Look to God and Live Lesson 15

The Power to Prophesy

An interesting juxtaposition is set up in Numbers 11 and 12 in regards to who has the power to prophesy.

Moses and the Seventy

In Numbers 11: 24-29, Moses calls seventy righteous men to help him minister to the Israelites. They immediately begin to prophesy in the tabernacle, but apparently two of them go into the camp and begin prophesying. When word reaches Moses, one of Moses' assistants is alarmed and asks Moses to forbid them. Moses replies, "Are you kidding? That's why I called them!" OK, not really, but close!

And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD'S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!

Miriam and Aaron 

However, at the beginning of Numbers 12, we find out that Miriam and Aaron are digging up ancient history about Moses' marriage to an Ethiopian woman when he was living in Pharaoh's court. (This was a politically expedient marriage that we don't know much about.) Then they say this:

Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us?

The Lord hears their "murmuring" and immediately strikes Miriam with a nasty case of leprosy. I'm not sure why Aaron didn't get it as well, but I digress. Moses begs the Lord to heal her, but  his answer is that she gets to be banished outside the camp for seven days, and only afterwards is she miraculously cured.

So what's the difference? In the one case, Moses wants everyone to prophesy, but in the other people are punished for saying that the Lord speaks through servants besides Moses.

I think this is a very instructive juxtaposition. First, there is a difference in attitude. In the case of the two Seventies, they are speaking by the power of the Holy Ghost.

and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.

Criticizing Our Leaders

However, Miriam and Aaron are being critical of Moses. They, being so close to him, are also questioning his sole authority as prophet. We don't know what else they were saying, but it doesn't take a long stretch of the imagination to consider that they were probably questioning some of his decisions. And wanting to impose their own.
Joseph Smith had the same issue: how to reconcile the fact that God does inspire many righteous people everywhere, but He only calls one man to serve as his official voice unto the church.
So the takeaway from these two stories is twofold:

1. We can gain inspiration that pertains to the sphere of our stewardship;
2. Don't criticize the prophet or you'll get a case of spiritual leprosy and find yourself outside the camp (i.e. the church).

I think it's also interesting that Moses is inspired to write about himself and in parentheses:

(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) 

In other words, "I, Moses did not ask for this calling. I know I am human, but I need your prayers and support, not your criticism."
When we perceive weaknesses or even see what we consider "mistakes" in those who serve us in the church, we would be wise to remember Elder Holland's advice and not hyperventilate about it. Except for Jesus Christ, God has always had to work through imperfect people. He deals with it and so should we.

Watch What You Ask For

The Israelites were being miraculously fed day by day with manna in the desert. I'm not sure what else they ate, but instead of asking Moses for some new manna recipes, they complained about missing their meat. In fact, the scriptures use the word "lust" to describe their desire to eat meat. Hmmm..
We know it was a huge trial for Moses, or maybe just the proverbial straw, because he asked the Lord to take his life.

I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.
And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

Instead, the Lord does what he always does: he strengthens Moses to be able to bear the load. He instructs Moses to call seventy righteous men to help him.
But back to the lusting after flesh to eat...
The Lord hears the Israelites' incessant cries for meat and he gives it to them.

19 Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days;
20 But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?

Ick. How graphic. The people are rejecting the Bread of Life and wanting more, complaining that the miracles they've seen are just not enough. 

Moses wonders how the Lord is going to do this, but soon finds out.

31 ¶And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.
32 And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.
33 And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague.

Not only did they get quail to eat, but they got a "great plague" with it. 

What does all this symbolize? 

Maybe we should be happy with what the Lord gives to us, the Bread of Life, instead of lusting after the world's "flesh."