Numbers 27:18–23

Moses was told that he could not lead Israel any further than the border of the land, and that he must lay down his leadership. He did not presume to name his successor. Still less did he think of his own son taking up what he had laid down. How beautiful this meekness is in the great leader! He felt the loss so keenly that, we may well suppose, he would have loved to soften it by the privilege of naming his successor. But self is blotted out.

Moses' grief will be relieved. His heart's desire for the flock he loved and was about to leave will be satisfied. Instead of being humbled, he will be honoured. All the people, the whole congregation of Israel, will see that he is the greater, not the lesser. He blesses their future leader, and puts some, though not all, of his spirit on him.

Bezalel is an example of a man filled with the Spirit of God — in wisdom, understanding and knowledge — for the work God called him to do in building the tabernacle (Ex. 31:3; 35:31). The Holy Spirit was in Joshua (Num. 27:18). Moses laid his hands on him, and so he was full of the spirit of wisdom (Deut. 34:9). The Spirit rested on the elders, to fit them for their official duties in the congregation (Num. 11:25-26).

He had assured Israel that they were well able to go up and take the land. At the end of the wilderness journey God bars Moses from leading them into it, and Joshua appears on the scene again. The time has come, and God ordains him for this special service. He might often have wondered what all that faith of forty years before was for — the faith that had lit up his soul and enabled him to proclaim the glories of the inheritance. But every seed of the Spirit produces its fruit. Faith must always prove itself true.

God then told Moses to lay his hand on Joshua. He was to set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation of Israel, and install him in public. In doing so, Moses showed that he was to share his authority with Joshua, and that all Israel should obey Joshua just as fully as they had obeyed Moses.

When Moses the mediator finished his course, he left no successor in the strict sense. The high priest became the link between the Lord and the people, and the civil leader came under his guidance. "He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in" (Num. 27:18-23).

Moses, the leader of the people, clearly pictures the Lord Jesus. Just as Moses through death gave place to Joshua, so Christ told His disciples, "It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you" (John 16:7). Joshua had been the constant companion of Moses, just as the Spirit of God had always been with the Lord Jesus. We may rightly see Joshua as a picture of Christ too — not Christ outside us, but "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27).

Though the saints of God have the Spirit living in them, they still need the guidance of the heavenly Priest, by means of the Word of God. The Spirit within us must not be separated from Christ above us: both work in perfect unity.

As long as Israel's need was met, Moses was content. If only the work was done, he did not care who did it. Himself, his interests, his future — he could calmly leave it all in God's hand. God would take care of him. But his loving heart yearns over the beloved people of God. The very moment he sees Joshua appointed as their leader, he is ready to depart and be at rest for ever.

Moses was then told to lay his hand on Joshua. He was to set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation of Israel, and install him in front of them all (vv. 18–20). In doing so, Moses showed that Joshua would share his authority. All Israel should obey Joshua just as fully as they had obeyed Moses.

Moses and Aaron had led them through the wilderness. But here it is a new scene, and Joshua is appointed to conquer the land. For the church, he pictures Christ in the power of His Spirit. Yet as he goes forward he depends on the priesthood, just as the presence and working of the Holy Spirit depend on the presence of Christ in the holy place.

Joshua was to stand before Eleazar the priest, a type of Christ as High Priest in resurrection. Eleazar was to inquire for Joshua as to God's leading. This makes the point that the saints of God have the Spirit living in them, and yet still need the guidance of the heavenly Priest through the Word of God. The Spirit within us must not be separated from Christ above us: both work in perfect unity.

His qualification was that he was "a man in whom is the Spirit." Yet, as verse 21 shows, he was to differ from Moses in one way. He depended more on Eleazar the priest, who had the Urim and the Thummim. Counsel and judgment came through them.

He showed His regard for His servant's desire by raising up Joshua to take his place and to go before His people. But He did more. He also sent One whose interest in the sheep is equal to His own, and whose love for them far exceeded that of any under-shepherd, however devoted.

In this way the Lord called Joshua as directly as He had called Moses himself. Without doubt, his time at the side of Israel's leader had fitted him to carry on the work Moses laid down. It is just as likely that Moses might have chosen Joshua as his successor. But the point is that he did not. He left it entirely to God. He knew that no human hand can give the wisdom and power such responsibility needs. They must come from Him alone, in whom all power is.

