Numbers 11
26But two men had remained in the camp; the name of one was Eldad and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them (now they were among those who had been registered, but had not gone out to the tent), and they prophesied in the camp.
27So a young man ran and told Moses and said, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp."
28Then Joshua the son of Nun, the attendant of Moses from his youth, said, "Moses, my lord, restrain them."
29But 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 upon them!"
The beauty of humility is once again manifest in the man, Moses. His attitude toward God, others, and himself was the most self-effacing attitude of anyone on the planet. Even though God had spoken to him and through him on many occasions and he had been the instrument of multiple miracles and other mighty works, Moses kept a clear eye on who he was and who God was. He never place himself above the status of a servant.
There is no room for pride and jealousy in God’s economy! It is God who does the work and we are His instruments. So why would we be offended at the gifts and ministries of others whom God is using to accomplish His purposes? And it is His purposes, not ours, that matter.
I am sometimes defensive when I see others who might be as gifted or more gifted than I am. I have always compared myself with others and usually unfavorably. When I hear of someone who is a “great teacher”, I wonder, ‘Is he better than me?’ When I hear of someone who is very funny, charming, kind, physically fit,…I wonder, ‘More than me?’
Why? Because I still believe, though I’ve been in Christ and studying His word for more than 25 years, that my worth is based on my abilities. And I also believe that someone who is better looking, smarter, funnier, more devoted to his family, (name it) is more loved by God and others and more valuable than I am.
Why not rejoice? Why not be excited to see others being used by God? Why not enjoy God's grace and beauty being expressed in others?
God does!
4 comments:
When I read this passage for my Bible as Lit course last fall, I did so with an eye toward the Gospels. I recalled Mark 9, where Christ tells the disciples that "the one who is not against us is for us."
Good connection! It also connects to 1 Cor. 3 where we are all recognized as co-laborers in the building of God's church. The more I study, the more I realize the importance of "connections".
I have more hair, so I am better than you.
But you are short...nuf said.
Post a Comment