seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Numbers 27:12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain in the Abarim Range and see the land I have given the Israelites. 13 After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, 14 for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy before their eyes.” (These were the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.)
15 Moses said to the Lord, 16 “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community 17 to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
18 So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership,[a] and lay your hand on him. 19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. 20 Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. 21 He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.”
22 Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. 23 Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord instructed through Moses.
15 Moses said to the Lord, 16 “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community 17 to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
18 So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership,[a] and lay your hand on him. 19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. 20 Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. 21 He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.”
22 Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. 23 Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord instructed through Moses.
a. Numbers 27:18 Or the Spirit
I've been using the easy English commentary....
God allowed Moses to see the Promised Land. But already God had said that Moses would never enter it (Numbers 20:12). God reminded Moses why he would not enter the Promised Land. It was because Moses had not obeyed God at Meribah. So like the rest of his generation, Moses would die before he could enter the Promised Land. Deuteronomy chapter 34 records Moses’ death after he had seen the Promised Land from the top of the mountain.
Moses did not argue with God. Instead, he asked God to choose a new leader for the Israelites. He knew that the *sraelites would have to fight the people in the country called Canaan. They needed a strong and powerful leader. But also they needed a leader who would look after them.
‘Then your people will not be like sheep who have no shepherd.’ In the Old Testament, often the writers compared leaders with shepherds. This was because shepherds led their sheep. They guided them. They provided everything that their sheep needed. Also, they protected them from their enemies. A leader had to do all of this for his people.
God chose Joshua to lead the Israelites after Moses’ death. Joshua was very suitable for this task. He had been Moses’ assistant for a long period of time (Numbers 11:28). He had already led the Israelites in a battle (Exodus 17:9-13). Also, already he had been into the country called Canaan with 11 other men (Numbers 11:26-30). Joshua and Caleb were the only two men of Moses’ generation whom God would allow to enter the Promised Land.
God told Moses to put his hand on Joshua in front of Eleazar and all the people. This was the custom to show that Joshua was their new leader.
Joshua would not have the same authority as Moses. There would not be another leader who would be like Moses (Deuteronomy 34:9-12). The people had to obey and to respect Joshua. However, he was not the same type of leader as Moses. When Moses wanted to ask God a question, he went to God’s Tent. There, Moses spoke to God and God answered him. Joshua would not be able to speak to God like this.
Instead, Joshua had to receive God’s instructions by means of Eleazar the priest. Eleazar would not speak to God either. Instead, he would use the object called the Urim. The priest would use this object with another object called the Thummim. We are not sure what these objects were. We do not know how the priest used them. But the words ‘Urim and Thummim’ mean ‘perfect lights’. So probably, they were two precious stones. And the priest used them to ask God about an important decision. In this way, God would guide Joshua about military decisions, too. Joshua would need this help as he prepared to fight the Israelites’ enemies in the Promised Land.
This passage shows us that Moses was a very humble man. And it also shows us that he was unselfish and generous. He was not thinking about his own death only. He was thinking about what would happen to the Israelites. They needed a good and holy man to lead them into the Promised Land. Moses was not jealous because someone else would do this, instead of him. Instead, he obeyed God gladly. Moses wanted God to choose the new leader. And Moses was pleased to show the people that Joshua was God’s choice.
Moses did not argue with God. Instead, he asked God to choose a new leader for the Israelites. He knew that the *sraelites would have to fight the people in the country called Canaan. They needed a strong and powerful leader. But also they needed a leader who would look after them.
‘Then your people will not be like sheep who have no shepherd.’ In the Old Testament, often the writers compared leaders with shepherds. This was because shepherds led their sheep. They guided them. They provided everything that their sheep needed. Also, they protected them from their enemies. A leader had to do all of this for his people.
God chose Joshua to lead the Israelites after Moses’ death. Joshua was very suitable for this task. He had been Moses’ assistant for a long period of time (Numbers 11:28). He had already led the Israelites in a battle (Exodus 17:9-13). Also, already he had been into the country called Canaan with 11 other men (Numbers 11:26-30). Joshua and Caleb were the only two men of Moses’ generation whom God would allow to enter the Promised Land.
God told Moses to put his hand on Joshua in front of Eleazar and all the people. This was the custom to show that Joshua was their new leader.
Joshua would not have the same authority as Moses. There would not be another leader who would be like Moses (Deuteronomy 34:9-12). The people had to obey and to respect Joshua. However, he was not the same type of leader as Moses. When Moses wanted to ask God a question, he went to God’s Tent. There, Moses spoke to God and God answered him. Joshua would not be able to speak to God like this.
Instead, Joshua had to receive God’s instructions by means of Eleazar the priest. Eleazar would not speak to God either. Instead, he would use the object called the Urim. The priest would use this object with another object called the Thummim. We are not sure what these objects were. We do not know how the priest used them. But the words ‘Urim and Thummim’ mean ‘perfect lights’. So probably, they were two precious stones. And the priest used them to ask God about an important decision. In this way, God would guide Joshua about military decisions, too. Joshua would need this help as he prepared to fight the Israelites’ enemies in the Promised Land.
This passage shows us that Moses was a very humble man. And it also shows us that he was unselfish and generous. He was not thinking about his own death only. He was thinking about what would happen to the Israelites. They needed a good and holy man to lead them into the Promised Land. Moses was not jealous because someone else would do this, instead of him. Instead, he obeyed God gladly. Moses wanted God to choose the new leader. And Moses was pleased to show the people that Joshua was God’s choice.
Tomorrow, the verses will turn away from the action and get back into the boring humdrum of the offerings and festivals. As I was reminded, this Easter Season, these offerings and festivals are important to learn because they impact the story of the Messiah. As you can imagine, the Israelites scheduled their days, weeks, months and years around these offerings and festivals.
There's been a change of command.... Joshua will be the new leader.
