Sharing the Load

OT Lesson: Numbers 11:4-30 (NIV)

The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, ‘If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!’

The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin. The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a hand-mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into loaves. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down.

Moses heard the people of every family wailing at the entrance to their tents. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. He asked the Lord, ‘Why have You brought this trouble on Your servant? What have I done to displease You that You put the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do You tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land You promised on oath to their ancestors? Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, “Give us meat to eat!” I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how You are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me right now—if I have found favour in Your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.’

The Lord said to Moses: ‘Bring Me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Make them come to the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them. They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone.

‘Tell the people: “Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you wailed, ‘If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!’ Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will eat it. You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it—because you have rejected the Lord, who is among you, and have wailed before Him, saying, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’”’

But Moses said, ‘Here I am among six hundred thousand men on foot, and You say, “I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!” Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?’

The Lord answered Moses, ‘Is the Lord’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.’

So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and made them stand round the tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and He took some of the power of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied—but did not do so again.

However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp. A young man ran and told Moses, ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.’

Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ assistant since youth, spoke up and said, ‘Moses, my lord, stop them!’

But Moses replied, ‘Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!’ Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

NT Lesson: Acts 6:1-7 (NRSV)

Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait at tables. Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.’ What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

Sermon

Introduction

Good morning. There is a saying that every winter has a transition period from magical to miserable, and that is called January. We’ve indeed been experiencing a harsh winter. The Weather Channel reports unusual weather patterns, with tropical states like Texas and Arkansas receiving eight to nine inches of snowfall. This is particularly perilous in the southern states, unaccustomed as they are to such snowy and freezing conditions. Ironically, the channel attributes this severe weather to global warming. The term ‘Global Warming’ usually conjures images of a warmer climate, but in reality, it has weakened the polar vortex, the jet stream that contains the North Pole’s cold air. Consequently, this weakened vortex allows frigid air to spill southwards. However, we finally have some good news: temperatures are climbing into double digits. It is forecasted to grow warmer, reaching the low 40s by Wednesday, albeit with rain. This is a welcome change from the single-digit or minus temperatures and heavy snowfall we had last week. Last Sunday, I made a last-minute decision to cancel the in-person worship service, switching to an online format instead. On the preceding Saturday, I was aware that many churches, both local and distant, had already cancelled their services. I was hesitant to follow suit, but my drive to church on Sunday morning made it clear that it was unsafe for our congregation to venture out in such treacherous weather. Thankfully, Neal skilfully compiled various worship elements into a single YouTube video, enabling us to safely and warmly worship God from our homes.

What Is an Elder

Earlier today, we installed Bruce into active service in the session for his first term of three years. Did you like the bulletin cover today? I requested an AI to create a picture for the elder ordination and installation, and what you see in the bulletin cover is the result. However, AI experiments are not always this successful. Once, I asked the AI to draw a picture of me preaching in church, and the image depicted me holding a beer bottle instead of the Bible. I have no idea why. Maybe the AI knows me too much. But the most amusing failure was when someone asked the AI to draw Jesus flipping over the table in the temple. Instead, the AI illustrated Jesus flipping himself over a table in the temple.

Anyway, what exactly is an elder? The English word ‘elder’ derives from the adjective ‘old,’ as one of its two comparative forms—older and elder. Essentially, an elder is a senior or, you might say, a seasoned citizen. In Hebrew, the word for elder is זָקֵן (zaken), meaning an old man. When God told Abraham at the age of one hundred that he would have a baby, the Bible describes Abraham and Sarah as זָקֵן—old1. Moving on to Greek, the word for elder is πρεσβύτερος. As you might guess, our denomination name—Presbyterian Church—stems from this word. If we were to translate the name of our church, the First Presbyterian Church in Lebanon, literally, it might be ‘the church of the oldest people in Lebanon.’ But don’t worry, our denomination’s name refers not to age but to the political system within the church hierarchy. Therefore, we’re better off sticking with ‘Presbyterian Church’ without translating it.

