Where have all the Elders Gone

I actually don't mind. Crying. And Crying out to the Lord. I mean that, you know, I hear a kid crying. I kind of Imagine We cry out to the Lord for not trying out the Lord, we're doing something wrong. There's a need to cry. This week's teaching the Seder, a kind of expresses that there's a lots of different titles that I gave to this teaching gather the elders Gathering elders Subtitle a whole lot of Elders going on. And then where have all the elders gone. long time, passing long time ago and healing Or we could call it everybody's having a bad day. I mean. The mixed multitude summer Bible, say the rabble had craved a craving. Not craving a crave crate. The craving a craving is not good, but they didn't just leave it to themselves to Crave. They got is really involved and is real, the sons of Israel craved the craving and called out. They, they were just they were just angry. And Moses was frustrated with God and and yelled at God. And and, and Aaron and Miriam were frustrated and complained about Moses that even God was no, let me go back from that. God isn't having a bad day. But he does execute some judgments. More to that later. Lots of titles, lots and lots, and lots of Elders going on. So what happened to the elders? Why they need to appoint more Elders? This is actually an ancient question. It's been discussed at length in many of the midrash am at cetera and I'm just going to give you a very quick summary of Elders and Egypt, God said to Moses, to gather the elders, he hadn't gone to Egypt and God's telling him to gather the elders once it gets there, once it gets there a little bit later. God tells him to get to the get the elders together and tell him about the Passover requirements. This the slaughtering the selection of the land, the slaughtering of the Lamb etcetera, the Passover meal with the Covenant meal and distribution is the second is the third thing. It should be a third line, Covenant meal and distribution when Jethro comes to meet Moses PCS. There's a problem going on. And he tells Moses he should he should get the, get the get, the get things. Organized Go there a little bit later, but Jethro God, Moses Aaron and Israel's elders ate with God. So this is the first Covenant meal with God in The Exodus. Jethro. And the and the elders and Moses and Aaron and Etc. Jethro. The next day, as Moses, why I sat alone with people from all four, all day should be for all day.

And Moses says this is. Very interesting. They come to me. To seek God. They know that I'm talking to God, they know that God and I are on speaking terms. They know that I have a relationship that enables me to appreciate and understand what God is telling us and they would like it some insight into that. Now, who would like to meet with someone who has a connection, like Moses had with? Who would like to make an appointment with that guy? I would, I'd love to. I think that would be something what I wait all day in line. Yeah, probably. if I can hear from God,

I can think of several times in my life. What should I be when I grow up? God, do you want me to take this job? God. Do you want me to be enrolled in this program? God, I need some help here. I need some wisdom about the future. Yeah, I'd stand in line all day.

And Jethro said it's not a good thing man. You can't do this all by yourself. And so he told Moses to appoint elders and apparently Jethro has the authority to tell Moses that because he was his father-in-law respect for the elders. There you go. On respect for the elders. I want to say thank you to call for honoring the elders last week. I also wanted to agree with Frank that the one thing we really have going for us as being a little bit older. As we have made all the mistakes. It's not that we're inherently, really, really wise and, and an intelligent and capable. We've made all the mistakes years ago, Carl had a birthday party with a few years ago,

Two years, three years, he turned.

40K, so, those of you who are between 40 and 60, please stand,

Do you know what car last for? Wisdom, he wanted gifts, that would help him to learn wisdom, right? And so everybody, everyone came loaded with her.

And unloaded on cow. I'm kidding. You can sit down.

I'm bored in my bedroom like the things that people wrote and I only rode with Cindy Road things that you wrote out there sitting. They're taped or pinned up on this board and I feed them all the time. What what big deal is it? Then that when you when you when you reach 40, according to the the stages. I'll just say that. You don't acquire wisdom. You don't think getting wisdom is not bad.

Ready to get ready for wisdom. Kind of, so when you're 40 years old, according to a few vote, you're finally eligible to give counsel.

