Jonah Albrecht
Numbers 11:4-6;10;16;24-29
The Spirit of God is Sufficient for All
September 29th, 2024
Pentecost 19
4Now the rabble that was among [the children of Israel] had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! 5We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. 6But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at. . . .” 10Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the Lord blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased. . . 16Then 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. . . .” So, Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. 25 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it. 26 Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” 29 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!”

Grace and Peace to you from our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

In the Name of Jesus, who has gifted us His Holy Spirit that we might build up the Church in His name, Dear fellow redeemed:

How optimistic are you about the future? Have you found any reasons to despair or to become exasperated? Yes, I’m asking the big questions this morning. I’m sure we have all had our moments of doubt and exasperation over our lifetimes. Some days, things seemed to be going in the right direction. “The good ole days” as some might call it. Other days, it seems as if nothing is good and just one more bad thing will unravel any sort of success and happiness you worked so hard for.

That is the sense of discontentment that fell upon the children of Israel in our text this morning. Just a few short days after departing from Mount Sinai, they had already found disillusioned discontentment in the Lord being their provider and leader.

This time it came from their stomachs. The Lord had been providing manna for them on a daily basis. Manna was a small seed-like substance that tasted like a wafer with honey. Have you ever tried eating the same thing over and over and over again? It gets very old very quickly. It is understandable, then, to our understanding, why they might complain about the lack of variety. But their complaint went further than just a desire for more variety.

The complaint for meat to eat originated among those who had joined the Israelites throughout their journey – foreigners; ones who may not have fully understood the great provision and protection that the Lord provided. And yet, this complaint spread like a spark in dry timber. Soon, a large number in the camp of the Israelites raised this complaint against Moses and against God. This great tumult had multiple consequences. Not only did it garner the ire of the Lord for their lack of trust, but it also laid a tremendous burden on the leadership of Moses.

11Moses 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? 14I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. 15If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.”

Have you felt a similar burden to the one Moses has weighing upon his shoulders here? Maybe not to this extent, but might there have been times of exasperation where you wonder why God has laid such a burden on you, or you have felt alone and incompetent to accomplish what is before you? I do not doubt that every single one of you has faced a period of distress and being overwhelmed. What that looked like might be personal to you, but, nonetheless, a difficult that easily leads to frail despair.

Moses wasn’t alone, but he felt the burden of being one of the Lord’s servants. He isn’t alone. Jeremiah felt the same way, and David writes in Psalm 55, Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy! 2 Attend to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and I moan, 3 because of the noise of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked. For they drop trouble upon me, and in anger they bear a grudge against me.

Being called into the service of the Lord required a lot of a person. They were the go-between, the representative of God. As such, all the grievances, complaints, arguments, and decisions fell upon the shoulders of that person. For Moses, that weight became too much to bear alone. But for that, the Lord has a solution.

16Then 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. . . .” So, Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. 25 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.

The Lord didn’t give 70 men of the elders His Spirit in order to replace Moses or to reduce his authority and leadership amongst the people. He did so for the benefit of His people. Moses was overburdened and overwhelmed and it hindered his ability to lead the people effectively. Instead, the Lord showed the people that His Spirit was not limited to one person at one time. His Spirit is sufficient for all. To show the people this, the 70 elders prophesied. This does not necessarily mean they were foretelling the future, but rather proclaiming the glory of God. It showed that these 70 were chosen by God to aid in the duty of leading this people throughout their journey.

What does this have to do with you and me? How does the anointing of the Spirit on 70 elders in Israel affect you in Washington state? On the surface, it doesn’t seem like there is much connection at all. Until you get to the words of Moses in response to Joshua, .” 29 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 rejoiced because he saw the Spirit of the Lord be poured out in abundance. He was not alone, but the Lord had provided for him capable helpers. Think back to that time when you felt most alone, when you were suffering under a great burden. Now think about where you are today. Did the Lord leave you alone? Did He let you suffer endlessly under the weight of your struggles? I can’t pretend to know what you have gone through, or the steps it took to overcome. But I do know that the Lord answered you the same way He answered Moses.

In fact, the Lord answered you before you even entered your moments of distress. He helped you when He made you His child. When He washed you of your sins in the waters of Holy Baptism, God anointed you with His Holy Spirit. He gave you His helper to give you strength, to carry your burdens in prayer to the Lord, but most importantly, He brough you the forgiveness of your sins.

When God made you His child, He took away your greatest burden. Jesus, who lived a perfect life in your stead, who died on the cross under the burden of the sin of the world; He took away your sin and buried them under the cross at Calvary. If you want someone who understands what it is like to be overburdened and overwhelmed, look to your Savior. Look to the one whose sweat became like great drops of blood when faced with the knowledge that He would be forsaken by God in order to pay for your sin and mine.

Look to the one whose cry, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me!” assures that you can cry, “Abba! Father!” to your Heavenly Father. Everything Jesus accomplished on this earth, from His humble beginnings, to His humiliating death, to His glorious resurrection, was done for you. It became yours when He anointed you with the Holy Spirit. That moment, your life was changed forever. No longer were you wandering this world alone, left to be crushed by the burden of life.

Sure, there are people who do not recognize God or what He has done for us, and they can provide support in our time of need. But they cannot give you a solution for the burden on your soul. That can only come from the Holy Spirit. And the Lord has poured out His Spirit on every single one of you. When you leave church this morning, look around. See the ones that God has called to be your helper, to aid you in the mission God has set for you on this earth. See how they prophecy with you in proclaiming the wonderful message of Christ crucified for sinners! See how the prophecy in the singing of hymns and psalms in praise to the God who loves us!

They have been given the same Spirit that you have been given. The Spirit of the Lord is sufficient for all. Whatever your situation, whatever your burden, He has a solution. He has given you a multitude of fellow believers whose role it is to build you up in the mercy and love of Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul said it best when he wrote to the Corinthians in his second letter, 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. (2 Cor. 12:12-13; 24b-27).

God cared for Moses and He gave him the help he needed at the time he needed it the most. God also cares for you. He helped you Himself by dying on the cross for your sins and mine. But even now, see how He has poured out His Spirit on you and your fellow believers. That you might bear one another up in love. The Spirit of God is sufficient for all.

I asked you at the beginning of the sermon if you were more pessimistic or optimistic. I don’t expect the last few minutes to have radically changed your mind one way or another. But I do pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to be poured out among you, that you might see the glory of God at work in your own life and use you to carry one another closer to our Father who is in heaven. Amen.