Numbers 11:1-17New International Version (NIV)
Fire From the LORD
11 Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. 2 When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the LORD and the fire died down. 3 So that place was called Taberah,[a] because fire from the LORD had burned among them.
Quail From the LORD
4 The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. 6 But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”
7 The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin. 8 The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into loaves. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. 9 When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down.
10 Moses heard the people of every family wailing at the entrance to their tents. The LORD became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. 11 He asked the LORD, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? 12 Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their ancestors? 13 Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ 14 I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. 15 If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.”
16 The LORD said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with you. 17 I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them. They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone.
Congregations are becoming more and more complex. There are more and more ministries. As different needs arise and people try to meet them through ministry in the Church, the ministries multiply.
It will become impossible for a pastor or even an associate pastor to be at every meeting. There simply aren’t enough evenings in a week or a month.
Like what many pastors feel, Moses felt the entire responsibility of leadership for the entire community. People looked to him to provide food and to solve all of their problems. It all came to him, and—of course—the task was bigger than what any one person could do.
Moses complains to God. The task is too much, so he wants God to just kill him now and get it over with. God tells Moses to choose his best leaders. God will then put some of the spirit that he had placed on Moses and put it on them. They are to handle the “smaller” issues and questions, and Moses is to take care of the larger ones.
It is a good biblical example of what shared leadership can be in a parish. The pastor avoids two extremes:
1. He could do everything himself.
2. He can abdicate responsibility and just “coast.”
Here there is a hierarchy of sorts where people are working with the leadership and share in the leadership, but they also get some guidance and are in touch with leadership.
There are some good implications for a parish.
1. Ministries and small groups need to have leadership that is constant and regular, as well as connect to the parish through the pastor.
2. Part of the task of the pastor is to help people see the vision of the parish: that there is leadership, that it is shared, and under the director of the pastor. They are not abandoned.
3. Leaders from at least the more important ministries should be connected with the pastoral council where the vision, parish activities, parish business are planned, discussed, and shared.