50. Is it 50? I'm sorry, Kyle. You're not eligible yet.

Where is Sylvia?

Okay, so you need to be able to see things with the right Vision. It was that word we heard earlier today? I apologize. He doesn't, he doesn't have the ability to give counsel yet, but

he wants with and we're going to try to give it to him. Next time you see Elders is that the Sinai with a blood Covenant meal, just before Moses goes up on the mountain to be with God for 40 days and 40 nights and then goes back up in the mountain with God, after the golden cap for 40 days and 40 nights before all that happens, there's a covenant meal at Sinai and they take the blood, they splashed, the blood on the people, they spliced the blood on it. Just, it's just a bloody mess up there, but this is a blood Covenant meal, but the god Moses, Aaron a devil by who, in the 70 elders are having on Sinai. What God has spoken with you. Hey, Bob, hey has spoken. They said we will do and we will hear now. You think you should hear first before doing right? Nope, that's not what they said. They said it doesn't matter what he says. We'll do it before we hear it and then we'll hear it.

The word Shema. So it's not say we will do the niche, we will do and we will hear one way of understanding. This is when God says to do something, you might not be capable of doing it. Until you know what it is, and you might not even know what it is until you do it. So, how about we try a simple one. Love your neighbor as yourself. That was easy, right? No, so this is this is great wisdom. Fake it till you make it. Pretend you love the person and in the doing of the demonstration of love, you will develop love for the person. Do not say the nice. My we will do and we will hear famous famous saying next time, we hear the Elder of the elders. Is this week, the spirit in the quail. You'd hate Bob faces, take 70 of Israel's Elders to the tense of stand with you. I'll come speak with, you know, this is curious. He doesn't say I'll speak with all y'all. He says, I'll speak with you Moses. Now, with the rest of those guys, and I'll take the spirit of place, the spirit on you upon them. There's a mistranslation that I need to make a parent on this in a minute. And I'll do that in a minute. They'll bear the people's burdens with you. You will not bear it alone. You don't have to carry this whole bird and then it's the second telling. And this is very curious as telling and Deuteronomy. He's sort of rephrases how this came about. You stayed long enough? God says to Moses go to the land of set before you and Moses says he said to the people. I told you all. I can't bear you alone. I'll appoint choose men yourselves as elders and I'll appoint them from your tribes leaders, princess and judgments, don't be partial or intimidated. Judgment is God's. Now, the judgment is God's is absolutely true but who said to pick the elders and who picked the elders and who anointed or a point to the elders? This is a huge area of confusion and I will not attempt to sort it out.

All of these years of rabbis and Christian Scholars, have not been able to give a satisfactory explanation of where all these others are there. Lots of explanations.

I'm not going to give any. Value necessarily to any of them because they're out, they'll have some value, but each one of them has some problems. So, whole lot of Elders going on Words. These are the forward that I picked more than more than Frank picked. I know, I pick more words in Frank.

Thank you, Bill for that clarification. I saw this is a harvest word, like Todd cyr that the cutting of the green pickle going through the grain gather gather the grain gather the Harvest. It's a, it's a, it's a harvesting word. It's not a assembly word. Different words could be used for assemble the people or bring the people together in one Accord different words. This is a harvest Harvest, some Elders. He's kind of saying the cane. Okay, so this is one of the words I learned in in Hebrew a very, very early on and me. And another guy worked out weird men. Onyx to try to. Remember vocabulary words, you can always tell the Elder because he needs to use the cane

We sing that song. I'm Israel and Israel and Israel High The people of God, the people of Israel live.

