Meaning of Numbers 11:28

This verse captures a moment of passionate zeal and nascent leadership from Joshua, Moses' trusted assistant. The Israelites have been grumbling and complaining, a recurring theme in their desert journey, and this time their discontent has escalated to the point where seventy elders, chosen by God to share Moses' burden, are empowered by the Spirit to prophesy. However, two men, Eldad and Medad, who were not present with the others at the Tent of Meeting, also receive this prophetic gift and begin prophesying among the camp. Joshua, witnessing this, perceives it as a potential disruption or even a challenge to Moses' authority and an uncontrolled outpouring of God's Spirit, prompting his urgent plea to Moses to "stop them." His concern stems from a desire to maintain order and uphold Moses' divinely appointed leadership.

Context and Background

The immediate context is the Israelites' journey through the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt. God, seeing Moses overwhelmed by the responsibility of leading such a vast and often rebellious people, instructed him to gather seventy elders. He was to bring them to the Tent of Meeting, where He would take some of the Spirit that rested on Moses and put it on them, so they could share the burden of leading the people (Numbers 11:16-17, 24-25). This divine empowerment was intended to facilitate governance and prevent Moses from being solely responsible. However, Eldad and Medad, though chosen, were absent from the appointed gathering. Despite this, the Spirit of God fell upon them, and they began to prophesy in the camp, an event that Joshua, still in his role as Moses' aide, found concerning.

Key Themes and Messages

• Zeal for Order and Authority: Joshua's reaction highlights a strong sense of duty and respect for Moses' established authority. He sees the prophesying of Eldad and Medad as a potential breach of protocol and a threat to the divinely ordained leadership structure.
• Divine Sovereignty and Unpredictability: The episode demonstrates that God's Spirit is not confined to prescribed locations or individuals. The Spirit can fall upon whomever God chooses, even those outside the immediate assembly, and manifest in ways that might surprise or even alarm human observers.
• Nascent Leadership: This incident marks an early display of Joshua's character. He is observant, concerned with the well-being and order of the community, and willing to speak up to his leader, albeit with a degree of youthful apprehension.
• Interpreting God's Actions: The differing perspectives of Joshua and Moses are instructive. Joshua sees a potential problem, while Moses, with greater spiritual maturity and insight, recognizes it as a divine affirmation.

Spiritual Significance and Application

Joshua's zeal, while understandable, reveals a human tendency to try and control or limit God's actions within our own frameworks of understanding. This verse can prompt reflection on how we perceive and react to the work of the Holy Spirit in others. Are we quick to judge or restrict manifestations of God's power that don't fit our expectations, or do we seek to understand and embrace God's broader purposes? It also underscores the importance of humility in leadership, as Moses, rather than being threatened, sees God's hand in the situation and uses it as a teaching moment.

Relation to the Broader Biblical Narrative

This event is a significant precursor to Joshua's later leadership of Israel. It showcases his dedication to Moses and his initial, though somewhat misguided, concern for the community's structure. More broadly, it fits into the recurring theme of God's Spirit empowering individuals for service and leadership throughout the Old Testament, paving the way for the more pervasive indwelling of the Spirit in the New Testament. The tension between established order and the Spirit's free movement is a constant dynamic within biblical history.

Analogies

One analogy for Joshua's reaction could be a junior officer in a military unit seeing a soldier from another platoon exhibiting unusual but effective tactics and immediately reporting it to their superior, fearing it might be insubordination or a breach of regulations. The superior officer, however, might recognize the effectiveness of the tactic and see it as a sign of independent initiative rather than defiance.

Another analogy is a student in a classroom noticing a classmate grasping a concept in a novel way that deviates from the teacher's explanation. The student might instinctively think, "That's not how we're supposed to do it!" while the teacher, observing, might see a spark of ingenuity and a deeper understanding emerging.

Relation to Other Verses

• Numbers 11:16-17, 24-25: This is the foundational passage for the selection and empowerment of the seventy elders, setting the stage for Eldad and Medad's experience.
• 1 Samuel 10:6: Similar to the empowerment of the elders, the Spirit of God also came upon Saul, leading him to prophesy, demonstrating God's sovereign choice in equipping individuals.
• John 3:8: Jesus speaks about the wind blowing wherever it pleases and the Spirit being like the wind, emphasizing the Spirit's freedom and unpredictability, which contrasts with Joshua's initial desire for control.
• 1 Corinthians 12: This chapter discusses the diversity of spiritual gifts and ministries within the church, highlighting that while there are different functions, it is the same Spirit at work, and all are for the common good, a principle that Moses affirms in his response to Joshua.
• Joshua 1:1-9: This passage describes God's commissioning of Joshua as Moses' successor, where God repeatedly assures Joshua of His presence and guidance, a testament to Joshua's growth in faith and understanding beyond this early incident.