A) who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people.(B) Have them come to the tent of meeting,(C) that they may stand there with you. 17 I will come down and speak with you(D) there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them.(E) They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone.(F)

18 “Tell the people: ‘Consecrate yourselves(G) in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you wailed,(H) “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!”(I) Now the Lord will give you meat,(J) and you will eat it. 19 You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, 20 but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it(K)—because you have rejected the Lord,(L) who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’”(M)

21 But Moses said, “Here I am among six hundred thousand men(N) on foot, and you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’ 22 Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?”(O)

23 The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short?(P) Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.(Q)”

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ESV

Elders Appointed to Aid Moses

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Gather for me (A)seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and (B)officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. 17 (C)And I will come down and talk with you there. And (D)I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and (E)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, (F)‘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? (G)For it was better for us in Egypt.” Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. 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, (H)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, (I)“Why did we come out of Egypt?”’” 21 But Moses said, (J)“The people among whom I am number six hundred thousand on foot, and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month!’ 22 (K)Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, and be enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, and be enough for them?” 23 And the Lord said to Moses, (L)“Is the Lord's hand shortened? Now you shall see whether (M)my word will come true for you or not.”

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

First, God will provide leadership (16-17). When we think about the Lord's arm providing, we usually think about food and material things. But it also means leadership. Moses could never lead the people on his own. God knew this and called and empowered elders to assist. They would share the burden of leadership. They represented the people. The elders were not voiceless. God spoke through them, for they prophesied by the Spirit of God. Second, God would provide the food (18-23). Though God was angry with the complaints, he was going to feed his people and weed out the complainers. Moses was not sure that the Lord had enough power and resources to do what he planned. He was questioning God's ability. God reminded him of his unlimited power to act and his unlimited resources to provide. God wants his people to have complete faith in his power to deliver. God will come through in his way and in his time. His arm is never too short.

Prayer: Lord, you are strong enough and powerful enough to provide for your people. I trust you.

One Word: The Lord's arm is more than long enough