What Does God Require of You? - Deuteronomy 10:12-20

God is all-powerful and to Him belongs the whole universe, yet He determined in His heart to love us. He is completely righteous and just and He cares for those in unfortunate circumstances. God's character and nature being what it is places certain requirements on us as His created beings. But God doesn't make us comply or demand it from us--God wants us to do these things willingly: What does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good? (vs 12-13). So five things God requires of you: 1) acknowledge and respect God as your Creator, 2) let Him guide you through life, 3) love Him, 4) accomplish the plans and purposes He has for you, and 5) follow the guidelines He has written down (in the Bible) for godly living. It's really not all that much for an awesome and mighty God to ask from you, and yet it will take you a lifetime to complete.

The Purpose of Life - Ecclesiastes 12:13

"Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." This statement is the final conclusion to all the observations of life that the Preacher has considered and discussed in Ecclesiastes. He sums up all that he has noted by concluding that the whole purpose of human beings, what makes them happy and fulfilled, and what they were created for, is to have faith in God and live their lives in the way He has commanded, which would be an expression of their faith in Him. When we read and study the Bible and live our lives accordingly, we are fulfilling the purpose for which God has created us.

The Source of Our Sucess - Deuteronomy 8:18

"You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day."  Moses is preaching to Israel and preparing them to enter the promised land. He reminds them of all that God has miraculously done in bringing them out of Egyptian slavery and during their wilderness wanderings over the last forty years. When they get settled in the promised land and begin to live comfortable lives, Moses reminds them not to forget Who is the real source of their well-being. He tells them: "Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth" (vs. 17). When we commit our way to the Lord, then He begins to prepare the way for us, just as He did with the Israelites in their wilderness wanderings. When we commit our way to the Lord, He gives us the ability to be successful in all that we do, when we are doing it for Him. We should always recognize His hand at work in our lives and know that He is working for our own good. The credit for God's blessings belong to the Lord, not ourselves. When we do His work, then He gives us the ability.

Whatever You Are Be a Good One - Ecclesiastes 9:9-10

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might..." There is no better advice available anywhere for anything than this counsel. Whatever you do in life, do it with gusto, do it with enthusiasm! The reason is that whatever you find to do in your life, consider it what God has apportioned you to do (vs. 9). So, if what you do is God's plan and purpose for you, then naturally you should find enjoyment and satisfaction in it. We often think that our lives would be far better if we could do something else, had a different job, a different marriage, lived in a different town. However, God's plan for you is what you are doing right now. So you should be happy about it, and you should do the best job of it you can because you are doing it for God and according to His will! I like Abraham Lincoln's version of the message of this verse: "Whatever you are, be a good one."

Take Care How You Hear- Luke 8:9-18

Jesus just told the parable of the sower and was explaining to His disciples what the parable meant. He told them to "take care then how you hear" (vs. 18a), indicating that the results of hearing God's word takes different forms with different hearers as demonstrated by the four kinds of believers and unbelievers described in the parable of the sower. Some of those who seem to believe lose it because it does not take root in their lives (vs. 13) or is choked out by the cares of the world (vs. 14) and they think they have something that they do not really have (vs. 18b). In God's economy, however, "to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away" (vs. 18b). So the rewards and responsibilities of the unfaithful believers are given to faithful believers--those who hear the word, hold it fast, and bear fruit (vs. 15). God blesses our obedience and initiative by giving us more and greater responsibility in His Kingdom, which is just good business because His heavenly resources are distributed to those who are most productive for His Kingdom.

What Makes a Great Nation? - Deuteronomy 4:6-8

As Israel gathered itself on the east side of the Jordan River to enter the promised land, Moses delivered an exhortation to persuade and convince the people of Israel to go ahead and enter the land. Moses exhorted the people of Israel to learn the statutes delivered to him by God and to teach them to their children and their children's children. By  keeping God's commandments other nations will respect Israel and Israel's God because of its "wise and understanding people" (vs. 6). Moses then identified two characteristics that could make Israel a great nation in the eyes of other nations: 1) recognizing that God is near and can be called upon at any and all times (vs. 7), and 2) demonstrating God's righteousness by obeying His commands (vs. 8). If these characteristics made Israel great in ancient times, then wouldn't an America that calls on God to guide it and expresses God's righteousness by recognizing and abiding by God's commands be great in the eyes of the nations of the world today?

