We are in chapter eighteen of Exodus with our word for today is actually a phrase. וְנָשְׂא֖וּ אִתָּֽךְ will bear with you. It is used 2 times in the Old Testament. Let’s look at both uses connected to Moses. Numbers 11:14-17 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—if I have found favor 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. Have 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. וְנָשְׂא֤וּ אִתְּךָ֙ They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone.
Exodus 18:22-26 And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, וְנָשְׂא֖וּ אִתָּֽךְ and they will bear the burden with you. If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.” So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. I find it interesting that God came up with this idea earlier of sharing the burden with other leaders by looking for and training other leaders. But Moses didn’t seem to remember this until Jethro shared it with him again in our chapter. We see God directing the apostles in the same way in the New Testament with the new church that was growing. Acts 6:1-4 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
The reason behind the need to spread out leadership was to make sure that there was a group focused on the word of God and prayer. This is what New Testament Elders are to focus on which is why God set them apart to serve in this way in the local church. I’ll close with this great wise saying that makes this concept in a succinct way. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
