The Spirit of Prophecy

In Numbers 11, the Israelites complained about their misfortunes and the Lord heard them. His anger was kindled and his fire burned the outer parts of the camp. The people cried out to Moses and he prayed and the fire died down. There were some foreigners travelling along with the Israelites, who had a strong craving for meat. This craving soon spread among God’s people and they started complaining. “We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic” (Numbers 11:5). They complained that they were now weak as all they had to eat was manna. The manna which they ate was like coriander seeds, which they grounded into wheat and made cakes. This fell at night for them to collect daily as food.

Moses heard the people’s complaints and knew that the Lord was also angry with them. He also had some concerns which he expressed to God. He asked God why he had laid the burden of all his people on him. He asked if he had given birth to them and asked where he would get meat to feed all of the people. “I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness”” (Numbers 11:14-15). Moses felt depressed from all the constant complaining and rebellion of the people. God instructed him to choose seventy elders from among the people. They were to come to the tent of meeting and stand with Moses.

God promised to come down to speak to Moses and take some of the spirit (anointing) that was on him and transfer it to the elders. They would help Moses to bear the burden of the people, so that he would not have to bear their burden alone. God also promised to give the people meat for a month, enough to eat until it would come out of their nostrils. This was because of their bitter complaining against God. When Moses brought the elders to the camp, the spirit of the Lord rested on them and they prophesied. Two of the men who remained in the camp, continued to prophesy after the other men left. “And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp” (Numbers 11:27). Joshua told Moses to stop the men from prophesying. Moses’s response to Joshua was that, he wished that all the people of God would prophesy and God’s spirit would be in them.

Moses was tired of carrying the burden of the people and being the main person who could hear from God. His desire was a good one, that everyone would have the spirit of God and could hear and understand him. Their constant complaining was due to their immaturity and lack of understanding of God. Moses felt that if they knew God and had his spirit within them, then they would know how to speak to God and would complain less. Saints, that spirit of God now lives in us through the Holy Spirit and we can hear God and communicate with him. ““And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions” (Joel 2:28). This same Holy Spirit power, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in us as God’s spirit has been poured out.

A.P.-Y.