ESOCS Devotional 17 May 2023
MEMORY VERSE: ““And Moses said unto him, 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.” Joshua 11:29
TEXT: NUMBERS 11:16-30
16 The Lord said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elderswho are known to you as leaders and officials among the people.Have them come to the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with you. 17 I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them. They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone.
18 “Tell the people: ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you wailed, “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!”Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will eat it. 19 You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days,20 but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it—because you have rejected the Lord, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’”
21 But Moses said, “Here I am among six hundred thousand men on foot, and you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’22 Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?”
23 The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.”
24 So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the tent. 25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took some of the power of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied—but did not do so again.
26 However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp. 27 A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”
28 Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ aide since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”
29 But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” 30 Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.
Read Other ESOCS Devotional here
God does not make anyone an island of any form of His spiritual grace. All over biblical history, we see God raise one man and through him others are raised. From Abraham God raised nations of people who serve Him today. At the point of releasing His agenda for Abraham, God said in Genesis 12:1-3, “…. and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing ….”
God raised David as a mighty man of war, and in his ministry, he was a great fighter. David trained and raised many other mighty men of war (2 Samuel 23:8-39). They were thirty-seven mighty men of war. Jesus raised twelve apostles and many disciples who operated during and after His earthly ministry on earth. The apostles mentored and nurtured many others too.
If any of us who has received any spiritual gift from God thinks he will be a sole administrator of that gift till he dies, such a person is driving against the wind of the will of God on earth. In a single occasion “…. The LORD came in a cloud …. and took of the spirit that was upon him (Moses) and gave it unto the seventy elders and …. they prophesied and did not cease.” You have got to start to fish out men and women upon whom the Lord will use you to bless (Numbers 11:16-26).
We must discard sentiments and the urge to monopolize honour and benefits. We should not listen to gossips and blackmails. Do not allow inexperienced followers misguide you; be firm in understanding and practice of the will of God. Take steps to nurture, bless and establish those under you. It is the will of God (Numbers 11:27-30).
- If you are not found in the Church today, how many people have you raised to occupy your place?
- Father, make me a blessing to many. Equip me to equip others, in Jesus name. Amen.
FURTHER READING: John 15:1-17; Numbers 27:12-end; Romans 9:3-10
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ESOCS Devotional 17 May 2023
