You've gotta love Numbers Chapter 11! The people of Exodus were complaining again. Even Moses got irritated with having to deal with it again yet another time.
I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. Numbers 11:14
God did an amazing thing. He told Moses to gather 70 men and he gave them spirit.
And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, 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. Numbers 11:25
These men were set around the tabernacle. Two men, Eldad and Medad, however, were reported to have been prophesying outside in the camp. Imagine that! As human nature would have it a young man asked Moses to forbid them to do so! Moses had a great response:
And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. 29 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! Numbers 27-29
God's heart was to be able to talk to every believer. In this record we have a small porthole to see what would happen eventually on the Day of Pentecost that is recorded in the book of Acts. On that day 12 men spoke in tongues as evidence of the gift of holy spirit they received. But the day did not end with just the 12 receiving the gift of holy spirit:
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. Acts 2:38-41
God calls to us today to receive His gift. This gift should not lift our hearts above others as if we are specially endowed, or more spiritual than anyone else. It is a gift to lift others up to enjoy the same privileges and comfort in every recess of our inner heart.
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