Moses and the Seventy

Num 11:21-31         11/9/2017

Seventy elders were each given a portion of Moses’ spirit to help Moses shoulder the burden of leadership. They began to prophecy. Joshua, Moses’ right-hand man, was worried that all these people prophesying might dilute Moses’ authority. Moses countered Joshua. His wish was that every Israelite was a prophet.

Joshua was jealous.

He had invested in Moses. He spent his time supporting Moses’ leadership. His role and his purpose were clearly defined with Moses as leader.

The seventy threatened the entire order. It’s not that Joshua was petty. It’s just that for him, things were clearer before. Multiple people prophesying; A council of men to work through; Men claiming the authority of God; it was all against what he thought he understood.

I am so like Joshua. I cling to my understanding of God no matter how much He wants to explode my parochial stereotypes.

It’s a fight to let God be big.

It’s a fight to let God be bigger than my conceptions and understandings – no matter how well, or right, or grand my understanding might be. This is what it means that God cannot be comprehended. No matter how much I think I understand, I cannot exhaust God entirely.

It’s both a relief and a frustration. A frustration in that I will never, in this world, know fully. A relief that I don’t have to know everything to know and love God.

For the simple, He is a constant surprise – And that’s OK.

John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” Mark 9:38