“25 Then the Lord descended in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the Spirit that was on Moses and placed the Spirit on the 70 elders. As the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they never did it again. 26 Two men had remained in the camp, one named Eldad and the other Medad; the Spirit rested on them — they were among those listed, but had not gone out to the tent — and they prophesied in the camp. 27 A young man ran and reported to Moses, Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.
28 Joshua son of Nun, assistant to Moses since his youth, responded, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”
29 But Moses asked him, “Are you jealous on my account? If only all the Lords people were prophets and the Lord would place His Spirit on them!” 30 Then Moses returned to the camp along with the elders of Israel.”
Numbers 11:25-30
—

Moses was unique in God’s workings. There is no equivalent among the leaders of men or Israel like him. His relationship with God, the situations he led the people through, and the trials that he faced for the sake of God are astonishing. But even Moses knew that the arrangement they lived in under God at those times could be better. He looked forward to a relationship for the people that would rival his own relationship with God, and even more so. He didn’t see His position as something so cheap as to be grasped at and hoarded, as if he could pile up accolades for himself. Instead, he wanted for the people of Israel what he had with God, this intimate, deep relationship, where the Holy Spirit of God would flow through, not just him, but all God’s people. And this is precisely what has happened under the new covenant in Christ.

When Jesus told His disciples that they would be better off with the Spirit, the Comforter/Counselor, they probably had a difficult time believing this. They liked seeing Jesus, eating next to Jesus, hearing His voice in their ears, and having His hand placed on their shoulder. He was tangible. That is a calling back to Eden, and we all long for that relationship with God again. But Jesus wasn’t just sending them platitudes here, they would actually be better off with the Holy Spirit. God wouldn’t just be next to them, like the people experienced in the desert with God’s pillar of fire and cloud guiding them, but like Moses, they would experience God’s indwelling presence on a daily basis. And this is no small thing. This is mystery, that the infinite God of the Universe would deign to place Himself in us, to move through us, and to see His will accomplished directly in us, is an unfathomable mystery. This is what Moses wanted, this is why he had no problem with Eldad and Medad prophesying in the camp. It’s not that they were elders of the people that made this acceptable, it is the fact that God was obviously at work through them that made it acceptable. Moses had no need to feel jealous because God was at work in someone else. He desired that above all else.

What would stop the complaining in the camp? What would stop the incessant troubles and arguments? That God would indwell His people, and that they would be willing to be led by Him to accomplish His good will and His good purposeses. That the Holy Spirit would fill them all and have His way in the camp and in their homes and hearts. That God would not just dwell among His people, but in His people…that would thrill Moses to no end, and so he looked forward to that time.

And in Christ, we have that indwelling of the Holy Spirit to GoLove as God has commanded and commissioned us to do. It is up to us to listen and answer that call, it will not be forced, but it is such a marvelous thing, I don’t know why anyone would want to miss out on it.