Numbers 11:12
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?
Numbers 11:12
Moses asks God whether he has conceived and birthed the people unto a burdensome task: carrying them as a nursing father carries a child. This metaphor communicates a deep moral and emotional strain. The text situates Moses within a long line of leaders who bear the weight of a covenant people, highlighting the difference between human parental care and divine nurturing.
It reinforces the intimate, familial dimension of God’s covenant people. The nursing father metaphor hints at tenderness and sustained care, yet asks us to trust God to provide the strength for such care. It also points toward God’s ultimate empowerment of leaders through grace.
When feeling stretched as a caregiver or leader, remember that you are not alone; seek God’s strength and support from others. Imagine God supplying what you lack—wisdom, patience, energy—just as a parent sustains a child. Use this as a reminder to invest in rest and community.
Cross-References: Deuteronomy 1:31; Isaiah 46:4; Psalm 68:5-6