Good Morning.
So the Lord said to Moses: “Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you. Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone.” (Numbers 11:16-17)
It occurs to me that the All-Knowing God knew, from the beginning of Israel’s trek through the wilderness, that Moses would not be able to lead and manage millions of people by himself. So I have to wonder if God allowed this “break down” to occur in order that Moses would see the need for assistance.
Tradition teaches that Moses, raised a prince of Egypt, had been a commander of many men in times past. Maybe he needed to see that skill and training, while important, was not enough to do what God had called him to do. And if that is not the way it happened, the fact remains that even those who speak to God face to face need help every now and then.
Thus, God instructs him who to call and how many — “seventy men of the elders.” In other words, these leaders were to be people that he “knew” to be men of strength, virtue and good character. This was not a popularity contest but an appointment of those who had proven themselves to be men of integrity. As such, they were not to impose burdens upon people but were to help bear the burdens of leadership with Moses.
In order that they may succeed in this appointment, the same spirit that was upon Moses was to be placed upon them but without diminishing the spirit that was already upon Moses. In a sense, seventy versions of Moses went through the camp to lead, guide, challenge and, we would assume, help to diminish the murmurings in the camp.
So as a flame kindles another flame, so does the Spirit of God kindle a fire in all who follow after the Messiah. Before Yeshua left this earth, He appointed disciples to be His witnesses and representatives in the earth but not before His Spirit — the same Spirit that raised Him from the dead — was placed upon those He was sending into the world. So then, here is something amazing to consider: the LORD of the whole earth, capable of doing anything He wishes by Himself, appointed us to represent Him to the nations of the world.
Furthermore, that we might carry out this task, He anointed us with the same Spirit that was upon the Messiah that we might make more disciples. So then, let us be men and women of strength, virtue and good character and let us represent Him in a way that sanctifies His Name and causes men to give Him glory.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
Recent Comments