“So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied.” (Numbers 11:24-25)
The book of Numbers records the 40 year wanderings of the Israelites in the wilderness. Herein are contained the multiple complaints the chosen people made against Moses and the Lord. Chapter 11 records the response of their Lords to their complaints about food. He provided then manna which met all their needs and yet they complained about that as well. The people craved more than what God had given. Their sensual appetites were stronger than their desire to serve the Lord. They wanted meat. The Lord was angered by this lack of trust so He decided to punish them by giving them what they demanded, ad nauseam.
Moses was also very upset. He found it nearly impossible to lead a group of people who were selfish, immature, and stubborn. The Lord provided him with help by placing the anointing of His Spirit upon the elders. Moses was glad about this. His response indicated that he wished the Lord would anoint all the people with the Holy Spirit. This would mean that they would stop troubling him with petty questions and complaints. With the anointing of the Holy Spirit, each person would have direct fellowship with the Lord, know His will, trust in it, and have the strength to carry it out. This the Lord would do centuries later at Pentecost and on a permanent basis. We who believe should always be mindful of the blessings we are granted through this union with Him by and through the Holy Spirit.