Monday, May 22, 2017

The Longing Desire of Moses

So-called gender issues get a lot of traction in American society. They take up much attention and time and, simply, they reflect a longing desire of the individual for a change in themselves. I do not think this is unique to America. It probably plays big in other countries. Gender is exerted either as dominant or submissive. There is a current obsession with gender identity. Specifically, it is involves the desire by some to simply claim a different identity other than the one with which they were born. Some others may claim that they have not denied their gender or their sex, but merely identify with another gender or sex than that of their birth.


This article is not about that issue and I do not make any claim to having knowledge on a professional level, but it seems inevitable to touch on the subject. So, I do wonder how much of the desire for those who switch their gender or sex identity stems from a desire to avoid the real or perceived dominant or submissive status associated with the respect old and new identity choices with people embrace for themselves. I do not wish to trifle their struggle.


I do believe this is a mistaken response to a problem, but it is neither my intention, need or desire to cast condemnation on those who have made those choices for themselves. However, the reality of dominance and submissiveness as a sex or a gender issue in the world is preceded by the reality of power. As such, power is exerted by the dominant just as readily over members of their own sex group. This is evident in our institutions and organizations of government, education, sports and, yes, church, too. Oftentimes those who exert their power over others are blithely oblivious. Even when they are made aware of it the best that might follow is some weak, unconvincing response.


Moses was a man in the nation of Israel. It was he who led the children of Israel out of Egyptian slavery after God visited Egypt with ten different plagues. Moses had a intern trainee. His name was Joshua and it was he who succeeded Moses. It was Joshua who led the children of Israel into the conquest of the land of Canaan.Clearly, Moses and his internee were in positions of power as they had been assigned by God.


There is an instance in the scriptures which involves Moses and Joshua in Numbers 11. I encourage you to read the text for yourself. God had instructed Moses to have the seventy elders of Israel come out of the camp. God told Moses that He would take some of the Spirit that was in Moses and put it on the elders. God did so and the men prophesied. The scripture notes that they did that one time, but they did not do it again. There was a point which God was impressing on the elders of Israel, namely, that Moses did not speak his own notions or initiative to Israel, but he spoke as God commanded him.


What happened during this instance was that only sixty eight of the seventy came out of the camp. Two men, Eldad and Medad, for reasons that are not revealed in the scripture, were either slow or chose not to come out of the camp. Nevertheless, when the sixty eight began to prophesy Eldad and Medad prophesied, too.


It was at that moment that Joshua burst out. He urgently pleaded with Moses to restrain the two men. The response of Moses to Joshua is as powerful as it is a portent for those who presume to stand before the children of God by power. It is the notion of power by men, primarily, which they have seized for themselves on the basis of gender; the very same thing which so many deny or flee to where they believe they will be safe with a new gender identity.


"Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD'S people were prophets, that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!"


Moses and Joshua were men of power, but the longing desire of Moses was that ALL the Lord’s people were prophets. Moses did not speak this about the Aaronic priesthood or the Levitical priests. Those who would dismiss Moses's expression as just a momentary weakness of Moses are seriously mistaken. The reason they are seriously mistaken is because it was the prophet Joel who later took up the longing desire of Moses in his prophecy. This same prophecy was cited by the apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) when he preached the first gospel sermon after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus.


"It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. 29 "Even on the male and female servants * I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”


Furthermore, both the longing desire of Moses and the prophecy of Joel were affirmed by Jesus during his ministry when He prophesied to his disciples the coming of the Holy Spirit as He would ask the Father to do. The Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost of sons and daughters.


Conclusion
God did not pour out His Spirit on his sons to be keep silent or to be silenced any more than He poured out His Spirit on His daughters for them to be silent or to be silenced. Those who would silence either sons (and, yes, there are instances of men being silenced, too) or daughters of God do so at their own peril. Their jealousy and carnal mind is no different than Joshua or the disciples who made their best attempt to stop a disciple (a male, no less) who was casting out demons because he was not walking with them and Jesus. They spoke out of their own mistaken notions of power. Jesus, like Moses, and perhaps much to the surprise of the disciples, admonished them and enlightened them concerning that faithful disciple.


There are no small number of men who have no business teaching and preaching, that is, to prophecy. There are no small number of men who have been called to be about the business of the Father to teach and preach, that is, to prophecy.

There are no small number of women who have no business teaching and preaching, that is, to prophecy. There are no small number of women who have been called to be about the business of the Father to teach and preach, that is, prophecy.

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