Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the LORD blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased. 11 Moses said to the LORD, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? 12 Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,’ to the land that you swore to give their fathers? 13 Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ 14 I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. 15 If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.”
Compare Moses’ attitude with that of Christ our sin bearer. Moses was unable, as a sinful human being, to carry the weight of the sin of the people. They were a “burden” in verse 12. But Christ is able to “carry all this people alone.” Jesus will never tire of “carrying me in his bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child.” Whereas Moses wanted to be killed rather than deal with the sinful people, Jesus was willing to be killed in order to save his sinful people.
On this Good Friday, when we remember the sacrifice our perfect Savior made for us, let the contrast of this imperfect savior in Numbers remind us of the glory of Christ, who bore the burden of our sin in his Body on Calvary!