Numbers 10:11-12:16

[Josh]

Post your comments and questions on Numbers 10:11-12:16 as replies here.

[michelle]

I have a few comments on these verses:

1) I love that Moses tells God, he can't do it by himself anymore. I can only imagine Moses' frustration with being put in the position he is in. I'm exhausted just thinking of him being the intermediary between God and over 600,000 people. Imagine having thousand, tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands of people complaining to you everday about not having enough food and saying they were better off before you intervened on their behalf. I know life wasn't pleasant for the Isrealites at this time, but can you imagine the identity crisis that can bring about?

I think this is a really good example of God not leaving us to bear a load that we can't manage. As soon as Moses says he can't do it alone, God tells him he will provide him with people to delegate authority to. And he delivers, not 1 or 2 people, but 70.

2) We've heard for ages, "Be careful what you wish for". Well, God showed that is true. I must admit that I chuckled a little when I read the KJV of Numbers 11:20, which says that God will give them meat until it comes out their nostrils. Oh, the imagery.

Upon first reading this I thought, "Geez, God aren't you being a little extreme?" But the more I think about it, the more I think God is saying, "The best way is My way and I will show you that by giving you just what you want. Then maybe you'll learn to trust me."

3) Why was Joshua concerned with the 2 men in camp that were filled with the spirit and would prophesy? Was it because he did not know that God was delegating authority to some people other than Moses? Did he think they were frauds?

[Josh]

So, I just got done penciling in our Sunday schedules through April. As it stands, we are not really going to be able to start our Numbers study until April 29! After that I think we can make a good run of it, but that means I'm going to have to hold the tether on this thread for quite some time, unfortunately.

Michelle: I suppose it's good that your diving into Genesis, then. I'm having fun following along with you there, so keep it coming if it's helpful.

[Josh]

I think the fact that although the cloud of God's presence is leading the Israelites from camp to camp, Moses still needs Hobab to help be the Israelites "eyes" in the desert (Numbers 10:29-32) is a good illustration of how practical preparation and spiritual guidance go hand in hand.

It's foolish to neglect one or the other.

[Josh]

Here's an online version/variation of my teaching for tomorrow.

Humble Authority:
Moses as an Example of Good Leadership

Text: Numbers 10:11-12:16

What does bad authority/ leadership look like? Are there negatives at two different extremes?

Good authority/ leadership avoids authoritarianism but does make authoritative decisions and sets definitive boundaries

What were the keys to Moses’ authority?

Numbers 12:6-8a His close relationship with God

Numbers 12:3 His humility

Elements of Good Leadership/ Humble Authority in today’s text:

The story of Hobab (Numbers 10:29-32) illustrates the following points:

1. Good authority can voluntarily humble itself when to do so is profitable
2. Good authority can ask for help
3. Good authority is not afraid to rely on the strengths of others

An interesting quote on this subject comes from Paterius, in turn quoting Gregory the Great (6th -7th Century):

“We can better persuade proud men to do what is useful if we say that their setting out will profit us rather than them, or if we say that improvement will profit us rather than them and ask that the cost be on our account, not theirs. For pride is easily turned to good if it can be adapted to the profit of others… He [Moses] wished to draw his relative Hobab away from his life with the Gentiles and subject him to the lordship of almighty God… This prudent man [Moses], speaking to a proud listener, asked Hobab to give him help. Moses needed Hobab as a guide along the way, so that he could be Hobab’s guide in life. So Moses acted so that the proud listener, as he urged the better way on him, would become more devoted to him if he were thought to be indispensable. He [Hobab] thought he outranked Moses, who asked him for help, and thus yielded to Moses’ words as Moses entreated him.”

These New Testament passages reinforce the idea that good leadership/ benign authority involves humble service and a willingness to become weak for the sake of the weak, etc..:

Philippians 2:3-8 and 1 Cor. 9:19-23

4. Good authority is characterized by intercession

Moses consistantly intercedes for the people under his charge whenever they suffer affliction (though it is usually self-imposed) (Numbers 11:1-2, 12:13)

5. Even the best human leaders loose their cool sometimes
6. Authority is shared in differing degrees for the benefit of all

I love Numbers 11:10-15. Moses has a complete meltdown. He is completely frustrated by the Israelites and is very honest with God about it (actually, he's a bit melo-dramatic, but we should all call that honest, right?)

How does God respond to Moses’ meltdown? He has compassion on Moses and helps him out (Numbers 11:16-17) by setting up elders to share in his authority.

The authority of the elders, however, is of a lesser, derivative nature to that of Moses' (Numbers 11:25).

7. Good authority is not jealous but seeks the good of everyone

Moses models this principle well in Numbers 11:26-29, where he expresses that he is not jealous of those who have prophesied, but rather wishes that everyone would encounter God is as personal a manner as he has- even if that makes people wonder about the uniqueness of his authority.

8. God opposes those who rebel against Godly authority

Some pretty stern stuff here about maligning God's authorized leaders. Why might Miriam and Aaron be especially tempted toward challenging Moses’ authority? (Numbers 12:1-2) Sibling rivalry? Aaron and Miriam had been given a measure of authority as well (Aaron as the high preist and Miriam as a prophetess of sorts), albeit a lesser level of authority. Perhaps they couldn't stand that their brother, in all his humanity, with a wife they didn't like, etc.., had so much of God's favor on him.

A Question: What are the most common ways people undermine positive authority in our culture?

