OMG, have you read Numbers 10 and 11? You really need to.
For two years Israel had been getting established as a nation at Sinai. They’d had instructions on laws for their good, on how to serve God, the building of the Tabernacle where God would live with them as His people. Stunning.
He was setting them up for success to get into the promises that he had given to Abraham.
THERE IS A PROCESS
These things take time.
We’d all love to wave that ‘magic wand’ as they say, and just BAM! The promise is here, like magic.
But faith to sustain long-term strategic vision is severely lacking in most people. They don’t know how to cultivate it. How to believe God. How to trust him. WHO He is, that he would care for them and deliver them.
So now, by verse 12 we hear they are on the move. From Sinai to the wilderness of Paran.
If you think you’re going to avoid the wilderness in your life, you’re delusional. Even Jesus went through the wilderness.
Faith comes out through things. It’s produced great and greater through the experience, refined, cultivated – BY IT, is how you please God.
IN EVERYTHING, WITH THANKSGIVING… DO WE REMEMBER?
So, God has been looking after these people.
For two years, providing them food every single day. Keeping the enemies at bay. Preserving them.
And what happens?
‘And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; and the Lord heard it….’ Numbers 11:1
The complaining wasn’t just a whinge – it was mourning. They were really sad.
And you know what they were sad about?
The ‘good life’ they’d left in Egypt, with all the great food. Forget the fact they were slaves, in bondage, with no rights of their own. No, they missed meat, the fish, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, the garlic…the manna is not good enough.
I’m sure lots can be said about this. And it’s enough that we pay attention, and witness how this complaining affects God.
GOD SHARES HIS SPIRIT
But as for Moses, he’d had enough. People are difficult to lead. It’s like herding cats. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone wants to be someone. Everyone wants their own way. Everyone knows better…. It’s no different today.
God, how can we learn, not to complain, but in everything give thanks, praising God…
Moses says to God, I can’t do this alone, these people are driving me nuts.
God says ok, find me 70 elders of the people, I will take of the Spirit which is upon you, and ‘will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone’ (Numbers 11:17)
But as for the people and their demand for meat – ok, I’ll give them what they want. In fact, I’ll give them so much it’s going to come out of their noses and until they’re sick! (V20)
You know why? ‘Because that you have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt’….
OMG. OMG.
We may think we’re having a little whinge.
God sees all the underlining messages of that little whinge. He KNOWS you!
CAN GOD PROVIDE?
Moses says to God, how are we going to have enough meat to feed these people? At a minimum we have 600,000 footmen, plus the rest. Are we meant to kill our own flocks?
And what does God say?
‘Is the Lord’s hand waxed short? Thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not! (V23)
The scripture says later, God brings the meat. So much quail, it was piled up all over the place. I’ll let you read what happens next (v33), suffice it to say it wasn’t pretty.
MEANWHILE, SOMETHING BRILLIANT IS HAPPENING……
The 70 get called and then this…
‘And it came to pass that, when the spirit rested upon them, they proposed and DID NOT CEASE’…
How can we live without the Spirit of God? He has now been poured out of ALL FLESH (Joel and Acts 2). Why do we try to do things without him? And without prophesying, let alone, not ceasing…
And even here, God goes beyond the 70, otherwise we might think it’s just for ‘special leaders’…
There were 2 guys in the camp, not part of the 70. The spirit rested upon them, they went prophesying about the place. The ‘leaders’ wanted to put a stop to it, it was out of order!
But what did Moses say?
‘Enviest thou for my sake? Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them! (V29)
EVERYONE! Prophesying!!!! His Spirit on them!!!! Hello Moses, he was prophesying the outpouring of the Spirit, of God’s people in that New Covenant. Spectacular!!!!
There is a life with the Holy Spirit, with God in thanksgiving and faith, towards the things that he has purposed – that are ultimately all leading us to that ‘city whose builder and maker is God’.
I pray we become people so focused, so dedicated to Him, we become that formidable army, full of that anointing and power, witnessing the salvation of nations which is his will.
These two chapters are enough to keep me going for days. My head is bouncing all around the bible, making connections with other verses.
God wants a people that are HIS. When the people suffer is usually because they’ve compromised that – they have let in idolatry, they have started complaining and whinging, they think they know better.
God, I never want to be counted among that! I want to be like the 2 guys in the camp, with the Spirit on them, prophesying!!
