The people have murmured against the Lord. They are angry toward Him and toward Moses right now. They miss the foods they had in Egypt, so much so that they wailed, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?" In their second year free of slavery, it's easy to look back on the past with rose-colored glasses. We all have a tendency to do this. When living a godly life gets tough, it's easy to think back on the days when we lived in the slavery of sin and remember those times as being better than they were. When we lived according to the flesh we didn't struggle against temptation. We didn't have to deal with people making fun of our faith. We satisfied our every craving whenever we could. While the Israelites and the mixed multitude with them lived in Egypt, they were supplied with plenty of food every day in great variety. They ate it under the yoke of slavery, but right now with their mouths craving something other than manna, the unlimited menu of Egypt makes their mouths water so much that they wonder why they ever thought life in Egypt was so bad. Time and distance have a way of editing human memories, especially when we mistakenly begin to believe that our old lives were easier than our new lives in the Lord.
The Lord told Moses in yesterday's text that He was going to send a thirty day supply of meat. Moses questioned how such a thing could be accomplished for so many people in the wilderness---for over six thousand able-bodied men of military age along with women and children and elderly people. "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.'" (Numbers 11:23) The Lord answers a question with a question by saying, "Is anything too hard for Me?" Then He follows up that question by saying, "Just watch Me!"
We were told earlier in Numbers that Moses receives his instructions from the Lord by going into the tabernacle and inquiring of Him and by having the Lord's voice answer him from between the cherubim on top of the ark of the covenant. Moses now emerges from the tabernacle to give the people the news. "So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around 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." (Numbers 11:24-25) The Lord keeps His promise to anoint seventy men to help Moses carry the burden of leading such a large group to the promised land. When the Holy Spirit falls on them, all seventy of them prophesy on this one occasion. We don't know what these men said but their sudden ability to prophesy serves as proof to them, to Moses, and to the entire community that the Lord has chosen and equipped them to work alongside Moses. Their ability to prophesy serves as their credentials.
The power of the Holy Spirit is so strong on these men that the power spills over on a couple of other Israelite elders. "However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied to the camp." (Numbers 11:26) When we live in close relationship to the Lord and allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit, the love and joy and wisdom and power of the Lord flow out from us onto those around us. People can't help noticing there's something different about us. Some of them can't help wanting this type of victorious living for themselves and they are drawn to the Lord after observing how much He has changed our lives and our attitudes.
One young man in the camp takes offense to the prophesying of Eldad and Medad. Just as there are people who will be drawn to the Lord by observing the effect He has on us, there are people who will be offended by the effect He has on us. "A young man ran and told Moses, 'Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.'" (Numbers 11:27) This unnamed young man is tattling on the two elders (who may have been twin brothers, judging by the similarity of their rhyming names), believing they don't have the authority to be speaking out since they weren't among the men at the tent. Upon hearing this, Joshua, the man who will be Moses' successor, also feels these two men have presumptuously taken too much upon themselves and he indignantly urges Moses to tell the men to cease and desist. "Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' aide since youth, spoke up and said, 'Moses, my lord, stop them!'" (Numbers 11:28) I can't help hearing Joshua's words in the same tone that Peter often used with the Lord Jesus. The outspoken Peter liked to take on a bossy, almost fatherly tone with Jesus. Sometimes Peter appeared to be trying to give the Lord orders, but although it was inappropriate for him to speak to the Lord in this manner, he believed he was being protective of the Lord. Joshua is trying to be protective of Moses, as we'll see below.
"But Moses replied, 'Are you jealous for my sake?'" (Numbers 11:29a) Joshua feels Eldad and Medad are trying to infringe upon the authority of Moses. These two men were not at the tent when the Holy Spirit fell on the seventy elders the Lord appointed to assist Moses in the work; therefore Joshua thinks they are trying to draw attention to themselves and trying to draw followers to themselves by putting on a show of being under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Joshua is indignant for Moses' sake when he orders Moses to put a stop to this situation. Moses feels differently and his attitude is commendable. He says, "I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit on them!" (Numbers 11:29b) Moses says, "Don't be jealous for my sake, Joshua. I'm not jealous. I wish every person here was filled and overflowing with the Holy Spirit!" Imagine how much easier Moses' job would be if every person submitted themselves to the Lord's authority and allowed themselves to be led by the Spirit! Imagine how much rejoicing would be in the camp continually! No one would be thinking fondly of the past; everyone would be shouting the praises of God as they looked forward to the beautiful land and the beautiful future He has in store for them.
I imagine every good church pastor feels the same way as Moses and would join him in saying, "Jealous? I'm not jealous of anyone in my congregation who is filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. I wish everyone here was filled with the Holy Spirit! This flock would be so easy to lead if every member were being led by the Holy Spirit continually."
Moses doesn't interfere with the prophesying of Eldad and Medad. "Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp." (Numbers 11:30) He and the seventy elders return to their tents to prepare themselves for what's going to happen tomorrow. Tomorrow the Lord is going to rain down quail on the camp---so many quail that they will lie about three feet deep on the ground. Things will then take a very somber turn as we conclude Chapter 11.
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