You are spirit and when Rockets used a lot in this Society this week and it kind of concludes with the ruach, bringing the quail for them to eat. Numbers 11. So before we get on with the Seder, you have to if you jump into the state of your lost cuz it's just a lot of things going on. There's so much talking and so many and God is saying Moses said God said and it is just as hard to keep track kit, keep track of it, it's very fast, very fast moving. You feel like you walked into the middle of a gossiping conversation and you don't know what's going on and you're trying to keep up with with one who said that? It's crazy. So, Let's pull back. Numbers 11 begins. This is not our seder. It's before the Seder, some people know your Bible might say the rabble or your Bible might say the mixed multitude. That's actually a better translation. Some I just say among them, crave the craving and the sons of Israel also wept so it would have been bad enough for some crazy craving but Israel joined them and craving and said We remember without cost to fish in Egypt and cucumbers and melons and leeks and onions and garlic. But now our soul is parched. Our eyes. See nothing. Except this blend stuff called Mana.

And I'll call every once in a while ago.

Lyrics. Kvetching reminds me of Bob massive. Bob were here, I'd ask him, he gone.

The shuffling around on the floor with looking like pulling his hair out, without pulling it out.

Moses also complained, this is this is insane. Does Moses understand God's there. Does Moses talk with God face to face? And he's complaining, is it okay to complain to God? Yeah, most of the time, let's see if you think Moses is on track with his complaint, the God here. Why have you Afflicted me with the impulsive behavior of this people? Why are you asking me to take them to my bosom like my suckling child? Woah. Into the land used for used for you're making me baby them. I'm not getting us. Where is there enough meat to feed these people? I've been to the local Kroger's. They don't have enough meat to feed this. Many people. I'm not able to carry this people. No matters to have this matter is too heavy for me. If this is, how you're going to deal with me, play me now.

I want to die. If you're going to treat me this way, disrespectfully, God I'm ready to die. Take me now. I'm tired of this. Does that sound like a valid conversation with the Lord?

Middleton.

I knew I'd get pushed back on this. Because this is a great group.

Be careful what you ask for. You might get it. Yeah.

Kill me now. So I won't have to experience the suffering and distress. Moses continued to complain, the people among whom I am number 600,000, we can argue about the numbers and you said, I'll give them meat to eat for a whole month, will flooded flocks and herds be enough for the gathered fish of the sea, be enough for them. And God response is my hand too short. Now, you'll see whether my word will come true for you or not. God's hand is not too short.

You know, I had a friend who was struggling with us some decisions, and she finally made a decision to do what she thought God was telling her to do and we sit so, so, so how did you come to the conclusion that you could, you could move forward with this impossible task? And she turned and said, well, I was studying and praying and I realized my father owns a cattle on a thousand hills. Anything he wants to give me. He's capable of giving me. and I remember saying that my father owns the cattle on a thousand hills

so, this is kind of Interesting, this is just a what are they complaining about not having any meat? Would they like bread? Maybe they like bread. What's the word that we use for bread?

Matzah. Okay, let him matzo. Okay? Now if you're looking at the words in Hebrew and you think you know what the words mean? That's fine, there's a nice word play going on here and I just wanted to share it with you. Some people say, the best bible to read is the dynamic equivalent Bible. Because it has the dynamic equivalence. It doesn't actually use the right words, but it tells you how it feels today in, in new language, some people say it's better to use. A, what do you call? What do you call a literal translation? Where they translate word for word, for word, for word for word. There's also another tradition that several Scholars like to use and that is how I'll call it the

sounds like, Translation. Assonance like where word sounds like another word in and you get this word play. I'll give you a simple, a simple one. So, so one day I was using a lot of Pawns on this friend of mine and he got tired of it. He said, why are you punishing me so harshly?

It's just a really cool wordplay, huh, I'm being punished with puns. You get it. Okay, so if you're hearing Moses sang this, This is, this is pretty cool. This word. This word. This word for them. It shall reach for them for them. It's a reach for them. If you're listening to what Moses is saying, you see? That you're hearing, matzo. Twice, it's not the translation of the word. That's not what the word means in Hebrew Rob. You're right. But you're going

if you're listening or hearing it this,

This word play is.

