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What does it take to know someone? Well, in order to know someone, you must spend time with them. In time, you learn about their likes and their dislikes. You learn about their character. The more time you spend with someone, the more you know about them. To explore this, let’s look at a brief encounter between Moses and Joshua recorded in Numbers 11. Let me share some of what happened that led up to the encounter between these two individuals.

The Israelites were complaining, yet again, and Moses was displeased with them. He was also frustrated with the burden of having to meet their needs. Moses cried out, and in some ways, he actually complained to the Lord. God instructed Moses to select seventy elders from among the Israelites. Moses was to bring them to the Tabernacle of Meeting so that they could stand with him, before the Lord, to be empowered to help carry the burden of leading the Israelites. Moses did as God instructed. Numbers 11:25 states: Then the Lord came down in a cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again (NKJV). The Spirit rested upon all seventy elders, even two elders who were not with Moses when the Lord came down in the cloud. Now for the encounter between Moses and Joshua.

Numbers 11:27-28 states: And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them” (ESV).

Joshua had been serving Moses from the time that he (Joshua) was young. He had spent time with Moses. It could be said that Joshua’s reaction could have been coming from a place of wanting to protect Moses from having his ministry undermined by Eldad and Medad. However, did Joshua really think that Moses would be threatened by Eldad and Medad’s actions? The response from Moses is in Numbers 11:29. It states in part: Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!” (NKJV). While Joshua wanted the two men to be stopped, Moses was desirous of a greater outpouring of God’s Spirit. This shows that Joshua still had more to learn about Moses.

From my experience, it is so easy to become comfortable with my spiritual growth. To come to a place of thinking that I do not need to continue pursuing to know God, perhaps because I can recite scriptures from memory or because I serve in ministry. To be thinking that, because of what I know of God, makes me equipped to live and do God’s work without further growing in Him.

As believers, we cannot fall into the trap of thinking that we know everything about God. Growing is a continual process. Growing in the knowledge of God requires that we continue to seek God daily. As Jeremiah 29:13 says: You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart (ESV). The more you spend time with God, the more you know God. The more you know God, the more you can be transformed by God. The more you are transformed by God, the more you grow into greater heights of Christlikeness. This is what pleases the Lord and brings Him glory.

In this moment, ask yourself: Am I still growing in the knowledge of God?

If your answer is no, I urge you to make a change today. Now is the time to get back to spending quality time with God. Now is the time to get back to sitting in God’s presence. Now is the time to get back to growing in the knowledge of God. As Colossians 1:10 states: so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God (ESV).

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Except where indicated, scripture references are from the American Standard Version (ASV), Darby Translation (DARBY), or King’s James Version (KJV) – all public domain.