THE COMMUNICATION OF A SPIRITUAL ENDOWMENT
The endowment of the elders for official duties was—
1. A Divine gift imparted by God himself (1 Corinthians 12:4-6; James 1:17).
2. Yet mediate, through Moses, who was the first to enjoy it, but was thankful to share it with men in sympathy with himself (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:21, 1 Corinthians 3:22; 1 Corinthians 4:6, 1 Corinthians 4:7).
3. A means of relief to Moses and of blessing to the people. The communication did not impoverish Moses, but enriched him. He was like a lamp from which seventy other lamps were lit. The communication of the gift. like mercy, was twice blessed—to him that gives and him that takes. It relieved Moses and enriched the elders, yet not for their own advantage, but as a means of discharging their new and solemn trust. All "gifts," however received, are to be looked on as talents and trusts. The law of the stewardship is found in Romans 12:3-8; 1 Peter 4:10, 1 Peter 4:11.
Learn—
1. The value of every spiritual gift. Men should not envy the possessor of it, but thank God for him, since the gift is communicable. If there had been no inspired Moses, there would have been no inspired elders. An Elisha is the heir of an Elijah (2 Kings 2:9, 2 Kings 2:10); a Timothy is the son of a Paul (2 Timothy 1:2, 2 Timothy 1:6).
2. The privilege of being the medium of communicating a spiritual gift (Romans 1:11; Philippians 1:6).
3. The importance of "coveting the best gifts" which God can bestow, without human intervention, through his beloved Son.—P.