, ll.b. numbers xi. 2430. nothing is known of these two men beyond the incident recorded in the book of numbers; but this is so remarkable and significant, that it well repays careful study. the israelites had been once more displaying suspicion and ingratitude. turning with loathing from the manna, they whimpered, like spoilt children, for the fish and flesh they had enjoyed in egypt, and murmured against god and against moses.the patience of their leader, under this new provocation, completely broke down, so that he went so far as to accuse god himself of being a hard taskmaster, who had laid too much upon him.with infinite forbearance, allowance was made for the manner in which divine counsel and help had been asked for, and the promise was graciously fulfilled, _cast thy burden upon the lord, and he shall sustain thee.he will never suffer the righteous to be moved_.god dealt with his servant as a father at his best will deal with his child who runs to him, hurt and bruised, in a passion of tears.instead of beginning with an angry rebuke, help and relief are first given, and then in a few calm words the needed counsel is proffered.it was in a spirit of patient love that god appointed elders from among the people to help his overwrought servant and share his heavy burden. moses was, no doubt, justified in saying, _i am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me_.indeed it was well for him, as it is for us all, to feel the need there is for human sympathy and divine aid.selfcontained, selfreliant men are not the highest type of humanity, and they are sometimes for their own good visited by anxieties and responsibilities which compel them to cry, _lord help me_.thus was it with moses.indeed, our lord himself shared that experience, when for our sakes he became man.he chose comrades who were a blessing to himself, although he was a far greater blessing to them.he took them with him when he went forth to confront the crises of his lifeon the mount of transfiguration, and in the garden of gethsemane, where his sorrow was intensified by their failure to watch with him.he had three specially intimate friends.he called twelve to be apostles, and sent forth seventy as missionersan arrangement in which we see the new testament counterpart of the choosing of these seventytwo elders, to rule and judge the israelites, and thus share the responsibility of moses. the account given us of their appointment is singularly interesting. six men out of each of the twelve tribes were summoned to the tabernacle, solemnly set apart and filled with the spiritbut two of the meneldad and medadwere absent _they were of them written to_ is the exact phraseand the fact that they received a written summons denotes a higher and more general culture among that ancient people than is generally imagined to have existed.yet it is what might be reasonably expected, for they had come out of egypt, the most civilised power then in the world, a country where the usual writing materials were exclusively made.though the israelites had been only slaves there, they would doubtless be familiar with the art of writing, for the men of that race have never yet lagged behind any people among whom they have lived. seventy of the men thus summoned came together promptly, and were ranged in a semicircle before the tabernacle.then, in the sight of all the people, the cloud descended, wrapped them all in impenetrable mist, as a sign that the chosen men were being mysteriously baptised with the spirit, and when again they emerged they began to prophesy. it was the ancient counterpart of the day of pentecost, when the disciples met, and the spirit came upon them as a mighty, rushing wind, and they began to speak with other tongues, as men chosen and inspired by god. in the 25th verse of the eleventh chapter of numbers, it is said that _the lord took of the spirit that was upon moses, and gave it unto the seventy elders_.some conclude from this statement that, as a punishment for his intemperate prayer, the wisdom of moses was thus lessened, while others were enriched at his expense.but wisdom, and all gifts similar to it, are not diminished by distribution.if we impart information, we do not lessen our own store of knowledge.if we give of our love lavishly, yet affection is not lessened by such outpouring.the spread of fire over what is inflammable increases its intensity.though we light a thousand candles from one which burned alone at first, it still burns brightly as before.so is it with the spirit of whose fulness we all receive.no christian man is poorer because his brother is enriched with grace, nor was moses._there is that scattereth, and yet increaseth_. it is time that we turned to the two men, eldad and medad, who, although summoned with their brethren, did not come to the assembly at the tabernacle.they may have been absent from their tents when the papyrus letter was delivered, and would not be quickly found in the vast camp.be this as it may, what followed is evidence that they did not wilfully disobey the summons, and that their absence was not due to any bad motive.for some reason unknown to us they failed to put in an appearance at the critical time, when others of the elect were receiving the mysterious but efficient grace of the spirit.yet, at one and the same moment, they also were inspired while walking together, as they probably were doing, in some faroff part of the camp.to the amazement of the people, and doubtless to their own amazement too, they suddenly began to prophesy, and crowds of listeners quickly gathered round them, as on pentecost they ran together to hear the inspired apostles.this unique experience was given by god, and received by the people as convincing evidence that eldad and medad were divinely appointed, and divinely qualified, equally with their brethren nearer the tabernacle.it is true that joshua exhibited some jealousy and suspicion, and would have silenced them because the blessing had not come through moses; but the great lawgiver, with characteristic insight and generosity, would not heed the request_my lord moses, forbid them_.calmly, yet decisively, the answer rang out, _enviest thou for my sake?would god that all the lords people were prophets, and that the lord would put his spirit upon them_! in the experience of these two men there is imbedded valuable and permanent truth.we regard it as an evidence, the more remarkable because given under a ceremonial regime, that god did not intend to institute any order of men outside the limits of which there was to be no liberty of prophesying and no fitness for it.nor is there any exclusively sacred place, be it tabernacle, temple, synagogue, or church, where alone such gifts can be conferred