I just did a Google Image search for godly leadership and also spirit-filled leadership. There were lots of images dealing with Nehemiah (Okay, I am committed to staying sanctified during this post, so I will not comment about what that says about how we read the OT).

I saw just one image from Numbers.

But, if you happen to preach through Numbers you’ll enjoy arriving at chapter 11, a great place to see how God provides Spirit-filled leadership for His people.

You could consider preaching Numbers 11:11-17 and 21-30 with this in mind:

“He will bring us into this land”: And He Will Provide Spirit-Filled Leadership.

Remember, the first part of that title is taken from Numbers 14:8 and serves as a summary of the book’s theology. The second part comes from the Lord’s instruction to Moses concerning getting him much needed help in leading God’s people through the wilderness to the Promised Land.

The heavy burden of leadership is in vv. 11-15. It’s too much for Moses to carry alone.

The Lord’s solution is in vv. 16-17 and 24-25. The Lord already has in place the right amount of leadership for spiritual success. The key is the Lord’s statement about taking some of Moses’s Spirit and putting it on others.

Finally, there are two crises of leadership in vv. 21-23 (the work seems too great and our faith in the Lord is too small) and in vv. 26-30 (the Spirit rests on two seemingly “unauthorized” men).

In v. 29 Moses announces: “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”

And, if you know the rest of the Story, and believe in interpreting Numbers in the context of the whole Canon of Scripture, then you know Moses’s wish came true at Pentecost. And this provides a wonderful opportunity to talk about how the Spirit has gifted all your listeners so they can do their part and God can receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal