Commentary on Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29

Numbers 11 invites the reader to reflect on leadership during extreme circumstances. Sound familiar?

As always, when looking at the lectionary verse selections, responsible exegetes will read the surrounding material for important context. The first 10 chapters of the book of Numbers mark the end of the Hebrews’ stay at the foot of Mt. Sinai. The people literally receive their marching orders in chapter 10 and depart on the second stage of their wandering through the desert.

Not long after embarking, they begin complaining and God smites them with fire (11:1). Moses, once again, intercedes on behalf of the people, just as he had done when the worship of the golden calf enraged God in Exodus 32–34. The fires die down (11:2), but this little episode reiterates the precariousness of Moses’ leadership. He is caught between a complaining people and a God prone to wrath. As their intermediary, Moses is both a part of the people and above them—ordained by God, but beneath God. In short, this is both a lonely and a dangerous position, and the rest of the chapter illustrates the burden Moses’ office places upon his shoulders.

The lectionary text first highlights what the New Revised Standard Version translates as “the rabble” (ha’asapsup) complaining about the lack of meat in their diet as they wander through the desert (11:4). The term translated “rabble” only occurs here in the Hebrew Bible and is probably related to the Hebrew root ’sp, which has connotations of gathering together, adding to, or assembling. Some traditions associate the ha’asapsup with the non-Israelites added to the camp in Exodus 12:38, though neither the term nor the verbal root is found in this verse.

Dennis Olson points out a rabbinic tradition that ties this group to the fringe movement also associated with the rebellion in verses 1–3. He suggests that the protests of the fringe movement begin on the outskirts of camp and spread toward its center.¹ This group pines for their days in Egypt, recalling the abundance of “free” fish, fruit, and vegetables that sustained them while they were enslaved. Even their complaint, however, carries with it an indictment of God’s providence: “There is nothing at all but this manna to look at” (verse 6). Verses 7–9 remind the reader of what manna was, evoking the first providence of food in the desert in Exodus 16.

The lectionary verses return our focus to the character of Moses, caught between a weeping people and an angry God. Moses turns to the lament tradition and asks God why God set the burden of leadership upon him. Like Elijah, Jonah, and Job, Moses resorts to the extreme language of a death wish at the conclusion of his protest: “If this is the way you are going to treat me, put me to death at once—if I have found favor in your sight—and do not let me see my misery” (verse 15).²

God heeds Moses’ cry here and offers a solution that involves Moses gathering 70 elders to the tent of meeting. Afterward, God addresses the people, returning to a wrathful and sardonic tone, and gives them so much meat that they would be sick of it (verses 20–23). Verses 24–25 illustrate God’s concession to Moses, to allow 70 elders to prophesy, sharing the burden of leadership, at least for a time.

The reading concludes with two men not among the 70 at the tent who began to prophesy among the people, Eldad and Medad. When word reaches Moses, his protégé, Joshua, suggests that Moses stop them. Moses offers a humble response: “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD’s people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit on them” (verse 29).

Numbers 11 offers us multiple angles from which to read. Our tendency might be to read from the perspective of or to empathize with Moses, especially if we are pastoral or civic leaders ourselves. The danger in this might be that we caricature the people of Israel and, by analogy, those whom we lead too quickly as “rabble” with insignificant complaints. To guard against this, we might read from the perspective of the people and empathize with their plight as former slaves who are now wandering in the desert with a quite limited diet. Or if we read this text from the perspective of Joshua, we might recognize his idolatry of strong centralized leadership as a mirror to our own culture.

The date for this lectionary text is in the midst of national and international conversations about leadership. Those preaching this text from within the United States context will be facing the cacophonous crescendo leading to the end of a national election cycle. Internationally, we are in a global election super-cycle with over 50 nations holding elections in 2024.³ Many of us have heard people we may hastily label “rabble” from every point on the political spectrum raising their outcry about issues, some trivial and others consequential.

In the midst of these cries is the refrain of a call for strong leadership. Perhaps reflecting on this text may help us rethink what strong leadership might encompass. Perhaps this text might cause us to abandon the idea that strength comes from a single individual and take a cue from Moses, recognizing that the leadership of many might be preferable to the authoritarianism of one. What would it mean for us in this global election cycle to echo Moses’ sentiment and pray that all our leaders might receive a portion of God’s spirit?

Notes

1. Dennis T. Olson, Numbers. Interpretation (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1996), 64.
2. See 1 Kings 19:4, Jonah 4:8, and Job 3:11. See my commentary on the lectionary reading for August 11, 2024, on Elijah’s suicidal language:  https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-19-2/commentary-on-1-kings-194-8-7.
3. Jill Lawless, “Over 50 Countries Go to the Polls in 2024. The Year Will Test Even the Most Robust Democracies,” Associated Press. January 10, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/global-elections-2024-preview-cb77b0940964c5c95a9affc8ebb6f0b7?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share.