In the Bible and almost all ancient societies, the term ‘elder’ was not only about age but more about the political system. The elders in both Hebrew and Greek cultures were not merely old men; they were respected and powerful individuals who decided city policies and acted as judges in the justice system. We see remnants of these ancient cultures in today’s American political system. For instance, take the term ‘alderman.’ Are there aldermen in Lebanon? I know they exist in Chicago. Aldermen are elected members of the city council, functioning much like congressmen in their city, or you might say, as elders in the church session. The word ‘alderman’ obviously comes from combining ‘elder’ and ‘man.’ Another example is the senate. In our legislature, we have two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Comprising one hundred senators, two from each state, the Senate’s name derives from the Latin word ‘Senex,’ meaning elder. ‘Senex’ is also the root of the English word ‘Senior.’

Let’s consider a few biblical examples. In the Book of Ruth, when Boaz was to marry Ruth, marriage was not just between two people in love, as it is these days. In ancient times, it involved social and political matters between two families. In Boaz’s case, it particularly concerned the inheritance of real estate. In Ruth 4, Boaz went to the city gate—the office of the elders—met with them, and discussed this issue. Thus, the city’s elders had the power to approve or disapprove his marriage. The Book of Revelation mentions twenty-four elders sitting on thrones numerous times. Clearly, these elders were not kings, as a king is a monarch—‘mono’ meaning one. However, these elders are members of a group leadership. And our Presbyterian Church follows this tradition of group leadership.

Beginning of the Group Leadership in the OT

Now that we have a basic understanding of what an elder is, let’s delve into how this elder or Presbyterian system began in the Bible. The first instance is in today’s OT lesson—Numbers 11. But previously, Moses had appealed to God several times, expressing that his work was too burdensome to bear alone. In Exodus 18, Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, observed Moses single-handedly tackling the overwhelming task of settling disputes among the people. Jethro advised him to delegate responsibilities to capable and trustworthy individuals, thus establishing a hierarchy of leaders to assist in governing and decision-making. Nonetheless, Moses somehow led the Israelites by himself to this point in the wilderness, where God miraculously provided manna. This bread from heaven, described as white like coriander seed and tasting like wafers made with honey,2 was God’s provision for the hungry people. Yet, at this juncture, the people were discontent, demanding meat and challenging Moses—and by extension, God—with their cries of “Where is my steak?”

Moses, overwhelmed, appealed to God once more, admitting his inability to shoulder the burden alone. In response, God decided to share Moses’ burden with seventy other elders of Israel. God instructed Moses to bring these elders to the tent of meeting, also known as the tabernacle, where the Ark of the Covenant was housed. This tent of meeting or tabernacle is analogous to today’s church. So, akin to our earlier ceremony, God summoned these elected elders to the church for ordination and installation. During this event, God transferred a portion of the Holy Spirit, which was upon Moses, onto these newly appointed elders. This act established one of the core principles of the Presbyterian Church: pastors and elders possess equal authority. It is not a hierarchy with pastors above and elders as their servants; both pastors and elders share the same authority and the same Holy Spirit.

Empowered by the Holy Spirit, these elders began to prophesy, essentially preaching the word of the Lord in contemporary terms. The Bible clarifies that this prophesying was a one-time event, signifying that the primary role of elders is not to preach but to share in the governance and leadership burdens. The constitution of the Presbyterian Church USA clearly delineates that pastors and elders have the same authority but different roles. The official designation for elders is ‘Ruling Elders,’ and for pastors, it is ‘Minister of Word and Sacraments,’ or more informally, ‘Teaching Elders.’ Therefore, Bruce and I, though holding the same authority, have distinct responsibilities. Bruce’s role is to rule and lead the congregation, whereas mine is to preach.

An interesting aspect of this story is that there were two elders who, despite not being present at the church, also prophesied from their homes. This gives us two insights: firstly, an individual can be elected as an elder even if they are absent from the congregational meeting. So next year, if you don’t come to the congregational meeting, there is a high chance that you will become an elder. Secondly, even if you are at home during worship hours, for any reason such as inclement weather, the Holy Spirit continues to work within you. In-person worship is not the sole method of worshipping and serving our God.

