Obedience is not naturally a trait of human character. Its lack brought calamity to Adam and Eve and their posterity do not quickly appreciate its wisdom. Some men are flagrant in their willfulness; there are those who, in their anxiety to see obedience in others, go to the distant extreme and would reduce narrowness to, for want of a better term, “skinniness”. The wise men are in between, and in consequence are higher than their fellows in God’s service. This commendable class look to their own spiritual endeavours lest, after all, they run in vain.
Our readings for March draw attention to these attitudes.
The unhappy action of Nadab and Abihu is recorded in Numbers 10. The record is not precise. The two brothers “offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not”. The word means “alien”. We are not told in what way the fire was strange or alien. Taking fire from the altar is mentioned once and refers to the day of atonement (Num. 16. 12). There is no suggestion that the ingredients of the incense they offered contravened the Divine instruction.
Maybe they thought it “didn’t matter”; or it was “too much trouble”. The action may have become mechanical and the exercise valueless. Whatever it was, retribution came without mercy. These men knew
what was required and their example is recorded as a warning to others.
Aaron’s heart was heavy. Parents do not easily discard wayward children. Moses has a message from God to Aaron, the stricken father. Had Aaron demurred against the Lord’s judgment? “This is it that the Lord spoke saying, I will be sanctified in them that came nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified.” In eloquent brevity the record adds, “And Aaron held his peace”. But who could not fail to have sympathy for a heart that ached even though it bowed in acknowledgement of the “goodness and severity of God”?
The eleventh chapter of Numbers contains an unusual event, one with an interesting New Testament parallel.
The administrative burdens of Moses were very great, despite the spirit of God invested in him. As ever the treasure was in an “earthen vessel”. Its usage was limited to the particular task in hand and to Moses it gave no personal benefit. One would imagine it brought additional responsibility, for those who possessed the gift needed faith to apply it. Seventy men were chosen “of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be elders of the people . . . bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee . . .”.
The 26th verse tells of the curious fact “there remained two men in camp . . . Eldad . . . and Medad and the spirit rested upon them”. It is evident from verse 24 that these two were additional to the seventy who were “set round about the tabernacle”, yet “were of them that were written”. It is likely that the chosen men were six from each tribe, yet only 70 would be Moses’ helpers, leaving the other two equally eminent and worthy, in the camp i.e. with the ordinary people.
We are told that Eldad and Medad “prophesied in the camp”. To an unnamed young man this was wrong and must be stopped. The 70 were the Lord’s choice and Joshua, then one of Moses’ “young men” acquiesced, “My lord Moses, forbid them”. Moses does not share the horror expressed to him. Is divine wisdom limited? Are there no others who may share it? Moses no doubt to the astonishment of his hearers, asks “Enviest thou them for my sake?” Rather than be worried that God has others in His service that might detract from him, Moses adds, “Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!”
God does not limit his bounty; no one person or persons can do all the work. Service to God is a combined effort, a working together in which the prominent, outstanding through some particular gift, need the help of those not among the first rank.
We recall that Jesus brought together 70 disciples, endowed them with the spirit and sent them out to do his work. In addition, Mark tells of the perturbation of the twelve at miraculous work by a stranger in Christ’s name—”Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name and he followeth not us and we forbade, because he followeth not us”.
This is a parallel with a difference. In the Numbers incident, the two men were known to belong to Israel. Here he did not “belong” and did not have the Spirit. Jesus did not say a miracle was not performed. If a man has such faith that he can “cast out devils” in Christ’s name he should not be forbidden. In the spirit of Moses, one would say, “Would that all people had such faith”.
In our day we are faced with claims for miraculous cures and we do no service to our Master by airily dismissing them in our desire to protect the narrow way. But it should be remembered that whilst such ability may achieve results, it does not hold the key to the Kingdom.
“Doing the will of my father who is in heaven”, understood as Mark 16. 16 teaches remains the hallmark of the true Christian.
The great character Zaccheus is like a breath of fresh air when brought into conjunction with the failures, anxieties and inconsistencies of so many.
He is a little man, but he will see Jesus. He climbed a tree and had a better view than all. He received a shock when informed by Jesus he desired to be his guest—he now had an even better view!
The outside crowd say “Sinner!”. The honest heart of the tax collector is revealed to us. If he discovered that because of an error he has wrongly taken too much tax—and he had a vested interest in this sort of thing—he could not give them a credit note; out of his own resources, he restored “Fourfold”. Joyfulness, enthusiasm and honesty were his keynotes; obedience to God is part of his life. He is not one of the mighty: quite the reverse, a sterling character in whom the spirit of Christ dwells—one of the ordinary people who in the “middle class” had learned wisdom and was not running in vain.
Daniel The Prophet – (Part 3)