Submitting to a Higher Authority - Luke 7:1-10

Once when Jesus came to Capernaum the Roman military leader in the district sent some of the Jewish elders to ask Jesus to come to his home and heal a beloved servant who was sick. The Jewish leaders requested Jesus to go because the military leader was sympathetic toward the Jews. The Roman military leader apparently had second thoughts about Jesus coming to his home, so he sent other friends to tell Jesus not to come to his house to prevent Jesus from breaking Jewish law by associating with Gentiles. He still wanted Jesus to heal his servant, however, and asked his friends to convey the message that Jesus could merely speak the word and the servant would be healed: For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."(Luke 7:8). The Roman military leader recognized that the source of his own authority and that of Jesus’ authority was a higher power. To exercise authority, one must be under an authority--submitted to the will of the higher power. Just as the Roman military leader was submitted to the authority of the Roman emperor and received his authority from the emperor, he recognized that God's Son was submitted to the authority of God the Father and received His authority from God to perform this miracle. The Roman military leader recognized that Jesus was endowed with the power of God and so he didn't place any restrictions on how or where Jesus should heal his servant. Jesus provides us with an example of divine submission to God. If Jesus Christ, the Son of God, completely submitted Himself to the authority of God the Father, how much more should we?

Extreme Makeover - Luke 6:27-36

Jesus tells His disciples to love their enemies, do good and pray for those who hate and mistreat them, and give without expecting anything in return, even if someone is stealing from them. Seems pretty radical doesn't it? But Jesus expects extraordinary behavior from the citizens of His Kingdom because it is really quite ordinary behavior to love those who already love you, do good to those who do good to you, or to lend money to those you know will pay you back—even sinners do these things (vs. 32-24). Jesus is not satisfied with His followers merely loving one another—He wants an extreme makeover. Jesus expects a higher standard of behavior from His disciples. If not, then God's people are really no different from anybody else, are they?

Religion or Relationship - Luke 6:1-11

Once while Jesus and His disciples were going through the grainfields on the Sabbath, some of His disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain. Some Pharisees considered plucking grain on the Sabbath as forbidden work and challenged Jesus on the matter. The penalty for profaning the Sabbath was death (Exodus 31:14), so this was a pretty serious charge made against Jesus' disciples by the Pharisees. Jesus defended the actions of His disciples by telling the Pharisees that He (the Son of Man) was lord of the Sabbath (vs. 5). In Mark's record of this incident Jesus tells the Pharisees that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27).  On another occasion when Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath, He healed a man with a withered hand much to the chagrin of the Pharisees. This time Jesus defended His action by asking if it was wrong to do a good deed or to save someone's life on the Sabbath. So does God ask us to reject our humanity in order to serve Him? That's the point that Jesus tries to make to the Pharisees in each of these Sabbath controversies. Sometimes in our zeal to serve God we don't see the forest for the trees. What's more important, knowing the rules of our religion or knowing God? Don't choose religion over a relationship with Jesus.

God's Dwelling Place - Numbers 35:34

"You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the LORD dwell in the midst of the people of Israel." God explained to the Israelites how to handle punishment for someone who murders another person. If one person intentionally killed another person, then it is murder and the murderer should be executed by the relatives of the victim. If one person accidentally killed another person, then he could escape to a city of refuge where he would be safe from the avengers until he could present his case in court. So God was warning the Israelites that since He was dwelling among them He didn't want the land defiled by murders and vengeance. In the unfolding plan of God, He  was raising up a nation of people and dwelling among them in a tabernacle and ultimately in a temple. The sacrificial system and sequence of religious holidays and feasts were the way God appointed to recognize and practice His presence among them as a nation. All this was a step toward the time when God would dwell in the individual and collective hearts of his people by the Holy Spirit. How privileged we are to enjoy and participate in the abundant life God gives us in these last days. Heavenly Father, let me be aware of and walk in your presence each day.

