My initial reaction was to think "Sheesh, I'd get tired of falling facedown for these people!", but God was revealing something much deeper to me, and really stirred my heart. Every time I read the phrase "Moses fell facedown" it was like those words flew straight from the page to my heart. God began revealing a leadership truth to me; good leaders MUST be intercessors on behalf of their people. When they are in sin, have needs, need God to breakthrough in some way, leaders need to be spending a lot of time on their faces before God, crying out on their behalf. It amazes me that after the Israelites turn on Moses time and time again, he still pleads with God for them.
Another thing is, that after all their constant complaining to Moses, about Moses, he never really rises up in anger to defend himself. He always lets the Lord defend him. He doesn't argue or get into a big debate about his "calling" or "right" to lead, but He lets God, who is the One who called him in the first place, do miraculous things to stand as signs of God's will for Moses (and Aaron) to lead and do the things God commanded them to.
What great leadership lessons there are in these chapters. If you are a leader of anything - a church, a small group, a family - I'd highly recommend reading Numbers (or at least start around chapter 12 - that's where these particular things I'm talking about start). I've been very enlightened about how God dealt with such things as sibling rivalry, 'ministry envy', complaining and disbelief - just to name a few!!
(By the way, I still love the fact that scripture still shows us the human, fallible side of all these amazing Biblical figures. As great of a leader as Moses was, he still didn't get to take the people into the Promise Land - he seemed to confuse "speak to" with "hit" (hey, I think my boys occasionally get those two mixed up also!). Anyway, it's nice to see again how God can use whoever he chooses, and none of them/us are ever perfect!)
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