[Josh]

Several of you pointed out on Sunday the fact that in Exodus/ Numbers God responds to disobedience with very swift disciplinary measures, whereas later in the Bible, and often in our own lives, the recompense for sin is often greatly delayed. This delay between the occurance of sin and it's result can often, in turn, cause us to miss the seriousness of our actions.

It seems to me that God in the Exodus and Wilderness wanderings was 'baby-stepping' the Israelites (or, 'boot camping' them, to use an opposite metaphor) by making sure to immediately respond to their disobedience to set down examples once and for all about the repurcussions of rebellion against God.

[Josh]

"When a prophet of the LORD is among you,
I reveal myself to him in visions,
I speak to him in dreams.

7 But this is not true of my servant Moses;
he is faithful in all my house.

8 With him I speak face to face,
clearly and not in riddles;
he sees the form of the LORD.
Why then were you not afraid
to speak against my servant Moses?"

So, based on this passage, and in light of the fact that the we know have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us as followers of Christ, what is the norm for how God speaks to us? I guess, though it seems it should be more like verse 8 it still feels a lot of the time like verse 6, like unravelling a mystery, like riddles. And, actually, most of us would think it pretty remarkable to experience 'dreams and visions'.

[Josh]

I was listening to the 77 7s the other day and found this song that I wish I had played last week-- it really captures the mood of this section of Numbers (especially if you can hear it, but here are the lyrics anyway):

God Sends Quails
(Mike Roe)

You fail
You try half-hearted and fail
One foot drags behind you
One foot tripping in front of you

You fail
You spit out manna, God sends quails
Dry bones pile up behind you
More wet mirages in front of you

You can't go back
You can't go back

You failed
You sunk like Jonah to the whale
Big mouths follow behind you
Still small voice swallowed up by you

You failed
You picked the right time to fail
Got your past behind you
Got your future in front of you

You can't go back
You can go on

You failed
You picked the right time to fail

Got your past behind you
Got your future in front of you

You can't go back
You can go on

You can't go back
You can go on

You can't go back
You can go on

[Josh]

"On the way out of Egypt, through Ethiopia..."

I always wondered about this reference in Bob Dylan's "Precious Angel". It just dawned on me while reading my Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture that he's talking about Moses' Cunutse wife (Numbers 12:1). Cush is equivalent to modern Ethiopia.

The early Church fathers saw Moses' marriage to a non-Israelite, African as a symbol of how the gospel would one day be extended to the Gentiles. Moses and Aaron's grumbling may have been directly related to anger at Moses for not marrying an Israelite. In their racism they aroused the anger of God, who desires that all mankind come to Him.

Bob Dylan wrote this song while dating a black woman who was a Christian, during the time just after his own conversion:

Precious Angel, by Bob Dylan

Precious angel, under the sun,
How was I to know you'd be the one
To show me I was blinded, to show me I was gone
How weak was the foundation I was standing upon?

Now there's spiritual warfare and flesh and blood breaking down.
Ya either got faith or ya got unbelief and there ain't no neutral ground.
The enemy is subtle, how be it we are so deceived
When the truth's in our hearts and we still don't believe?

Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Ya know I just couldn't make it by myself.
I'm a little too blind to see.

My so-called friends have fallen under a spell.
They look me squarely in the eye and they say, "All is well."
Can they imagine the darkness that will fall from on high
When men will beg God to kill them and they won't be able to die?

Sister, lemme tell you about a vision I saw.
You were drawing water for your husband, you were suffering under the law.
You were telling him about Buddha, you were telling him about Mohammed
in the same breath.
You never mentioned one time the Man who came and died a criminal's death.

Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Ya know I just couldn't make it by myself.
I'm a little too blind to see.

Precious angel, you believe me when I say
What God has given to us no man can take away.
We are covered in blood, girl, you know both our forefathers were slaves.
Let us hope they've found mercy in their bone-filled graves.

You're the queen of my flesh, girl, you're my woman, you're my delight,
You're the lamp of my soul, girl, and you torch up the night.
But there's violence in the eyes, girl, so let us not be enticed
On the way out of Egypt, through Ethiopia, to the judgment hall of Christ.

Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Ya know I just couldn't make it by myself.
I'm a little too blind to see.


Copyright © 1979 Special Rider Music
From the album, Slow Train Coming

[michelle]

I find it interesting (is this the right word?) that God makes Miriam suffer for her sin. Even though she is among the most holy of the Israelites, she must suffer the consequences of her sin and she must abide by the laws that God gave.

I wonder, since Miriam is the one that becomes leprous and must leave the tribe for 7 days, can we conclude that she was doing the talking bad while Aaron was listening? I'm not sure why we have this example of her suffering the consequences of her sin, while it doesn't appear that Aaron suffers many consequences. Or perhaps his consequence is that the Isrealites see the wife of the priest become a leper and be shut out of camp for 7 days and that is an embarrassment and consequence in and of itself.

[Josh]

Well, when I taught on this passage I asked why Miriam gets the blame but we're not told of Aaron's consequence. I said I thought maybe it had to do with the fact that Aaron's big sin/consequence was still coming (we're going to talk about it this Sunday- Numbers 20)- kinda like he was storing up his wrath for a later date. Just a conjecture.

BTW, Miriam is Aaron's sister, not his wife.

[michelle]

Um, duh Michelle!!

[Josh]

No biggie. Last year when I teaching the Moses in a Basket story I kept referring to Miriam as Moses' mom.