“Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” (Numbers 11:29)
These words were spoken by Moses during the 40 years that the Israelites wandered in the wilderness. He said them perhaps with a mixture of joy and frustration for the context of the verse speaks of one of the many times the chosen people complained against Moses and the Lord. In this case they complained about food even though the Lord had provided then manna which met all their needs. They complained about that too for they craved more than what God had given. Their sensual appetites were stronger than their desire to serve and obey the Lord. The Lord was angered by their lack of trust but He gave them what they wanted, much to their regret, for it was more of a punishment than a feast.
Thus Moses was very upset and complained about the difficulties he had leading these selfish, immature, and stubborn people. The Lord provided him with help by placing the anointing of His Spirit upon the elders. This made Moses glad. His response indicated that he wished the Lord would anoint all the people with the Holy Spirit for then this would take the burden off of him. If they all had the Spirit of God, they would stop troubling him with petty questions and complaints, for then each person would have direct fellowship with the Lord, know His will, trust in it, and have the desire and strength to carry it out.
Centuries later the Lord did pour out His Spirit, first on His disciples, and then on all who had faith in Jesus. The Holy Spirit was not given as a temporary gift as in the wilderness, but on a permanent basis starting on the Day of Pentecost. Therefore we who are the church can stop complaining about what the Lord is doing, how He is directing our lives. Even though we feel great fear, doubt, and anxiety in the midst of the chaos of everyday life, we who believe can take comfort and strength in the presence of the Holy Spirit in us. The people in the world do not know or have the Holy Spirit so they flounder around and create havoc and unhappiness for others as well as themselves. They have the same fear and anxiety as we do but they do not know how to resolve their problems. They try to find comfort and meaning by fulfilling the desires of the flesh as did the ancient Israelites. We who have faith in Jesus can boldly persevere in these days of chaos and violence for we are given great blessings and wisdom through our union with Him. Therefore we have joy in the midst of tribulation as we keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus and trust in Him to keep us safe unto eternal life.