Through Christ, we have the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit rather than the limited pouring out we see with Moses in the book of Numbers.
What a great text to preach in the season of Pentecost! Here we see you cannot prevent the work of the Holy Spirit as it is poured out so that the Word of God might go among the nations. This text demonstrates God working directly through Moses and His appointed people. The full assigned reading appointed for the day includes verses 4-6 and 10-16. However, we will focus on just the last section because you could really cut this pericope into three separate sermons. Our narrow selection has two main parts: Verses 24–25, which are a fulfillment of the previous verses 16–17, and verses 26–30, which give us the account Eldad and Medad (although the assigned reading of the day does not include verse 30).
Since verses 24-25 are a fulfillment of verses 16–17, the vocabulary is very similar. In verse 25, though, a different verb is used to talk about how God “put” His Spirit on the people. Verse 25 uses נתן (“naw-than”) rather than שִׂים (“soom,” verse 17). Using נתן (“to give”) emphasizes the nature and also the origin of the Spirit. It was a “gift” of God more than something that was set upon them (שִׂים).
The fantastic result of the gift of the Spirit was that they prophesied. It means, literally, “to act the prophet.” In passages like 1 Samuel 10:6 and 19:24, the verb indicates that the elders were speaking God’s Word in some way that it was “counted to them” to be prophets. They had this only because of God’s Spirit, which had been upon Moses.
There is always a question which comes up in this text. It is hard to know what is meant in verse 25 when it says, “They did not continue to do so.” The verb with the negative means the action (here “prophesying”) did not continue beyond this one occurrence.[1] It may be reasonable to suggest a more typological approach to answering this question. To use the framework set out in the book of Hebrews, which thinks of the Old Testament “Types” as fulfilled in Christ, we can come to a gospel-based answer to this question. This momentary gifting of the Spirit was pointing to a more complete giving of the Spirit later in Christ. Moses was not the prophet who gives the Spirit we were looking for. We needed the prophet greater than Moses, sent by God to be our savior (Deuteronomy 18:15; Hebrews 3:1-6) who promised the full (John 14:16-27; Acts 2:1-21) gift of the Holy Spirit.
This momentary gifting of the Spirit was pointing to a more complete giving of the Spirit later in Christ.
In the Old Testament, Moses is clearly a type of Christ. However, he is also always an imperfect type of Christ. If you want to emphasize this in your preaching, you can highlight Moses’ moments where he failed to fill the bill for Messiah. One clear example of the imperfection of Moses as a type of Christ comes right before our assigned reading. Moses’ complaint (verses 10-15) is proof positive that he needed saving just like us. It puts into sharp relief the antitype, Jesus, who is the Lamb who “goes forth uncomplaining” (Isaiah 53:7). Once you begin to analyze the discrepancy between Moses and Christ, you really get a lot of material going for your sermon.
For instance, Moses intercedes for God’s people just as Christ intercedes for us. God listens to Moses just as He listens to His Son. Moses claimed to bear many afflictions (Exodus 4:10; Numbers 11:11-15), but who has ever suffered or been afflicted like Christ has? He was “smitten by God and afflicted” (Isaiah 53:4). Christ “bore our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:5). Christ was “wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5). The leading of all people and all “government was on His shoulder” (Isaiah 9:6; Daniel 7:13-14). What Moses suffered in a limited way Christ actually endured fully on our behalf through His incarnation, birth, life, ministry, suffering, death, and glorious resurrection and ascension! Then, through Christ, we have the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-21) rather than the limited pouring out we see with Moses in the book of Numbers.
Since our text naturally leads to a question, you could always use the “Question Answered Structure.” I have included comments for our reading in the explanation below in parenthesis:
“This structure identifies a significant question for the hearers (in other words, one that cannot be easily answered, and addresses matters which are significant to the hearers) and then theologically considers one or more feasible answers before arriving at a satisfactory resolution.
The question is simple, memorable, and remains the same throughout the entire sermon (for us, “Why did they not continue to do so?” in verse 25). It cannot be answered with a “yes” or “no” but invites the hearers into processing various answers (exploring all the different interpretations of this verse and proving they all fall short, which leads to typology). The movement toward a faithful answer provides the dynamic progression of the sermon (showing how Christ is greater than Moses with multiple citations referenced). This progression could be a movement from partial answers to a full answer (we, like Moses, could not do it, but Jesus can and does on our behalf). The preacher avoids trite false answers that will insult the hearers, and he seeks to have a final resolution which proceeds from the Gospel.
The sermon usually opens by depicting the human or textual dilemma (the temporary nature of the Spirit’s gift and the limits of Moses’ leadership) that raises the focusing question (“Why could they not continue to do so?”). The answers are then arranged in a climactic scheme, offering more development to the later answers. In dismissing the false or partial answers, the preacher is clear about the theological reasoning (defining and teaching what typology is and how it helps us to understand Christ in the Old Testament) that guides the discussion and thereby teaches the hearers how to think through matters theologically. Along the way, the preacher is careful not to raise distracting issues or to change the question. Finally, the sermon concludes by proclaiming the satisfactory gospel-based answer.”[2]
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Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out out 1517’s resources on Numbers 11:4–6, 10–16, 24–29;.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching Numbers 11:4–6, 10–16, 24–29;.
Text Week-A treasury of resources from various traditions to help you preach Numbers 11:4–6, 10–16, 24–29.
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
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[1] Timothy R. Ashley. The Book of Numbers, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1993. 213–214.
[2] https://concordiatheology.org/sermon-structs/thematic/question-answered/
