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Lectionary for the week of May 11, 2008

 “23Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘When did I become weak? Now you shall see whether my word comes true or not!” (Num. 11:23)

 Num. 11:24-30 “25And the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses. Then He gave the seventy elders the same spirit that was upon Moses. And when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied.”(Num. 11:25) The Israelites traveled through the desert as they escaped from bondage in Egypt. Throughout their travels, Moses faced many challenges; some from the people and some from the environment. Moses became overwhelmed and even wondered if God could provide the help he needed. God’s response was “When did I become weak?” In answer to Moses’ prayers the Lord rested the Holy Spirit on seventy tribal leaders. Empowered by the Spirit, the elders suddenly were accomplishing things they had never imagined were in their capabilities.  
 Moses became aware that managing a government is a huge burden; people are never satisfied. Fortunately, he realized the only answer to his dilemma was through prayer. When Moses prayed, God delivered. 
 

Psalm 104:24-34, 35b “24How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all…31May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works!” (Ps. 104:24, 31) The psalmist was admiring the works of the Lord. He was awestruck by the wisdom that had gone into the engineering of a balanced ecosystem that allows every part of creation to exist in coordinated harmony. He recognizes that the Lord provides everything we need and looks after our welfare in all areas of our lives.

 When one considers such great wonderment it is cause to give glory and honor to the Creator. “34May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord.” (Ps. 104:34) The psalmist is quite a contrast to the Israelites who complained to Moses because they didn’t have all the “goodies” they desired. We should all be thankful for the blessings we already have received.
 

John 7:37-39 “39By this he meant the Holy Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” (John 7:39)  

 Jesus called out to the crowd and invited them to come to him and receive “rivers of living water”.  Listeners perceived that to be an indicator of eternal life.  In this situation he was calling them to receive the Holy Spirit – the source of eternal life – the same Spirit that empowered the elders to help Moses resolve the logistical problems of the migrating Israelites.
 Oftentimes Jesus taught his listeners about receiving the Holy Spirit. “If you love me, obey me; and I will ask the Father and he will give you another Comforter…He is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who leads into all truth.” (John 14:15-16)   Jesus knew how much we need that extra source of guidance and truth in our lives.
 

Acts 2:1-21 “4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (Acts 2:4)

A week after Jesus rose up into the clouds and left his disciples staring at the sky, they were all gathered together in an upper room to discuss their next move. Suddenly there was the sound of a mighty wind - but no breeze - and tongues of fire danced above their heads. They unexpectedly received the Holy Spirit and were able to do things they had never thought were possible. Peter stepped onto the balcony and gave a speech to the people in the street that all the foreign visitors in the city heard in their own language.  How could this happen?  Peter was an itinerate fisherman with little formal education. Yet, he was able to freely communicate with the vast assortment of listeners from a diverse background.  The Holy Spirit gave Peter the power to do wonderful things.  He will help you, too.  Just pray and receive it!

 “13When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own but will tell you what He has heard.  He will tell you about the future.” (John 16:13)    Next week’s lectionary (May 18): Gen. 1:1-4a; Psalm 8, Matt. 28:16-20; 2 Cor. 13:11-13.