The
Gift of the Spirit
Numbers
11:16-30
Christians celebrate Pentecost as the birthday of the
church. Some denominations make a bigger
celebration than others, but all recognize this as the day the Holy Spirit was
given to the disciples. From this point
on the New Testament refers to them as apostles—messengers—rather than
disciples.
This is not the only place in the Bible where God’s
Spirit is given to God’s people. One of
the most interesting occurrences happens during the wilderness wanderings of
the Israelites. They have left Egypt and
crossed the Red Sea. The Egyptian army
has been destroyed. God has given Israel
a set of laws to live by, and instructions for building a place to worship (the
tabernacle). Construction is complete,
Aaron has been consecrated high priest, and the Levites have been set aside as
the priestly class. Their calling is to
serve in the tabernacle and assist Aaron in his duties.
Early in the wilderness story Moses’ father-in-law comes
to visit. He sees that Moses is
overburdened with caring for the people, and suggests a solution. Men of outstanding ability should be
appointed to help solve the easy problems, so that only the thorniest issues
will be brought to Moses. The system is
put in place, it works beautifully, and Moses is no longer overwhelmed.
In the fourth book of the Torah, Numbers, God tells Moses
to choose seventy worthy elders to further help him bear the burden of the
people. Moses does so, and takes them to
the tabernacle, where God takes some of the Spirit that has been given to Moses
and gives it to the seventy. Immediately
they begin to prophesy.
Back in the camp, two men who were supposed to be with
the elders but somehow got left behind also begin to prophesy. You can imagine what a stir that caused. Place yourself in the camp and imagine what
your reaction might have been. If you see
yourself alarmed and puzzled, you are probably reacting just as the Israelites
must have done.
One young man had the presence of mind to run to the
tabernacle and tell Moses what was happening.
Joshua, Moses’ chief assistant, wanted to stop them, but Moses
refused. Instead, he said, “Would that
all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on
them!.”
Amen!
This is what Joel prophesies. God will pour out God’s Spirit on all of
God’s people, and they will prophesy.
Peter quotes Joel in his Pentecost sermon.
One problem we might have with this story is a
misinterpretation of prophecy. We tend
to think of prophecy as telling the future, and that is a part of it; but
prophetic utterances may also be ecstatic praises to God. I believe this is what happened that day at
the tabernacle and in the Israelite camp, and what Joel meant.
Moses understood what a difference the gift of prophecy
would make if given to all God’s people.
It is a gift we should desire for ourselves. To be so attuned to God that words of
ecstatic praise come from our mouths would, I believe, have a profound effect
on the world. True, it would take some
getting used to, and people might doubt our sanity or our truthfulness, but
what a way to proclaim the power of God!
May God grant each of us—all of us—the gift of the
Spirit, that we might praise God with all our being and with all our words.
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