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(Num. 11:26-29)!
I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me (Num. 11:14). Moses’ frustrated plea to God did not go unanswered. 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 (11:16). Sixty-eight of the chosen elders gathered at the Tabernacle as instructed by Moses, but two, for reasons we are not told, remained within the camp. And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him (Moses), 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 (11:25).
Whatever the reason for Eldad and Medad’s continued presence in the camp, it did not exclude them from receiving a portion of the spirit of the Lord. And the spirit rested upon them…and they prophesied in the camp. When word reached Joshua that these elders were prophesying outside of the boundaries established by Moses, He was troubled and immediately sought to shut them down. To Joshua, the fact they were prophesying without the direct authorization of Moses meant they were a threat to his leadership and to the stability of the Israelites’ established way of life.
Moses viewed the situation much differently. Instead of irritation or concern over the perceived lack of respect for his authority, he was thrilled to recognize the Spirit of the Lord in action. Moses knew that it was God’s authority, not his, that mattered and that God had chosen to impart His Spirit on the two men in the camp. He longed for the day when all of God’s people would be able to feel the presence of the Spirit in their lives. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit (Joel 2:27-29).
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity(Mark 9:38-40).
Thought for Today: The earthly authority God grants to others can sometimes be hard to understand or accept, but we can take peace in the knowledge that God’s authority reigns supreme over all.
Christ Revealed:The two trumpets were made of silver (Num. 10:2). Silver in the Bible stands for truth. Christ is The Way, The Truth, and The Life (John 14:6).
Word Studies:10:10 solemn days = appointed festivals; 10:14 standard = banner; 10:21 against they came = in anticipation of their arrival; 10:25 rereward = rear guard; 11:4 fell a lusting = had greedy desires; 11:6 is dried away = is dissatisfied
Pray For Government Officials:Rep. Jim Jordan (OH), Rep. Jake La Turner (KA), Rep. Suzan DelBene (WA) • Country: Serbia (7,209,764) Southeastern Europe • Major Language: Serbian • Restricted Religious Freedom • 84.6% Serbian Orthodox; 5% Catholic; 3% Muslim; 1% Protestant; 1.1% Atheist; 0.8% Other; 4.5% Undeclared/Unknown • Prayer Suggestion: Pray daily to your Father in heaven (Dan. 6:10).
Optional Reading Luke 4