Complaining about not having food. Lotsa, motsa. Interesting. Let them let them. Let them lick them. It's not the word Rob, that's not what it says. I know it's not what it says. It sounds like the guy who's just listening and not reading the text. All the people in the hearing is this

We're listening, they weren't reading. So today is Slater God's response. Gather, 70, elders of Israel, bring them to you, you to the tent of meeting and take their, to take their stand with you. I'll come and talk with you and I'll place the spirit that's on you on them and they will bear the people's burden with you so that you won't have to bear it alone. As soon as God placed the spirit on them, they prophesied, but The ESV says, they didn't continue doing it but the King James says, and they continue doing it. So we have two perfectly good translations of the Bible that seem to be in unconscious conscious contradiction with each other and we can stay well, which one is it? And when you series read the Hebrew you can go well it could be that and then you really read it again and you go I can do that.

I want the right answer. Well, if you want the right answer. You're going to pick one and you're going to get an argument with someone else who thinks they have the right answer. And you're not going to get anywhere cuz you're just going to be dueling words. It's doing I used to call it. Bible ping pong. I'm going to serve you this verse. So they're now now, you know what God says, well, that's not what he said. He said this.

Like a master ping pong Max. I've watched this more than once with very very smart ping pong players who know how to play Bible thing pong better than anyone else I've ever seen. And I just watch the game and I go

Which is it? Which is it, which is it? Which is it Predestination sovereignty of God, etc. Etc. You get it. I think if you haven't experienced this, Stay here. You'll probably.

Good luck shot today is yeah. So this is again and interesting verse that we're looking at right here, gather, seventy Elders. Frank mentioned that this is 70 men. Hyphen Elders from Israel and he's kind of right. So if you look at the actual verse, you'd have of Jesus said to Moses, gather, 70 man singular. The whole census plural. And God says, man not men. He hasn't had first grade grammar. Or he means something else. When I look at this, I go. Oh

there's only way God can say this and have it make any sense and that's if these men are of one mind,

Is a unitive mind that Moses is told to gather. And I like that. And that's kind of what we strive for here. At church the Maasai. I'm not necessarily uniformity but Unity. Amen. Today, seder, God's response, 70 man, Elders of Israel. Bring them to attend the meeting. Next thing we have a problem. If you open up your Bibles you will read in your Bible. I'll put some of the spirit that's on them on you on them. I'll take the spirit. That's on you and put it on there. What's the different translations close to that? Now when you read those translations, I picture This, what you're saying is here, is this bowl of the spirit.

And I can scoop out a little bit and poured here. Take a little bit more in Port here. Take a little bit more in Port here. Is this a heresy? Why?

You can't divide the spirit. The spirit isn't goo. they can be distributed partially, the spirit is, Complete hole in the best understanding of Christian tradition. The spirit is a

Person. Now we can argue about the word person, but it's a distinct. Being of some kind, the spirit speaks the spirit directs, the spirit is not just a pipe, or a wire, or a, or a bowl of goo. It's

I don't think the word means what you think. It means, I will take some of, or away from Etc, the spirit, that's on you and put it on them. Tea is the word. They have salty. I will take. I will, I will. And it's from the root of Sol. The word literally means to reserve to lay beside to be by Buy near the Pierce 59 times in the Bible and always it indicates proximity of place, it does not indicate distribution of parts. Proximity a place. I'll take the spirit this on you. In the same Spirit, I'll place on them this van and on this man and on this man and on this man, and none of these people are getting less of the spirit or a different part of the spirit than anyone else. It's the spirit that's being placed on them. This is a heresy. If you think it's part of the spirit, it is the spirit now. But Rob, there. Different gifts. Yeah, there are different gifts, but one spirit so God gives the spirit gives you a gift. Do you have a gift that you can use? That doesn't diminish the spirit. It says the spirit is giving you a gift that you can use. The spirit is still the spirit. He may choose to give you a different gift at a different time. The gift that you have, maybe given and you may be using it and then you might not be using it or you may be continuing to be using it. So that's what this verse is teaching me. even in the frustrating, frustrating conflict between translations. I can I can I can I can I can reconcile these differences and translations because I'm not sure what the spirits going to do on me today.

