#DailyDevotion The LORD Appoints Leaders For His People
Numbers 11:16, 24-29 16“Bring Me 70 elders of Israel whom you know to be elders,” the LORD told Moses, “and take them to the tent where I meet with you, and have them stand there with you…24Moses went out and told the people what the LORD had said, and he gathered 70 of the elders of the people and had them stand around the tent. 25Then the LORD came down in a cloud and talked to him. And He took of the Spirit Who was on him and put Him on the 70 elders, and as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they spoke God’s word; but they didn’t do it again. 26Two men had been left in the camp. The name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. They were among those listed but hadn’t come out to the tent. The Spirit rested on them too, and they spoke God’s word in the camp. 27Then a young man ran and told Moses: “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28So Joshua, Nun’s son, who from his youth was Moses’ assistant, spoke up. “My lord Moses,” he said, “stop them.” 29“Are you zealous for me?” Moses asked him. “I wish all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit on them.”
So in the midst of Moses wanting the LORD to end his misery because of the people of Israel and Israel being the rabble they were, griping, complaining, and grumbling, the LORD decides to give Moses some help. He was leading some three million people around the wilderness. Some of us can barely handle sixty people at a voters’ meeting. Now the LORD tells Moses to bring to him 70 elders of Israel whom he knows to be elders. He is going to consecrate them to help Moses lead this great people.
The LORD comes down in a cloud, talks with Moses and puts the Spirit he had given to Moses to lead on these elders. As soon as they received the Spirit they preached the word of the LORD to those around them as a witness to receiving the Spirit so the people would recognize them as those appointed and called by God to lead. Apparently, this manifestation was short lived as they did not do this again. Two of the seventy did not come up as they were ordered to do. Perhaps they didn’t want the job. Perhaps they were afraid of what the LORD was going to do, as they were recognized as leaders of Israel and they did nothing from stopping the people from being ungrateful for all the LORD had done for them. Sometimes the LORD showed his anger at those he called to the tent of meeting. In any case, he shows his call still stands when we do not answer by putting his Spirit on those two and they also prophesied.
Now Joshua was jealous for Moses because these two guys didn’t show up for their ordination and wanted Moses to stop them. Moses though recognized the LORD’s hand in this. Given that he wanted to die earlier, he says, “I wish all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit on them.”
Now the prophets were leaders of God’s people as pastors are today. All the Israelites were a holy priesthood who were to offer up their praise and thanksgiving to God and sacrifices through the Levitical priesthood. All Christians today are a holy royal priesthood, offering up their spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving with good works. The LORD through the Church calls men from among her midst to serve through preaching the Word purely and administering the sacraments according to his institution and command so his people is fed by them.
Heavenly Father, continually call forth men from your Church to preach, teach and administer the sacraments so we may be fed spiritually. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.