Moses was then told to lay his hand on Joshua, set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation of Israel, and install him in front of them all. By doing this, Moses showed that he was sharing his authority with Joshua. All Israel was to obey Joshua just as fully as they had obeyed Moses.

There we see Joshua, who was to command, placed before Eleazar and the congregation. A portion of the honour of Moses is given to him, so that the people might obey him. Even so, he must still remain before Eleazar the priest, who asked the Lord for guidance by Urim and Thummim. Joshua was to come in at Eleazar's word, and to go out at Eleazar's word. So were the children of Israel with him, and all the congregation.

Verse 21 is the key to the picture. Aaron's priesthood stood for Christ in His sacrificial work on the cross. Eleazar, his successor, stands for Christ's risen, heavenly priesthood. Moses pictures Christ in different ways, in his official and personal character. Joshua pictures Christ in Spirit, who acts in His people by the Holy Spirit. This is why Joshua has to stand before Eleazar the priest. In a sense, he had to depend on Eleazar. In the same way, the Holy Spirit's work in the believer depends on the priesthood of Christ in glory.

Joshua appears for the first time in Exodus 17, at the time of the war against Amalek. This gives us the key to what he pictures. Moses stands on the top of the hill during the fight. Down in the plain is a man joined to the people he leads. He is a man who has the Spirit in him, as the Lord said to Moses, and he fights the Lord's battle. This Joshua is Christ, but Christ in us, or among us down here, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Moses, as their leader, had been inseparable from Israel in the desert, and so it will be with Joshua as leader of the people in Canaan.

Accepting this discipline, Moses asked God to appoint the man who should lead the people in. God pointed to Joshua. His qualification was that he was "a man in whom is the Spirit." Yet, as verse 21 shows, he was to differ from Moses. He would depend more on Eleazar the priest, who had the Urim and the Thummim. Through them God would give counsel and judgment.

There we see Joshua, who was to command, placed before Eleazar and the congregation. Part of Moses' honour passed to him so that the people would obey him. Even then he must remain before Eleazar the priest, who inquired of the Lord by Urim and Thummim. At his word — the word of Eleazar — Joshua was to come in and go out, and the children of Israel with him, and all the congregation. Indeed, if God was King among His people, His high priest, who drew near to Him, had to be the centre of unity.

They were put in "the breastplate of judgment." The breastplate evidently got that title from the Urim and Thummim. Judgment here does not mean condemnation, but discernment and guidance. We speak in everyday language of a man of sound judgment, that is, of one able to give wise counsel.

Various passages of the Word connect the "Urim" with God making His mind known. Through it He answered the questions that came up in the details of Israel's history… So we learn that the high priest did two things. He bore the judgment of the congregation before the Lord, and he also carried the judgment of the Lord back to the congregation — solemn, weighty, and most precious duties! All this we have, in divine perfection, in our "great High Priest who has passed through the heavens." He bears the judgment of His people on His heart all the time. By the Holy Spirit He tells us the counsel of God about the smallest details of our daily life. We do not need dreams or visions. If we walk in the Spirit, we will have all the certainty which the perfect "Urim" on the breast of our High Priest can give.

Joshua, as the leader and commander of the people, failed to take counsel. He did not ask by the ark, and he did not ask through Eleazar, "at whose word they were to go out and come in, he and the whole congregation."… And in this breakdown Joshua took the counsel of the men who went to spy out Ai. By it he separated himself, and Israel as one people, from the guidance of the ark. His own words betray him further, and so do the hard thoughts of his heart against God.

This was an arrangement in the breastplate of the High Priest. By it the High Priest could get guidance when the nation was at a loss. We are not told how the oracle worked. Urim and Thummim are two Hebrew words meaning "Lights and Perfection." It was a picture of divine guidance. Modernism has lost this, for it has in reality thrown away the Word of God which can give us the guidance we need. And further, if the Word of God is set aside, on what ground can guidance be sought? They have taken the ground from under their own feet. They have lost their Urim and Thummim.

Moses willingly did as the Lord commanded. But God did not take Moses away in death at that time (vs. 22-23). So the Lord still spoke through Moses in chapters 28 to 36, and it was Moses whose address to Israel filled the whole book of Deuteronomy — except for chapter 34, which records his death and burial by the Lord.

Moses bows to the Lord's settled purpose, which shuts him out of the land. He says no more about it. But he is deeply concerned for the flock of Israel, whom he had brought out of Egypt and whom he was now to leave in the wilderness... He asks the Lord to give them a shepherd. He turns from his own sorrow to the need of the people — and it is always beautiful when we can think of other people's troubles on the day of our own trouble.

