May the mumbling commence!
In Numbers 11-13, we receive lessons on godly leadership. First, Moses is challenged by leading a rebelling people. Israel was remembering, and God does call us to remember. But some remembering is neither productive nor holy. The rebellion centered on the menu. What’s for breakfast? Toasted manna. What’s for lunch? Manna sandwiches. What’s for supper? Manna casserole. Israel had nothing to sustain them expect for manna, and they were bored with manna. So Israel fondly remembered the food of Egypt. Weren’t those menu items great?
While sometimes we say hindsight is 20/20, hindsight can sometimes be selective and glorify the past. Sometimes it is far from 20/20. Why can’t we go back to the way it used to be? Church families can be the same way. Have you ever heard the statement, “That’s the way we’ve always done it”? The Lord forbid that change might happen! As we may look fondly on the past, we forget the trials that came along with them. Israel had forgotten the oppressive slavery of Egypt. What do we forget? How about that donut hole that occurs in most church membership – you know the twenty and thirty-something’s? Something in the way we’ve always done it has chased these people away.
This dissention led Moses to exasperation. He prayed to the Lord for a quick death sentence, because Moses could not handle this numerous and wearisome people. Moses saw the writing on the wall. Moses saw burnout and failure not far off on the horizon. And the Lord responded to Moses’ impassioned prayer. God told Moses to gather seventy elders of Israel at the Tent of Meeting. The Spirit of God, which Moses had, would be given to these elders. These leaders had to prepare themselves and come. And the Lord heard Israel’s complaints. God would provide them meat for a month – so much that they would get sick of meat. Better off in Egypt, indeed!
Because of Moses’ exasperation and pragmatism, it is easy to understand why Moses questioned how he would feed all these people meat for a whole month. Then, God corrected Moses. Moses would not feed the people meat. God would provide, and the Lord’s arm is not too short to feed Israel on meat for a month.
Shortly after this season of doubt, Moses and sixty-eight of the seventy elders gathered at the Tent of Meeting. The pillar of cloud descended upon them, and all of them began to prophesy through the Spirit of God. Where were the other two – Eldad and Medad? They were AWAL from the call of the Lord. Did they skip out on their leadership responsibilities? No – the Spirit of the Lord descended upon them in the midst of the camp. They, too, prophesied. Unlike the others who went, they had an immediate effect on the Israelites. It is impossible to stop the will of God.
Joshua ran to tell Moses about Eldad and Medad. Should they be stopped from prophesying? They were infringing upon Moses territory! I love Moses’ reply: “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” Many pastors would shout a loud AMEN to that statement. There are often times when pastors need to share the burden of leadership with the Lord’s people – even times when the pastors need to be served.
How ironic it is that Miriam and Aaron would try to wrestle leadership from Moses in the very next chapter! They attacked Moses on the grounds of his Cushite wife. Did you think that smear campaigns are a new thing? Smear campaigns are as old as Miriam, Aaron, and Moses! Then, God responded in Numbers 12:6-8. Note: it was God who responded and not Moses.
"When a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?"
And the Lord struck Miriam with leprosy. Why Miriam and not Aaron? I admit: I struggle with this judgment. Maybe it was because Aaron was high priest, and he needed to be clean to perform his duties. Still seems like a kind of lame excuse. And Moses' response to this attack: He prayed for the healing of Miriam!
Then, in chapter 13, we have the twelve spies. In this episode (which lasted forty days), Caleb (of Judah) and Joshua (of Ephraim) shined forth in their leadership capabilities. Unlike the other spies, they were confident in the reach and strength of the Lord’s arm to give them the Promised Land, the land flowing with milk and honey. Grasshoppers, indeed! They had the Lord on their side! It is a good and holy thing to remember and to give thanks for.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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