Numbers 11:25, commentary and pictures

The event belongs to God's leading of Israel out of Egyptian bondage through the wilderness to prove them, with His promise to be their God and to take them as His peculiar treasure. He did not prohibit meat but withheld it in great measure, while freely giving the healthy food He had designed for them, raining their bread from heaven and giving the purest water out of the flinty rock, and covenanting to put no disease upon them if they obeyed Him in all things. That manna from heaven was angels' food, yet it did not satisfy them, for they longed for flesh meat and murmured against Moses and against God and wished themselves back in Egypt where they could sit by the flesh pots. Then in anger at their lustful appetite He granted their request and gave that vast multitude quails in abundance, and He did not work a miracle to preserve life but sent plague upon them, so that great numbers, thousands, died in the act of eating while the flesh and the curse were yet between their teeth.

Moses told the Lord that he was unable to bear the burden of the people alone, so God directed him to choose seventy of the elders to help him. Those seventy were the most influential men in Israel who had already assisted Moses, and their office was to aid him in leading the host to the promised land. The Lord came down in a cloud and took of the Spirit that was upon Moses and gave it to the seventy elders gathered around the tabernacle, and when the Spirit rested upon them they prophesied and did not cease. What was given was the Spirit of counsel and the same Spirit that was upon Moses, honoring them with a nearer view of the glory surrounding His exalted majesty, lifting part of Moses' burden and making them safe counsellors who could help him in his responsible work and act with wisdom with His fear and glory continually before them.

This resting of the prophetic gift upon them prepared them for their work and publicly honored and confirmed them as divinely chosen to share and unite their authority with Moses' authority in governing Israel, to help in his responsible work, to assist in subduing the people's murmurings during the wilderness sojourn, to lift part of his burden, and to ease his task. Their prophesying with wisdom and fluent speech showed that God's power was upon them and established the people's confidence in them as a sign of God's choice, and their prophecy foretold Christ's work and mission. The same gift came upon Eldad and Medad even though they had not gathered at the tabernacle, showing the Spirit's work was not confined to that gathering, and Moses welcomed the prospect that all the Lord's people might receive the Spirit and prophesy.

That others prophesied while Moses remained leader does not mean everyone receives the gift of prophecy to the same extent, that God speaks to each person only for that person's own benefit, or that every prophecy is published. Aaron and Miriam were jealous because they had not been consulted about choosing the seventy and had not become reconciled to Moses so readily receiving the counsel of Jethro his father-in-law, fearing Jethro had more influence over Moses than they had, and having never themselves felt Moses' responsibility and burdens they saw no real necessity for the seventy's help. God chose Moses and put His Spirit upon him, so to complain against Moses as God's chosen servant is irreverence not only toward Moses but toward God who chose him, and the murmurings of Miriam and Aaron stand as a rebuke to all who yield to jealousy and complain against those upon whom God lays the burden of His work. The account shows God is displeased when people let appetite control them, to the point that Israel would at times prefer slavery and even death rather than be deprived of meat. The judgment for transgression shows that temperance in eating and drinking and health reform matter for ministers and brethren and give clearer minds to discern what does and does not affect the salvation of the soul.