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Numbers 11 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Moses needed help, and God responded. The Lord commanded the gathering of 70 men from the elders of Israel, and Moses began assembling his team. The word elder means “aged” or “old.” Hebrew tradition stated that an elder had to be a man who was at least 50 years old. For this reason, it was assumed that this man was a mature individual who was wise and trusted. In the OT, elders could serve as judges, advisors, and officials.
After the men are presented to God, the Holy Spirit comes upon them and they begin to prophesy. This simply means they praised and worshiped God. However, there were two men who were not around the tent who were also overcome by the Spirit. Eldad and Medad were back at the camp prophesying in the Spirit. Joshua questioned Moses about this fearing that they would bring division.
Then Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ helper since he was a young man, spoke up and said to Moses, “Stop them, sir!” [29] Moses answered, “Are you concerned about my interests? I wish that the LORD would give his spirit to all his people and make all of them shout like prophets!”
Numbers 11:28-29 GNB
Moses looked ahead to a day when all the Lord’s people would have the Holy Spirit upon them. Amazingly, though he probably didn’t know it, he was speaking of our current generation. This may have seemed like a far-off dream at this point in Israel’s history, but God had a plan. It’s incredible to consider that Moses spoke so clearly of the New Covenant under Jesus Christ.
The individuals we choose to lead our congregations and ministries must exemplify a humble, Spirit-led life. There was a reason that God set these 70 apart and then filled them with His Spirit. They could not function with authority in the roles they were given unless this gifting came upon them.
The second point to consider is that sometimes the Spirit leads in ways that are unexpected. When this happens, we must not rush to conclusions but fall back on the hearts of the individuals. Moses knew these two men who were prophesying and understood that their hearts were not divisive. So, even though it looked a little chaotic and strange at the time, Moses did not jump to conclusions. He gave the benefit of the doubt to these two that he knew were solid men, and trusted that God was in control.