I've been praying that he's going to help me with my teaching and I think he is. But that might not continue or may continue. It's not my call whose call. Is it Spirits? Okay. Lord got it. The spirit, a person of the Trinity of God cannot be divided. If you have questions about this, come talk to me.

Today's seder, God's response. Prepare yourselves. I'll give you meet. You want me? I'll give you meet tomorrow. Not just 12 510 20 days before a whole month until it comes out your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you. Because you've rejected the Lord, who is among you. I am in your midst, you see me everyday? You look at the column of fire, the column of smoke, you know, about the sacrifices, you're in the context of my truth. I'm with you every day and you're ignoring me

Romans 1:22 through 32. I know this is a gross oversimplification of those 11 vs. 10 vs. God gave them over to their own evil desires. If you read all those verses, you're going to conclude that's what God is. God is doing. The people have all kinds of evil desires and God is giving them over to their own evil desires. And the question that we ask is, why is God giving them over to their own evil desires. We have any parents in here.

Yeah. Does your kid ever ask you for something? And then you get tired of I'm not Vietnam. I tell him they can't have it and you give them so much of it. They don't want anymore. Have you ever done that?

That might be what's going on here. I met a guy years and years ago, he was a reprobate drunk, literally fall down, drunk in, the ditch, kind of reprobate drunk. And he said, one day. He fell down in the ditch. Laying there in. Whiskey spilled all over him, a broken whiskey bottle on the on the ground.

Any thought to himself? I never thought I'd go this low.

He said. I think God knew I needed to go that low in order to realize I needed him. And then he turned. and this was now when I was talking to him and upstanding Elder in the church, highly respected, Tyler revered, wonderful Bible scholar, but it took it turned, it took God turning him over to his it, to his own evil desires for him to to get it. The Reason God does this is so that one day, they'll consider themselves and repent all of the teaching today to this point has to do with this. You want meet? I'll give you meet. Why?

You'll eventually hate it. Maybe not. All of you will turn but some of you some of you will turn even if it's only people who are seeing what you're going through turn and you die. That's a good thing too.

No phone. Joel 2. So I'm reading before the Seder today and I can't not read it Joel to they Rush on the city, they run on the wall. Great is the army that carries out his word. You can see dancing going on. Even while I'm saying these words, beat the Lord, I heard his voice before his army, blow the trumpet in Zion, Zion. Sound the alarm on my Holy Mountain, blow the trumpet in, Zion sound the alarm. I believe the author this is is almost unknown Craig terndrup. I think you wrote it in the in the Vintage of 1983. Most of the verse, huh? Yeah. There. Many, many more famous recordings of this by lots of different people, and if you look this up, you'll find their names. But almost never, you'll find Craig terndrup is a pastor of a small to church, I think, but I got to believe he's the one that wrote throat, the diverse, and I'm sorry. Okay, so I moved forward to the stator. Blow the trumpet in Zion, this is one first before the Seder, sanctify fast, call an assembly, the the harvest word, gather harvest, the people consecrate the Assembly, symbol the elders, gather Harvest. Even the children, even those breastfeeding. Let the bridegroom come out for a private room and the bride from her canopy. I think they're actually in the same place. Between the colonnade in the ultra, let the priests the minister of Yahweh weep. Let the priests the minister of Yahweh, weep. Let them cry out to the Lord. Take pity you to evolve. Hey, hun. Your people do not make your inheritance of reproach a byword among the Nations. Why should they say among the nation's? Where is there? A God then you'd have off. He became jealous for his land and took pity on his people and you'd have loved. He answered and said to his people, look at me. I'm sending you new grain, new wine, new olive oil, and you will be satisfied by it. I love the harvest season. I'm really looking forward to eating a particular tomato. I love tomatoes on the, on the vine.

