1Moses tolerates the giving of the Spirit. The Lord provides seventy elders to assist Moses in meeting the needs of the people and gives his spirit to others than the seventy. The Israelites are in the wilderness and complain to Moses that they have only manna and no meat. Moses takes the complaint to God who orders Moses to bring seventy elders to the meeting place outside the camp. Some of Moses’ spirit was given to the elders and they began to prophesy. Two men, Eldad and Medad, were not invited to the meeting of the seventy. While in the camp, they received the Spirit and prophesied. Joshua was jealous for Moses and asked him to stop the two. Moses refused and wished that all of the people had the spirit and were prophets.
The “spirit” is the spirit of God. It did not originate on Pentecost, but the same spirit existed from the beginning. It operated at creation and spoke through Moses and the prophets. The spirit may come through human instrumentality. The spirit came out of Moses to the elders from Elijah to Elisha, from the church’s laying on of hands. Proclamation is allied with the spirit. When the spirit is possessed, there is preaching. 2
Especially in the book of Acts, as the spirit comes Luke remarks, “and they prophesied” which simply means the early disciples proclaimed the Gospel.
A prayer for steadfast faith—Almighty God, our heavenly Father, of Your tender love towards us sinners You have given us Your Son that, believing in Him we might have everlasting life. Continue to grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may remain steadfast in this faith to the end and come to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 3
Sources:
1. “The Crucifixion” Schnorr Von Carolsfeld woodcuts © WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use
2. Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series B, John Brokhoff © 1981 CSS Publishing, Lima, OH
3. Collect for a steadfast faith, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
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