Has My Arm Lost Its Power?

In the midst of the grumbling of the Israelites and watching the judgment of God in the wilderness for those who formerly complained, Moses begins to lose both his patience and his faith. He loses his patience earlier in Numbers 11:

Numbers 11:11–12 (ESV) Moses said to the LORD, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? 12 Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,’ to the land that you swore to give their fathers?

But what we see God speak back to Moses reveals something more tragic that has transpired in him because of the consistent complaints of the people he has experienced. God first tells Moses He will supply enough meat for them to eat for a month, until they gag on it. (The warning here is that sometimes God will give us what we demand and it will hurt only us.) But back to Moses. His reaction to God in this moment reveals the depth of the gouge in his faith the complains of the people have made:

Numbers 11:21–22 (ESV) But Moses said, “The people among whom I am number six hundred thousand on foot, and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month!’ 22 Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, and be enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, and be enough for them?”

Remember, Moses said this to GOD! This is the God who has powerfully delivered this people from Egypt and has been suppling bread every morning - good bread - a delicacy bread for the people without fail! Moses has allows the attitude of the people to rub off on him. Note God's telling response:

Numbers 11:23 (ESV) And the Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord’s hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not.”

I love the NLT better:

Numbers 11:23 (NLT) Then the LORD said to Moses, “Has my arm lost its power? Now you will see whether or not my word comes true!”

God is asking Moses, "have you forgotten what I can and did do for you?" 

The warning is clear for leaders of God's flock. If you do ministry alone, you'll let the attitude of the people rub off on you and you'll reflect their spirit to God instead of representing God's power to them. Leaders in the Church must spend time in the presence of God in order to stand publicly for Him. But they also must seek to spread the Spiritual leadership around.

That is the reason that God appoints Moses to gather 70 elders to receive the same Spirit He has given him:

Numbers 11:16–17 (ESV) Then the LORD said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. 17 And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone.

Herein lies a great principle for Christian leadership in the Church. Who are you gathering around the place where you meet with and hear from God? Who are you looking for to be part of the solution when the problems of natural cravings grow in the hearts of the people? Yes, God said He would disperse the Spirit to them... but Moses FIRST had to bring the men before God! That is the ultimate call of many leaders today. Bring others in. Do not be the lone ranger. You cannot do it, you should not do it... and if you don't do this you'll end up reflecting the spirit of the people rather than the power of God. 

The Chapter ends with 2 men not at the tent but on Moses' list to receive the spirit ALSO receiving the Spirit in the camp. God's Spirit overflowed beyond anyone's imagination. When Joshua calls on Moses to stop them, his response reveals that Moses has growth through this moment:

Numbers 11:29 (ESV) But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD’s people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!”

Moses learned doing ministry leadership alone was detrimental to his spirit. The more people filled with God's Spirit, the better for the movement. Sadly, many church ignore the fulness of the Spirit to their own detriment. Perhaps this is why instead of changing our world, we often conform to it. 

Let us hope, pray and say with Moses: "May all God's people be prophets!"