Who Had The Holy Spirit In Sinai?

by Wayne Blank

The "seventy" were chosen from the elders (see also The Senate) of the tribes of Israel to assist Moses when he became overworked to the point that he couldn't cope with all of the people's demands upon him any further. The Lord gave them the Holy Spirit, the same as He had given to Moses: "I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone."

"I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them"

The seriousness of Moses' too-heavy workload was made evident when he asked The Lord to mercifully kill him rather than have him continue with the entire responsibility himself:

Mount Sinai

"I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. And if Thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray Thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in Thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness." (Numbers 11:14-15 KJV)

The Lord answered Moses' plea with the appointment of the seventy elders who would be given the Holy Spirit, the same as Moses:

"And The Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto The Tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee. And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone." (Numbers 11:16-17 KJV)

And so the seventy elders were established. When two of them, Eldad and Medad, seemed to be too zealous for the liking of those who were jealous for Moses' sake, the relieved-of-a-too-heavy-burden Moses assured them that all was well:

"And Moses went out, and told the people the words of The Lord, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the Tabernacle. And The Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease."
"But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the Spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the Tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp. And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp."
"And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them."
"And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all The Lord's people were prophets, and that The Lord would put His Spirit upon them! And Moses gat him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel." (Numbers 11:24-30 KJV)

Just before the people of Israel were formally given the Ten Commandments (God's people knew and observed The Decalogue long before that, in fact, always before that - see The Ten Commandments Before Sinai?) the seventy elders accompanied Moses, Aaron, Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu, and Joshua part way up onto Mount Sinai where all of them "saw God, and did eat and drink":

"And He said unto Moses, Come up unto The Lord, thou, and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off. And Moses alone shall come near The Lord: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him."
"Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under His feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel He laid not His hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink."
"And The Lord said unto Moses, Come up to Me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone [see also What Did The Ten Commandments Look Like?], and a Law, and Commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them. And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God." (Exodus 24:1-2,9-13 KJV)

Fact Finder: Did Jesus Christ appoint a "Seventy" (sometimes translated as seventy two) also?
Luke 10:1,17

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