Pentecost: OT Reading,  Numbers 11:24-30

What is it that we really need? I mean as God’s chosen people, what can we simply not live without. If you have spent any time in the gospels, you will have encountered Jesus being tempted by His adversary and ours in the wilderness. Following the very first temptation where Jesus is “reminded” that His Father could end His physical hunger in a moment, Jesus replies, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God,’” (Matthew 4:4).

Moses has been leading over 600,000 Israelites in the wilderness and after becoming weary with the burdens they were bringing him, God graciously grants Moses seventy elders to share the load. God tells Moses to bring those selected to the tent of meeting where He meets with Moses regularly in order that some of the Spirit who rests on Moses might be given to his “helpers.” That’s strange language knowing that the Holy Spirit is a person and not some mere commodity used by the Lord like a battery or electrical current. We have to remember that we’re not reading a manual of instruction, but the language itself sometimes reflects that “beyond-ness” that characterizes our Lord and His work.

God does indeed share the Spirit with those gathered and He comes and goes as He usually does in the Old Testament economy. But two of those selected did not come to the tent but remained in the camp. We are not told why, but we are told that God’s gracious gift affects them as well. And they begin to prophesy--to speak the Word of God--to those in their midst. It even prompts Moses’ young assistant Joshua to complain that those two “disobedient” ones were somehow manifesting the power of the Spirit shared with those at the tent. Joshua commands Moses to put an end to this untoward display. Oh how wonderful that Moses wasn’t really listening to Joshua. Moses says to the worried intern, “Would that all the LORD’S people were prophets, that the LORD would put His Spirit on them!” (Numbers 11:29). Well this Sunday is Pentecost and we commemorate the gift of the Spirit birthing the New Testament community. Birthing and empowering. 

Now we have that gift of the Spirit.  And while we do not all hold the office of prophet in the Old Testament sense of the word, God does desire that His Holy Word would often come from our lips to others. “Every word that comes from the mouth of God.” His Spirit always attends His Word thus fulfilling the second portion of His stated desire from Moses to young Joshua. Ask yourself: Is His Word often on my lips? Do I speak for Him? Do I consume His Word that I would have something to share?

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We pray: Lord, would You send Your Holy Spirit upon us this day, preparing us for the Feast of Pentecost just ahead. Lord, would You make us faithful to consume and speak Your Word? We ask in Jesus’ strong name, Amen!