I will not give you over anymore as a disgrace among the Nations. LED is the Lexington English Bible in case you're curious, Matthew 12. Matthew Matthew, in other places. Jesus is being accused of casting out demons by Beelzebub full, Beelzebub is a Greek word, which is also a Hebrew word, which literally means, but all Lord. Lord of the Flies. literally,

Jesus knows he's talking about. Satan. So he corrects them kind of uses his spells, Satan. Actually, it's not necessarily a person. If the one who opposes expels one, who opposes Satan is the one who opposes who stands opposed to. His kingdom is divided if I cast off today, but if I can stalk Demons by God's spirit, his kingdom has come upon you. If God's spirit is active here, you're seeing the kingdom in action. One who's not, with me is against me one who doesn't gather with me scatters gather Harvest bring in the Harvest. Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven except blasphemy against the spirit words. Against the son of man will be forgiven. This blows my mind. But you can curse the son of man, you can say things against Jesus and it will be forgiven that blows my mind, but he said the words against the holy spirit will not be forgiven ever. In this world or the next and I've struggled with that a lot in my life and I think it means if you know the spirit is active and actually doing something and you lie about it and say, oh no that's not the spirit that's not going to be forgiven.

If you know the spirits active and you say it's not, I don't think that's going to be forgiven, that's my best understanding.

Foam, I decided I'd read from the lexham English. Septuagint version to call Delia stew and I'm just going to I'm just going to read it straight. It's so God of gods, the Lord spoken some of the Earth from the Easton until it's setting from Zion is the goodly appearance of his comeliness. God will come visibly

Not Invisible e Our God and he will not keep silent of fire will burn before him and around him is a violent storm. He will call the heavens above and the Earth to judge his people gather to him. His holy ones who established his Covenant by sacrifice and the heavens will declare his righteousness for God is Judge again. God is the one who gives judgement we read that earlier. Numbers, 12, and aram's spoke against Moses. And you gave up his anger kindled.

Miriam became leprous and Aaron confessed, their sins to Moses and Moses cried out to the Lord. What do you do when you're having a bad day? You cry out to the Lord. Like the young gentleman or I think it was a boy crying out earlier today. And Moses cried out to the Lord and he says, the shortest Prayer, in the Bible cording to some of my Jewish friends. Some of them will say this is three words Elmyra from griffinilla. Lord Heal her now, One time I was having a hard time I was Ill not with a infectious disease, but I was, I needed, I needed Medical Care and a good friend of mine. Jerry kotler prayed for me right there. He said, this is the shortest Prayer in the Bible, but it's very effective, Lord Heal him. You don't need a lot of words.

The idea that more words help. I don't think so. And Miriam was healed but she was shot outside the camp for 7 Days. Israel, didn't set out till Marion was restored to the camp.

so after all the anger and rebellion and confusion and complaining, At the end of all of it.

We've got a judgment, the gods made against Miriam. And we have a prayer for her healing.

Everything else pales.

What's the most important thing? This week? The confusion, the anger the Frustration, the judgments. The deaths. Know, the most important thing this week is Mercy.

so, if I had to give a title to this week's sermon, like I have already several times, I think this is a

I'll call for mercy.

The Lord. We pray for your leading, your guidance. Your words, your wisdom, your healing. We pray that you will help us to not complain. You'll help us to see what we need to see and not what we think. We see we pray that you will give us glasses to better appreciate the gift that you give us your presence. In our lives, your presence among this body. We pray that you'll help us to appreciate the need for Unity among the body of Christ. We pray that you will help us to come into

The point of calling out for your mercy calling out for your love, calling out for your peace. And as we depart from this place, we pray this on all those who are here today and all those who could not attend for one reason, or another. We ask this in Jesus name, amen.

Related Media

Related Sermons