ELDAD AND MEDAD

There is a story in the Book of Numbers describing Moses talking with the Lord concerning the burden of leading and supplying for the people. Moses says to the Lord, “I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me. So if you are going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in your sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness.” Hey, we’ve all had days like this.

So the Lord instructs Moses to gather seventy elders to help with the people. “Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him; and He took of the Spirit who was upon him (Moses) and placed him upon the seventy elders. And when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do it again.” All is going OK so far until Eldad and Medad, two men who were not chosen in the seventy, stayed in the camp and didn’t go to the tent as the others did, had “the Spirit rest on them as well.” They prophesied in the camp just like the others at the tent.

Young Joshua runs and tells Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” He says, “My lord Moses, stop them!” Moses replies to Joshua, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” It is Moses who is open to letting God be God. It is the younger Joshua who must learn that God does as God pleases. The Eldad’s and Medad’s of life always throw a wrench into our religious hearts.

“The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Jesus