Lives of Scripture

Eldad was one of the seventy elders of Israel whom Moses gathered at the LORD's command to share the burden of leading the people during the wilderness wandering (Numbers 11:16-17, 24-25). When the LORD took of the Spirit that was on Moses and put it on the seventy elders gathered at the tent of meeting, they prophesied. But Eldad and Medad had not gone out to the tent -- they had remained in the camp -- and the Spirit rested on them there anyway, and they prophesied among the people (11:26). A young man ran to report it to Moses: "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp" (11:27). Joshua, Moses' assistant, was troubled and urged him, "Moses, my lord, restrain them" (11:28). Moses' response has become one of Scripture's clearest statements about the Spirit's freedom and his own lack of jealousy for his unique authority: "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD's people were prophets, that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!" (11:29). Eldad's brief appearance, prophesying outside the expected setting, becomes the occasion for this larger, striking statement -- a leader who wanted God's Spirit poured out on everyone, not guarded as his own privilege.