神带领衪的百姓以色列民走过旷野，前往祂所赐的应许之地，这是一条既漫长又艰苦的旅程，然而主总会供应他们所需的。尽管如此，以色列民却时常抱怨路途艰辛，甚至说他们从前在埃及的生活要好得多 － 尽管他们曾经在那里作奴隶。
神因他们的叛逆准备惩罚他们时，摩西心中不悦。他向神呼求：“你为何苦待仆人？ … 我若在你眼前蒙恩，求你立时将我杀了，不叫我见自己的苦情。”
摩西这样说是否言之有理呢？和多年之后的以利亚那样（列王纪上19:1-5），摩西怀着一颗破碎的心向神祈求，他担当不起带领这群难以取悦和不停抱怨的人穿越旷野的重任。想像一下，促使他这样迫切恳求的痛苦感受；摩西对祷告并非没有信心，他只是向神表露他极度破碎的心而已。进一步想像一下，看到百姓的抱怨和叛逆，神的心是何等伤痛。
神垂听摩西的祷告，衪委派七十个长老来帮助摩西，分担他带领百姓的重任。神又赐下鹌鹑，好叫百姓有肉吃，这是一个何等奇妙的神迹啊！
神是无所不能的，而神也垂听和看顾祂子民的领袖发出的祷告。
父神啊，惟愿我们不会陷入贪婪无度或不停抱怨；求你帮助我们学会知足，又为你赐给我们的一切为生活感恩。奉耶稣名祈求，阿们。
民数记 11:4-18
4他们中间的闲杂人大起贪欲的心。以色列人又哭号说：“谁给我们肉吃呢？
5我们记得在埃及的时候不花钱就吃鱼，也记得有黄瓜、西瓜、韭菜、葱、蒜。
6现在我们的心血枯竭了，除这吗哪以外，在我们眼前并没有别的东西！”
7这吗哪仿佛芫荽子，又好像珍珠。
8百姓周围行走，把吗哪收起来，或用磨推，或用臼捣，煮在锅中，又做成饼，滋味好像新油。
9夜间露水降在营中，吗哪也随着降下。
10摩西听见百姓各在各家的帐篷门口哭号。耶和华的怒气便大发作，摩西就不喜悦。
11摩西对耶和华说：“你为何苦待仆人，我为何不在你眼前蒙恩，竟把这管理百姓的重任加在我身上呢？
12这百姓岂是我怀的胎，岂是我生下来的呢？你竟对我说把他们抱在怀里，如养育之父抱吃奶的孩子，直抱到你起誓应许给他们祖宗的地去。
13我从哪里得肉给这百姓吃呢？他们都向我哭号说：‘你给我们肉吃吧！’
14管理这百姓的责任太重了，我独自担当不起。
15你这样待我，我若在你眼前蒙恩，求你立时将我杀了，不叫我见自己的苦情。”
16耶和华对摩西说：“你从以色列的长老中招聚七十个人，就是你所知道做百姓的长老和官长的，到我这里来，领他们到会幕前，使他们和你一同站立。
17我要在那里降临，与你说话，也要把降于你身上的灵分赐他们，他们就和你同当这管百姓的重任，免得你独自担当。
18又要对百姓说：你们应当自洁，预备明天吃肉，因为你们哭号说：‘谁给我们肉吃？我们在埃及很好。’这声音达到了耶和华的耳中，所以他必给你们肉吃。
"I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me." - Numbers 11:14
As God led his people Israel through the desert to the land he had promised them, the journey was long and hard. But the Lord always provided for them. Even so, the Israelites often complained about their hardships, saying they had it better in Egypt—even though they had been slaves there.
When God disciplined the Israelites because of their rebellion, Moses' heart was troubled. He cried out to God, "Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? . . . Please go ahead and kill me—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin."
Did Moses make sense? Like Elijah many years later (1 Kings 19:1-5), Moses was praying with a broken heart. He was overburdened by trying to lead a difficult, complaining people through the wilderness. Imagine the pain in his heart that prompted such a prayer. It wasn't that Moses didn't have faith to pray. He was expressing his extremely broken heart to God. Imagine also the pain in God's heart because of the people's complaints and rebellion.
God heard Moses' prayer and appointed 70 elders to help with the burden of leading the people. God also sent quail so that the people could eat meat. What a miracle that was!
God's power is boundless, and God listens to the prayers of leaders who care for his people.
Father God, let us not indulge in greed or complaining. Help us to be satisfied and to live in gratitude for all that you have given us. In Jesus' name, Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
