Enabling Leadership

“But Moses asked him [Joshua], ‘Are you jealous on my account? If only all the Lord’s people were prophets, and the Lord would place His Spirit on them.’” (Numbers 11:29 CSB)

Family after family went to Moses in a constant stream of complaint that there was no meat. Moses complained to the Lord that the burden of carrying these people with their constant complaining was more misery than he could bear, so God told him to bring 70 elders to the Tent of Meeting where He would put a portion of His Spirit that was on Moses on them, so they could assist. When they gathered and received a measure of God’s Spirit, they all began to prophesy. Two of the 70, however, stayed in the camp, but even so they also prophesied.

Joshua, Moses’ assistant and staunch supporter, saw this as a threat to Moses’ leadership. He did not apparently think it right that someone besides Moses should be able to prophesy. But Moses had a different perspective. He would just as soon have every one of the Israelites prophesy the word of the Lord, since that would then mean that all of their hearts would be in tune with God’s heart.

Moses was a servant leader, and as such he realized that true leadership is not about getting and holding on to power, but about serving God in such a way as to develop others in their serving of the Lord. Moses did not see it at that point, but the day would come centuries later when God would, in fact, fill all believers with His Spirit. That event came on the Day of Pentecost.

The call to faith in Jesus is the call to a Spirit-filled life.

Lord, May we not only be filled with Your Spirit, but may we also fully live the life. Amen.