Dearest e-votees-
This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday. It is when God takes an existing religious/spiritual observance and layers a new depth and Godly presence—as was the case with Passover and Holy Communion.
There are lots of permutations of the assigned readings for this week. For our devotion I chose one that you may not hear read in church.
May the Holy Spirit blow through this devotion, our days and throughout the world—all to the glory of God.
Peace,
Karl
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24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord; and he gathered seventy elders of the people, and placed them all 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 when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do so again. 26 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 son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men, 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, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!" 30 And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.
Just before this assigned reading Moses is showing the stress of being the prophet/judge/arbiter/caretaker for all of the people. God instructs Moses to gather the people at the Tent of Meeting. The account of what happened next is one of the assigned texts for Pentecost Sunday.
God divides the spirit that is in Moses and apportions it to the 70 (notably to the 2 who didn’t get to the meeting as well) so that the work can be divided. This resonates, as well, with the time Jethro counseled Moses to divide up the work he was trying to bear on his own as is recorded in Exodus 18:13-27. The work of doing God’s will in the world is much too large for any one denomination or church—let alone for any one person. We are called to work together as a community to accomplish that which God has put before us. The promise of God’s abiding presence is particularly attached to when we gather in community (2 or 3 or more).
Moses’ response to Joshua is one we ought to commit to memory—“Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!” Moses’ desire has been enfleshed in the pouring out of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit fell on all who were gathered in the house for prayer that day. And they were enabled to speak and be heard in the tongues of all the gathered people. The Holy Spirit continued to spread through the work of the early church. The Holy Spirit is alive and well in the church today too. As God works through baptism the Holy Spirit is imparted. As God inspires deepening faith the Holy Spirit becomes more deeply rooted. As the church does the work to which we are called the Holy Spirit moves and breathes and has her being. I wouldn’t be too surprised to find that there are those who didn’t get to the “Tent of Meeting” (or maybe to worship or maybe to our denomination or maybe even in the “organized” church as we see her) who are still having the Holy Spirit come to rest on them and move in their lives. Do you think there are Eldads and Medads about this day? I do.
We should always keep in mind the exchange between Jesus and Nicodemus:
4 “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Holy Spirit, continue to move and breathe into our lives. Help us never hinder you but rejoice that you blow wherever you please. May it please you to blow fervently into us. Comfort us. Inspire us. Remind us of Jesus’ teaching. Empower us to give testimony wherever we find ourselves. Prophesy to and through us. Encourage us. Intercede for us when words fail. Help us partner well with the community that you have formed that breathes of your Holy Spirit as surely as it does the air around us. Amen.
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