Being Led by the Spirit: The Example of Jesus - Luke 3:21-4:14

Jesus set the example of being filled and being led by the Spirit. When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on Him (Luke 3:22).  When Jesus fasted for forty days before beginning His ministry, He was full of the Holy Spirit after His baptism and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to fast (Luke 4:1). Then, when Jesus completed His forty-day fast, He returned to Galilee and began His Galilean ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:14). Every endeavor Jesus undertook in His life and ministry, He yielded to the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit empowered Him. If Jesus, the Son of God, as a man was Spirit-filled, Spirit-directed, and Spirit-enabled, how much more should we be?

The Purpose of Christ's Coming - Luke 4:31-44

Jesus went  around to the synagogues in Galilee and read and taught the scriptures. Apparently, He developed quite a reputation for His teaching because it was with authority (vs. 32). He explained that the purpose of His ministry was to proclaim the good news that the Kingdom of God has broken into this present age and will continue throughout eternity. However, when you read all the gospels, it is clear that the purpose of Jesus ministry was multi-faceted. By His own testimony His incarnation, earthly ministry, and subsequent death and resurrection included at a minimum at least four major accomplishments:

1. At its most fundamental level, the purpose of Christ’s coming was to execute judgment against Satan and sever his dominion over this world
2. Christ was the fulfillment of a plan of salvation engendered by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for the rescue and recovery of the human race.
3. Jesus preached and taught about the future eternal Kingdom and inaugurated His Kingdom on earth as a present and future kingdom (vs. 43).
4. Jesus revealed God’s nature and personality and His love for humanity. In fact, knowing Jesus is the best way to know Who God is.

Resisting Temptation Repeatedly - Luke 4:1-13

Jesus was tempted by the devil during and after He had been in the wilderness for forty days fasting and prior to His public ministry. The devil probably reasoned that an opportune time to tempt the Son of God was when He was in a weakened physical state (Jesus had eaten nothing for forty days--vs. 2.) While much has been taught and preached and written about the meaning of each of the temptations, suffice it to say that Jesus was really tempted by the devil at least three times (maybe more during the 40 days) and that the temptations were really enticing to Jesus. After Jesus had resisted each of the temptations described in this story, Luke notes that the devil "departed from him until an opportune time." We learned in a previous post that the way to overcome temptation is simply to resist the devil and that's exactly what Jesus did here. However, one-time resistance is not the end of the temptation story. Although you may win the battle over a certain temptation, that doesn't mean you have won the war. The devil may depart from you today but he will be back tomorrow looking for an opportunity to tempt you again. James said to submit yourself to God and resist the devil and the devil will flee from you (James 4:7). We might add, "and do it repeatedly!"

The Good News and the Bad News - Luke 3:15-20

The good news preached by John the Baptist was always tempered with what some might consider "bad news." While John preached the good news that God was sending a Savior, the Messiah, to redeem His people, he also told people to stop their bad behavior (Luke 3:7-14) and he reproved Herod, the ruler over Galilee, for all the evil things he had done (vs. 19). Basically, to receive the good news and be baptized by John required a change in behavior. To those reluctant to change their ways or who liked their evil lifestyle, as did Herod, John's message was a good news/bad news scenario. The "good news" was that you have a Savior, Jesus Christ, who can redeem you from sin and for eternal life, but the "bad news" was that when He does it will change your behavior because "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Luke 3:16).

Going to Church in the Spirit - Luke 2:22-38

Joseph and Mary took the baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. According to Jewish law the firstborn belonged to God for priestly service (Exodus 13:2, 12, 15). This law was to be a constant reminder of God’s deliverance of Israel’s firstborn when Egypt’s firstborn perished. Since the tribe of Levi was chosen to be priests, other firstborn males could be redeemed from priestly service with five shekels (Numbers 18:16). It is likely that Jesus was not redeemed, so legally he belonged to God for priestly service. Now there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon to whom God had revealed that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. On the occasion of the consecration of the baby Jesus to the Lord, Simeon "came in the Spirit into the temple" (vs. 27) and he heard from God and recognized the baby as the Messiah. When you come to church "in the Spirit," meaning lead by the Spirit of God, it is much easier to hear from God and recognize and join Him in what He is doing in your life and in the lives of others.

