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Topic: Spirit’s Power for Service
[DCLM Daily Manna 2 August 2019 Daily Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]
Text: Numbers 11:13-20 (KJV)
13 Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.
14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.
15 And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.
16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.
17 And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.
18 And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.
19 Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days;
20 But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?
Key Verse: “And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee” (Numbers 11:17).
MESSAGE:
Moses’ desire that the Lord’s people would be “prophets and that the Lord would put His spirit upon them” was eventually fulfilled when on the day of Pentecost, God sent the Holy Spirit down from heaven to abide with the Church “forever”.
The lusting, complaints and murmuring of the children of Israel brought discouragement to Moses who had hitherto endured it all. They had directed their requests to Moses as they wanted to eat flesh instead of going to God. Moses complained to God Who directed him to gather seventy elders who would assist him to bear the burden. He (God) would take some of the spirit on Moses and put it upon them. Moses also was to sanctify the people in readiness to receive the flesh they desired.
That seventy elders were to share from the spirit God took from Moses is phenomenal. What Moses lacked in eloquence, God made up by the supply of His Spirit. What a thoughtful God we have! That Moses was a stammerer or Jeremiah was “a child” could not pose any problem to the foresight of God Who “hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise… and the weak things of the world to confound things which are mighty” (1 Corinthians 1:27).
Effective service delivery in the church today can only be possible through the Spirit’s power. Peter, who a few weeks before was fearful and unable to stand before ordinary maids who confronted him, could now through the Spirit’s power declare the truth to the Jews and the Sanhedrin. Surprisingly, there are many Christians who profess to have been saved for such a long time and yet lack the power of the Spirit. We must understand therefore that without the power of the Holy Ghost, we cannot be fruitful in ministry and service to God.
