19 May 2012

Psalm 87, 90; Num. 11:16-17,24-29; Eph. 2:11-22; Matt. 7:28-8:4

The Lord now tells Moses to call together seventy elders to help him bear the burden of the people.  This is the second time Moses has called such a number of elders, the first being in Exodus 19 when they went up the mountain to have the covenant meal with the Lord.  The occasion this time was the people’s complaining about the manna.  They wanted meat and Moses heard them crying at the doors of their tents about their desires.  Moses went before the Lord and laid down the people, his complaint was that they were too great a burden for him to bear alone.  His solution was that if God were to treat him thusly, He should kill him at once and relieve him of the burden.  Only one can ever bear the burden of the sins of the people, Jesus.  He knew the answer to Moses’ question, “Where am I to get meat to give to all this people?”  The Lord provided help to bear the burden but He also retained the right to choose for Himself the ones to whom He would give the Spirit.  Paul’s choice as apostle is similar to this episode.

Jesus is not one chosen by men.  As the writer of Hebrews tells us, He is a priest after the order of Melchizedek whose priesthood was from the Lord, not the order of Aaron, which is the way of men’s choosing priests.  The Father appointed and anointed Jesus, not some rabbi.  Jesus taught then with an authority not like the scribes whose authority was from their rabbis and teachers but from God Himself.  This authority distinguished Him from the rest and was a sign as to origin, He made no appeal to anyone’s teaching, it all came as direct download from the author of the law so it had all the authority of the author.  His ability to cleanse the leper, after His teaching, was an additional sign to the one who was healed, all who saw it, and, eventually the priest who would now certify that all evidence of leprosy was gone. 

We all have the Holy Spirit but do we see a measurable difference in the church between those who have the Spirit and the Israelites?  If we continue to live from the desires of the flesh we will continue to be like them rather than like Jesus.  He is our peace and we are to be like Him whose Spirit lives within us, not like those for whom the law was an externality.  Christians need to be more like Christ and less like those under the law.  What Jesus has done for us is more than giving us new commandments, He has given us His Spirit that wills to do those things He commands.  We need to continually allow Him to transform us.  Leaders and people alike need renewal or we will see the same problems of the Israelites and of Moses whose desire was to be unburdened of the people. 

O God beyond all praising,
we worship you today
and sing the love amazing
that songs cannot repay;
for we can only wonder
at every gift you send,
at blessings without number
and mercies without end:
we lift our hearts before you
and wait upon your word,
we honor and adore you,
our great and mighty Lord.

Tune