It's A Boy! It's the Messiah! - Luke 2:8-20

The Heavenly Father must have been overjoyed at the birth of His Son just as any human father would be. A new father wants to tell somebody about the great event. Imagine a proud new father excitedly telling his friends and even people he doesn't know, "It's a boy!" or "It's a girl!" The Heavenly Father must have been overjoyed at the birth of His son and so He sent angels to announce the birth of His Son. But the Father sent His messengers not to kings or governors or religious leaders but to lowly shepherds in fields watching over their flocks of sheep. The greatest event ever to take place in the history of Earth and God tells shepherds! The Incarnation demonstrates the humility of God: God became human and the Son of God was born in a barn with a feed trough for a crib and the event is announced by angels to shepherds! But the lowly shepherds then became the proud messengers and excitedly spread the word about the newborn Savior around the countryside telling people: "It's a Boy! It's the Messiah!"

The Qualifications for Anointed Leadership - Numbers 27:12-23

In this passage Joshua is selected by God as Moses' successor. Moses said that the qualifications for his successor should be someone "who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd." For Moses the qualifications for leadership over Israel were (1) to guide Israel wherever they may go; (2) to lead by example, and (3) to have a plan to accomplish God's will for Israel. God wanted His leader to be filled with the Holy Spirit: "So the Lord said to Moses, 'Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit...'" (vs. 18). When Joshua was selected to succeed Moses, these qualifications invested Joshua with the authority to lead Israel so that upon Joshua's command or word the people of Israel would move forward, stop, or come back (vs. 21).

Nothing Is Impossible with God - Luke 1:37

"For nothing will be impossible with God." These are the words spoken by the angel, Gabriel after he told Mary that she was going to become pregnant by a miracle of God and that her relative, Elizabeth, was also pregnant in her old age. Gabriel essentially proclaims God's omnipotence with this statement. Since God is all-powerful, then nothing can be impossible for Him. If God can cause two very  unlikely births to occur: one by a virgin and one by an old woman, then all the things that seem impossible to us are possible for God. God can make things happen that are beyond a scientific explanation. Because God is omnipotent, He makes the impossible possible!

Victory Belongs to the Lord - Proverbs 21:31

"The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord." The proverb depicts a battlefield with a cavalry waging war against an enemy. Although a cavalry prepares for battle, it is only the Lord that gives victory in battle. We should be prepared each day to go forth into our lives doing battle to do good and to live righteously. When we do all this in the name of the Lord, then our successes in life will happen because we first serve the Lord and He then makes us successful.

How to Stay Saved - Jude 20-21

"But you, beloved building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life." The main point in these verses is "keep yourselves in the love of God." There are two things you should do to help you keep your salvation according to Jude:

1. Build yourself up in the faith. God promises to keep and preserve the faith of His people, but we have to work as partners with God by energizing on own faith (typically, through Bible study, fellowship with believers, and worship of God).
2. Praying in the Holy Spirit. Pray with the leading of the Holy Spirit and in harmony with God rather than for what you want for yourself.

When you do these two things then you will persevere until the time that Jesus returns and your body is resurrected to eternal life.

Don't Blame Your Problems on God! - Proverbs 19:3

When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord." Sound familiar? When things go bad or don't go as we planned, we tend to blame it on God. We don't think about our problems being the result of our own bad decisions or misguided actions or desires. When things go wrong, we want to blame our problems on God. But God doesn't cause our problems nor does He lead us in the wrong way. We go the wrong way because we don't ask God which way we should go. Before you go the wrong way, ask God which way to go and then obey Him and your heart, instead of raging against the Lord, will rejoice in the Lord.!

