Numbers 11:28-35: a reflection

28Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his chosen men, answered, “My lord Moses, forbid them!” 29Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!” 30Moses went into the camp, he and the elders of Israel. 31A wind from the LORD went out and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day’s journey on this side, and a day’s journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the earth. 32The people rose up all that day, and all of that night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails. He who gathered least gathered ten homers; and they spread them all out for themselves around the camp. 33While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the LORD’s anger burned against the people, and the LORD struck the people with a very great plague. 34The name of that place was called Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who lusted. 35From Kibroth Hattaavah the people traveled to Hazeroth; and they stayed at Hazeroth.

When two men in the camp begin to prophesy, and Joshua, zealous for Moses' honor, urges him to stop them, Moses gives a remarkable answer: Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD's people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them all! Where Joshua saw a threat to Moses' unique standing, Moses saw something to rejoice in, and he wished the gift were spread to everyone.

Notice Moses' freedom from jealousy. It would have been natural to guard his position, to resent others sharing in what set him apart, to want to remain the singular prophet. Instead Moses wanted God's Spirit and gifting poured out on as many as possible, even at the cost of his own uniqueness. He was not threatened by others being blessed; he longed for it. That is a heart free of the envy that so easily grips us when others receive what we thought was ours alone.

That freedom is worth asking God for. We can be quietly jealous when others are gifted, recognized, or blessed in the areas where we want to stand out, guarding our little patch of distinction. Moses shows another way: to genuinely want God's blessing and gifting spread widely, to rejoice rather than resent when others are lifted up. Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, he said, wanting everyone to share what he had. Ask God for that generous, unthreatened heart, that delights when others are blessed rather than guarding your own status.

Lord, Moses was not threatened when others received your Spirit; he wished the gift were poured out on everyone. Free me from the jealousy that guards my own status and resents others being gifted, recognized, or blessed. Give me Moses' generous, unthreatened heart, that genuinely delights when you lift others up and longs for your blessing to be spread widely.