Moses the Prophet

I'm teaching early morning seminary and we are studying the Old Testament this year. Here are some interesting verses by Moses. This is found in Numbers 11:11-15

11 And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?

12 Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?

13 Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.

14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too ^aheavy for me.

15 And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, ^aout of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

When I read this my first thought was, "I wonder how often the Bishop feels like this." Then I thought. "I wonder if President Hinckley ever feels like this". I love these verses that I found a few chapters later in Numbers 14:11-19

11 ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people ^aprovoke me? and how long will it be ere they ^bbelieve me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?

12 I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater ^anation and mightier than they.

13 ¶ And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the ^aEgyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;)

14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art ^aamong this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy ^bcloud standeth over them, and that thou ^cgoest before them, by day time in a ^dpillar of a ^ecloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.

15 ¶ Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,

16 Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.

17 And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my LORD be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,

18 The ^aLord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, ^bforgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.

19 Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.

I love this relationship between God and His prophet. I like to think of the prophet today sometimes getting fed up with us and then pleading with the Lord in our behalf. Aren't we lucky that the Lord and the Prophet aren't fed up with us at the same time.