How to Get Close to God - James 4:7-8

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you." These verses provide a concise, three-step formula for getting close to God:

1. Submit to God. This admonition means present yourself to God by yielding or surrendering your will to His will. In doing so you accept His will for your life so that you want to do whatever He plans for you. In much the same way that an enemy would surrender by laying his sword down before a conqueror, we yield our will to God's will.
2. Resist the devil. The resistance in this step is the opposite of the submission in Step 1. Surrender to God but put up resistance to the devil. In a recent post we discussed the origin of temptation and concluded that it is our own evil desires that tempt us and not God and not always the devil (James 1:13-15). However, when the devil does tempt us, all we have to do for the devil leave us alone is refuse to give in to him. Thus, a simple act of a God-submitted will demobilizes the devil. 
3. Draw near to God. When we surrender to God and resist the devil, then we are set free to approach God and come nearer to Him. And when we approach God, He reciprocates--God comes near to us!

It seems to be a simple formula, doesn't it? But here's the hitch. It's not a one-time event. To get close to God you must apply these steps continually--that means every day. When we begin to apply this formula to our lives continually, then we will begin to understand what Jesus was teaching us in Luke 9:23 when He said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."

It's God's Way or the Highway - Numbers 20:10-13

In this story the Israelites rebel against Moses and Aaron because there is no water in the wilderness where they have been led. Moses and Aaron seek God and God tells them to assemble all Israel and in front of them command water to come out of a rock. This story is similar to the one in Exodus 17 except in the Exodus story Moses is told by God to strike the rock with his staff while in this story God tells Moses to command the rock to yield its waters. Unfortunately, Moses becomes angry with the people because of their rebellion and he strikes the rock with his staff twice. Although the rock yielded its water, God banned Moses and Aaron from entering the promised land because of their unbelief and subsequent failure to represent God as holy to Israel. Moses and Aaron should have been exemplary in their obedience to God, but on this occasion allowed their anger toward the people (and possibly toward God) to deflect their obedience to God's command. Obedience to God is an all-or-nothing proposition. God demands total adherence to His commands--you can't mostly obey God, you must completely obey God.

Make God Your Boss - Proverbs 16:3

"Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established." For most of us, the job we do to earn a living may seem far removed from serving God and advancing His Kingdom. This proverb tells us how to reconcile the incompatibility of working at your job with serving God. Commit the work that you do to the Lord, and then God will develop the plan and purpose for your life. That doesn't mean you have to be a missionary in a third-world nation to serve Him. It probably means that you will keep doing what you are doing now, but then your job--and for that matter, all that you do--will begin to take on a new meaning. Here's the reason why: When you commit your work to the Lord, then He becomes your boss--you work for God no matter what your job is. And when you work for God, then what you do as a job or profession has eternal significance because God establishes it as part of His plan for your eternal life.

What Causes Temptation? - James 1:13-15

Sometimes when we make a mistake and sin, we attribute the cause for the evil that we do to God--God is causing this trial to build our faith. Some may even flippantly say that "the devil made me do it." In these verses James explains what causes temptation and what are the terrible consequences of yielding to temptation.  First, James clearly states that God cannot be tempted with evil nor does God tempt anyone (vs. 13) because He is unreservedly good and would never entice human beings to sin. James says that temptation occurs when we are beguiled and enticed by our own evil desires. At first the desire for something may not seem so evil, but when it lures us away from our place of shelter in the Lord it works just like the bait that lures fish to take the hook. The terrible consequences of evil desire is sin and death. James says that desire gives birth to sin and sin gives birth to death. So sin is the child of evil desire and death is its grandchild! When we recognize that it is our own evil desires that tempt us (not God and not always the devil), then we are empowered NOT to yield to the temptation.

The Day of the Lord - II Peter 3:8-10

There is a day of reckoning known as "the day of the Lord" (vs. 10) coming for planet Earth and all who live here. As long as the present period of history persists, then there is an opportunity for people to turn to God in faith. It is only because of God extending His patience towards humanity that He does not bring the present age to a close. God's desire is that no one should perish and that all should have the opportunity to repent and be saved. Because God can do the work of a thousand years in one day, the delay of "the day of the Lord" should not be considered as slackness or slowness by God. Rather it is God's nature to always fulfill His promises, but to God the days pass by neither more slowly nor more quickly than befits His economy.