Regarding the people who complained about wanting steak, their attitude initially angered me. It reminds me of an old Korean saying: ‘You rescue a drowning person, only to be sued later for their lost backpack.’ This situation mirrors that proverb perfectly. God provided manna freely to the famished people, yet they complained and demanded meat. When you do other people favours repeatedly, they begin to think it is their rights. In response, God granted them an abundance of quails for meat. However, the Bible states that while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the Lord burned against the people, and He struck them with a severe plague.3

Beginning of the Group Leadership in the New Testament

Today’s NT lesson bears similarities to the OT one. Here, we encounter some complaints, but thankfully God did not kill anyone this time. In this passage, the church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, elects seven individuals, including the well-known Stephen, to undertake tasks within the church other than preaching. The Bible does not specifically label these individuals as deacons or elders, leading to some ambiguity. It is conceivable that, at this early stage of the church, a clear distinction between elders and deacons had not yet been established. As the NT progresses, four distinct roles emerge in the church: apostles, elders, overseers, and deacons. However, at this nascent stage of the church’s development, the main division was between the apostles and others, without clear differentiation among the latter three roles.

In today’s NT lesson, we observe that the primary responsibility of the apostles is preaching, whereas the seven newly elected individuals are tasked with other church duties. These roles, while distinct, are both vital aspects of God’s work for His people. It is only through the collaborative effort of these roles that the church can truly glorify God and radiate the light of Christ to the world. This narrative underscores the importance of diverse roles within the church body, each contributing uniquely to the church’s mission and functioning.

Presbyterian Foundation from Calvin

Five hundred years ago, numerous individuals sought to reform the Catholic Church and eradicate its corruptions. However, they were excommunicated and expelled from the Church. Martin Luther initiated a church grounded in his own theological views, now known as the Lutheran Church. John Calvin himself did not establish a denomination, but his disciples travelled globally, founding various denominations, including the Presbyterian Churches, Reformed Churches, Congregational Churches, United Church of Christ, Reformed Baptists, and the Church of Scotland, among others. All these denominations are rooted in Calvin’s theology. They share a common principle: no single individual holds all the power. For instance, in the Presbyterian Churches, governance is by a group of elders, or ‘Presbyterians’ in Greek. According to the PCUSA constitution, pastors have authority only in deciding sermon topics and worship service music. Beyond preaching and singing, I possess no decision-making power in the church at all. Instead, the power resides with the group of elders, known as the session. While I moderate the session, I do not vote unless there is a tie. This structure stems from Calvin’s reasoning that the corruption in the Catholic Church was due to excessive power concentrated in one person, the Pope. Calvin advocated that a group, though not perfect, is far less likely to become corrupt compared to an individual. Thus, he believed in group leadership, echoing ancient Hebrew and Greek cultures.

The Congregationalists took this concept even further, asserting that the entire congregation, rather than a small group of session, should govern the church. However, as Presbyterians, our church policy is governed by elders elected by the congregation. There are numerous other aspects I would like to discuss, such as the Presbyterians’ contribution to the founding of the United States and the influence of Presbyterianism on the formation of federal and state governments. I plan to delve into these topics when there’s an opportunity, but not today. By now, you might feel like hostages in my sermon, so I will spare you further details for the time being.

Conclusion

In this way, the structure and hierarchy of the Presbyterian Church are grounded in Scripture and inspired by the Holy Spirit, through the reformation efforts of John Calvin and John Knox. I’m not suggesting that the Presbyterian polity and system are flawless. Nothing human, even if inspired by God, is perfect. However, this Presbyterian model of group leadership is quite effective. We work collaboratively for the glory of God within this framework, sharing the load and burden together. All the elders in the session are elected by us, and at the same time, they are chosen by God to be leaders of this church, sharing the responsibilities and challenges with me. Just as the elders in the session share in God’s work with me, so too should all congregation members share the load and burden of the elders in God’s love. This way, we can glorify God as one body of Christ, whether we are at church or at home, whether engaged in work or in relaxation. Then, just as proclaimed in today’s NT reading, ‘the word of God will continue to spread; the number of the disciples will increase greatly in this church.’ Amen.