Provided that Israel's need were met, Moses was content. If only the work was done, he cared not who did it. Self, his interests, and his destiny — he could calmly leave all in the hand of God.

How beautifully gracious all this is! God will relieve Moses' grief. He will satisfy the desire of his heart for the flock he loved and was about to leave. Instead of being humbled, Moses will be honoured. All the people, the whole congregation of Israel, will see that he is the "better," and not the "less," as he blesses their future leader and puts some, though not all, of his spirit on him.

The Lord then told Moses to lay his hand on Joshua, to set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation of Israel, and to install him in front of everyone (vs. 18-20). By doing this, Moses showed that he was to share his authority with Joshua. All Israel was to obey Joshua just as fully as they obeyed Moses.

Hands were also laid on a man to put him into office. Moses laid his hands on Joshua and gave him a charge from the Lord as his successor (Num. 27:23)... People have copied this action of the apostles and badly misused it. They have made great claims about the status it gives and the spiritual blessing it passes on. If it were seen simply as a recognition and a mark of fellowship in service, it would be a scriptural act.

God had prepared Joshua as Moses' successor. He gave him a spirit of wisdom for the service he was now to take up. That service was clearly different from Moses' own, yet Joshua had Moses' full fellowship in it. Moses had laid his hands on Joshua, and that showed he identified himself with Joshua as the new leader of Israel. Whatever service needs to be done, only the person God prepares for it will be able to do it.

His qualification was that he was "a man in whom is the Spirit." Yet verse 21 shows that he would differ from Moses. He would depend more on Eleazar the priest, who had the Urim and the Thummim. Counsel and judgment came through them.

Joshua was to stand before Eleazar the priest, a picture of Christ as High Priest in resurrection. Eleazar was to ask God about His leading for Joshua. So although God's people have the Spirit living in them, they still need the guidance of the heavenly Priest through the Word of God. The Spirit within us must not be separated from Christ above us: both work in perfect unity.

So Joshua is called by the LORD as directly as Moses was. Working beside Israel's leader had certainly fitted him to carry on the work Moses was laying down, and Moses might well have chosen Joshua himself. But the point is that he did not. He left it entirely to God. He knew that the wisdom and power for such a responsibility cannot be handed over by human hands. They must come from Him alone, in whom all power is.

God will never hand over to man the task of passing on what comes from Himself alone… So ordaining men to office only fixes a man in a position that may not be of God at all. If God has called a man, he needs no human authorization. If God has not called him, all such authorization only confirms a human mistake.… Does the principle of succession not plainly deny the presence and sufficiency of the Holy Spirit, who lives in the Church to guide, control and move all ministry?

When Moses laid his hands on Joshua, he publicly identified himself with him. That confirmed Joshua's appointment in the sight of the people.

Hands were also laid on a man to bring him into office. Moses laid his hands on Joshua and gave him a charge from the Lord as his successor. Num. 27:23… The Christian world has copied this act of the apostles and badly misused it, making great claims about a status given and a spiritual blessing imparted. If people treated it instead as a simple recognition and a mark of fellowship in service, it would be a scriptural act.

All the people, the whole congregation of Israel, will see that he is the greater and not the lesser, blessing their future leader, and putting some — though not all — of his spirit on him!

His name was first Hoshea, but Moses changed it to Jehoshua, and this was shortened to Joshua, which is the same as Jesus in Greek and means "Jehovah the saviour."… Joshua was appointed the successor of Moses, not as law-giver, but as leader. He had "the spirit," and some of the honour of Moses was put on him.

Joshua was to stand before Eleazar the priest, a picture of Christ as High Priest in resurrection. Eleazar was to ask God for guidance on Joshua's behalf. This presses home the point that although the saints of God have the Spirit living in them, they still need the guidance of the heavenly Priest through the Word of God. The Spirit within us must not be separated from Christ above us: both work in perfect unity.

Joshua, the leader and commander of the people, failed to ask for counsel. He did not ask at the ark, and he did not ask through Eleazar, at whose word Joshua and the whole congregation were to go out and come in. … Joshua cut himself and a united Israel off from the guidance of the ark by taking the advice of the men who went to spy out Ai. In that collapse his own mouth betrays him further, and so do the hard thoughts of his heart against God.