JESUS CHRIST and HOLY SPIRIT in Numbers
Hebrew Names of GOD in Numbers
EL
EL-ELYON
JESUS CHRIST in Numbers
Jesus Christ is pictured in Numbers as the Provider. The apostle Paul writes concerning Christ that He was the spiritual Rock that followed the Israelites through the wilderness and gave them spiritual drink (1 Cor. 10:4). The rock that gave water occurs twice in the story of the wilderness (ch. 20; Ex. 17). Paul emphasizes the provision of Christ for the needs of His people whom He has delivered from bondage.
The messianic figure of Israel’s King is prophesied by Balaam in 24:17. Jesus Christ is the Messiah, according to the uniform witness of the New Testament, and the true King about whom Balaam speaks.
HOLY SPIRIT in Numbers
The Holy Spirit is spoken of directly in chapter 11. There the Spirit is depicted as performing two functions: anointing for leadership and inspiring prophecy. In verse 16 Moses is asking the Lord for help in his leadership duties. The response is that Yahweh will take the Spirit that is upon Moses (identified in v. 29 as the Lord’s Spirit) and pass it to his leaders. Even a leader like Moses was unable to do everything and needed Spirit-gifted leadership in the performance of his task.
When the Spirit is given to the elders, He causes prophesying (v. 25). Only the appointed seventy elders prophesy. When Joshua complains that two of the elders in the camp are also prophesying, Moses expresses the longing that all God’s people would also receive His Spirit and prophesy. This hope of Moses is picked up in Joel 2:28–32 and is ultimately fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:16–21) when the Spirit was poured out and made available to all.