What Controls You? - II Peter 2:19-20

"For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first." Peter speaks here of false teachers who "bring in destructive heresies" (II Peter 2:1) and the people they lead astray with these detrimental teachings. If you succumb to these false teachings or their teacher, then you are a slave to whatever is controlling you. So the point Peter is making is that if after Jesus Christ has set you free from the sin that had you enslaved, then you do not want to again become enslaved again by other sin. Once you have signed on with Jesus, it is a total commitment, a lifetime commitment. So what controls you? If Jesus is your Master, then you cannot have another master. Either Jesus is your Master or something else is, but not both! You don't have the option to try out Jesus for awhile and see if you like Him. Once you become His follower and His Spirit indwells you and if you become entangled in the sins of this world again, then the last state of your soul is worse off than if you never knew Jesus. Matthew Henry says, "A state of apostacy is worse than a state of ignorance." The Hebrews writer says this is so because when you received the gift of the Holy Spirit and thus shared in the goodness and power of God and then turn away or fall away, it is like crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace (Hebrews 6:4-6).

How Not To Be Ineffective - II Peter 1:5-8

Peter explains that Christians can live lives that are ineffective and unproductive for the Kingdom of God unless they make an effort to increase their knowledge of Jesus Christ. You grow and develop your knowledge of Jesus so that you can become like Him and participate fully in His divine nature (II Peter 5:4). Peter describes the process of becoming fruitful, productive Christians as a character-building process where one quality supplements the other: Faith <-- Virtue <-- Knowledge <--Self-Control <-- Steadfastness <-- Godliness <-- Brotherly Affection <--Love. Thus, possessing these qualities in increasing measure will keep you from being an ineffective or unproductive Christian.

How To Conquer Evil - I Peter 5:8-9

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith..." It is important in your walk with God that you are aware of the presence of evil in this world. Just as the God we serve is a personal God (meaning He wants us to have a personal, intimate relationship with Him), so the evil that is in this world attempts to obstruct or destroy your faith in personal ways. Peter says that the devil is like a roaring lion that pursues you with the purpose of devouring or destroying your faith. However, you avoid his evil influence and the trouble and strife the devil tries to bring into your life not by running from him but by confronting him. Be vigilant; be on the lookout for danger and recognize when the devil attempts to cause you to fall. By faith stand against him, oppose him, resist him. By faith you have the power to conquer the devil's attempts to ruin your faith. You do it by simply resisting him!

It's Hard to Be Humble - Numbers 12:3

"Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth." Being the humblest person on earth is not a character trait we usually associate with Moses. In fact, we usually don't associate humility with effective leadership. But Moses was so humble that it emboldened even his brother and sister to talk against him (Numbers 12:1-2). When Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses marrying a Cushite woman, God Himself defended Moses to them. God told them that unlike prophets, to whom God speaks in visions and dreams, He speaks to Moses face to face and allows Moses to see His form (Numbers 12:6-8). It would seem that because Moses was so humble God was able to speak to him directly and because of his great humility God was able to make Moses a great leader.

Empowered to Witness - Numbers 11:16-30

God told Moses to select seventy elders to help him judge and lead the people of Israel: "And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them..." (Numbers 11:17). Moses gathered the elders and placed them around the tabernacle and God poured out His Spirit on them and they prophesied. Two of the elders were not present at the tabernacle when the Spirit was poured out on the elders and yet the two also received the Spirit and prophesied while they were still in the camp. A young man saw them and told Joshua, Moses' assistant, about the two elders prophesying in the camp. Joshua asked Moses to make them stop  prophesying because they were not with the others at the tabernacle at the time they received the Spirit. Moses said to Joshua, "Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them" (Numbers 11:29). God has done the every thing for which Moses wished. Today, God pours out His Spirit on all believers and empowers them to proclaim His gospel "in the camp"--that is, wherever they live.