Would that the Lord might bestow his spirit on them all!” This is the response Moses gave to Joshua, according to today’s first reading from the Book of Numbers. Joshua had reported to Moses that two of the men had begun to prophesy in the camp – an act which Joshua interpreted as challenging the singular authority of Moses.
People have long recognized that the books of the Old Testament have different styles. Usually they are put in one of three categories: historical books, like the books of Genesis and Exodus, which present a narrative story; prophetic books, like Isaiah and Jeremiah, which record the teaching of the prophets; and the wisdom books, like Proverbs and the book of Wisdom, which contain instructions on how one should live.