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The rabble among them had a strong craving; and the Israelites also wept again, and said, ‘If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.’ Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, all at the entrances of their tents. Then the Lord became very angry, and Moses was displeased. So Moses said to the Lord, ‘Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why have I not found favour in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? Did I conceive all this people? Did I give birth to them, that you should say to me, “Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a sucking child”, to the land that you promised on oath to their ancestors? Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they come weeping to me and say, “Give us meat to eat!” I am not able to carry all this people alone, for they are too heavy for me.If this is the way you are going to treat me, put me to death at once—if I have found favour in your sight—and do not let me see my misery.’ So the Lord said to Moses, ‘Gather for me seventy of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tent of meeting, and have them take their place there with you. So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord; and he gathered seventy elders of the people, and placed them all around the tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do so again. Two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the spirit rested on them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. And a young man ran and told Moses, ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.’ And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, ‘My lord Moses, stop them!’ But Moses said to him, ‘Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!’ (Numbers 11: 4-6, 10-16, 24-29)
Happy Wednesday! May mid-week excitement be yours as you start today, dear Friend! My prayer is for the day to be filled with joys and blessings, and as we receive them, let us share them with others. Be especially on the lookout for those who might show signs of sadness or despair; offer a word of encouragement and hope. I thank you for praying for Kenneth Leonhardt, whose surgery went very well yesterday. He is home and restricted from doing too much; pray for him as he is a very active person and recovery will involve down time and quiet time. Pray for this old man, as I prepare to preach both services in Gonzales on the finale of the Lord's Prayer. If you're in the area, stop in and hear! Pray for one another; pray for yourselves.
The Bible contains true stories that sometimes become our stories. Can you name a household where there has not been some complaining? Can you name a workplace where a coworker has not complained about something? Can you name a church where everyone is happy and no one complains about a thing? Well, you begin to understand the pastoral leadership of Moses. His church was not happy. Though they were free from the bondage of slavery, they kept looking back and wishing they were there instead of here. The delicate bread offered to them by God was not what they wanted any longer. They were so fed up of quail they didn't even mention it. They sound like most of us when we are on a diet or exercise regime! And, having to hear that gets to be a bit tedious even for a saintly man like Moses. Moses would go directly to God and share their complaints with God, but this time he shares some of his own. Even asking that God go ahead and just take him home right then and there. God would not hear that, instead God asks Moses to bring 70 of the true elders; servants and officers among the people, and have them come to the tent where I will deal with them. Once gathered, God took some of the Spirit that was in Moses and shared it with those 70; and once they had this, they began to prophesy, that is, to share God's word among each other and all who would hear them. And that was the only time they had this gift. But, as it always happens, two of the elders missed the meeting, they still received the spirit, and shared God's word among the people and not in the tent. The sixty-eight spoke to each other the truth about the situation and they understood the big picture that God shared with them; these two shared it with those in the camp. Yet, leave it to Joshua, not yet an elder, nevertheless a servant, to get upset about what those two were doing; "Moses! Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!" (Can't you hear that yell? Just like, "Mom! Dad! My little brother is not behaving! Come spank them! Or, put them in time out!!")
Moses responds just like Jesus did in Monday's gospel lesson. "Would that all of the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put His spirit on them!" The disciples had complained to Jesus that someone not from their ranks was doing their work in driving out demons. And Moses' response is that it would be so nice to have others doing and sharing in the work of the Lord. Imagine a family where all share in all the household tasks. Imagine a work place where all the workers do what is expected of them. Imagine a church where all want to share in God's work, telling and teaching others about the Lord...
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, pour out Your Spirit again; let it fall afresh on me to guide me and strengthen me to be the servant You have called me to be. Let me stop waiting on others to do what I can easily do. And let me share positive, encouraging words when those are me are just complaining. This I pray in Christ Jesus' powerful name, amen!
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be part of the solution today! Smile and say something nice!
Eradio Valverde
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