together, as they probably were doing, in some far-off 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 law-giver, 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 Lord's 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. We believe that
outside all sacred places, outside the churches of our own faith and
order, and of any other churches, there are men, and women too, equally
called of God with those within such limits, and the evidence that they
are so called lies in the fact that in them also the Spirit of God is
resting, and through them the Spirit of God is working.

This lesson, which still needs to be enforced in our own day, is
perhaps best deduced from an incident so early and so simple as this.