Who came after Moses in the Bible?

However, God had prepared Joshua as a successor to Moses, giving him a spirit of wisdom for the service he was now to take up in a way clearly distinct from that of Moses, yet with the full fellowship of Moses, who had laid his hands on Joshua, an expression of identification with him as the new leader of Israel (v.9). Whatever service may be necessary to be performed, only the person God prepares for it will be able to perform it.

Gideon had refused absolutely this principle, even for himself or his descendants. He had left the power with Him who had given it, God Himself: "I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you. The Lord shall rule over you" (Judges 8:23). So, too, Moses, when told that he could not lead Israel any further than the border of the land, and that he must lay down his leadership, did not presume to name his successor, much less to think of his own son as taking up that which he had laid down. How beautiful it is to see this meekness in the great leader, who, we may well suppose, as he felt so keenly the deprivation, would have loved to temper it by the privilege of naming his successor. But self is obliterated, and nowhere does his character show more beautifully than: "Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation who may go out before them, and who may go in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd. And the Lord said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua, the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit … And Moses did as the Lord commanded him" (Num. 27:16-22).

In this way Joshua is as directly called of Jehovah as Moses himself had been. Unquestionably he was fitted by his own association with Israel's leader to carry on the work which he laid down, and it is equally probable that Moses himself might have chosen Joshua as his successor, but the point is that he did not do so; he left it entirely to God, realizing that wisdom and power for such responsibility could not be conferred by the hands of man, but must come from Him alone in whom all power is.

Yet Israel did not depend on Moses, but on God, who would pass over before them. He would destroy the nations from the land, and Israel would dispossess them. But God would work now by means of Joshua, who would take Moses' place (v.3). As God did to Sihon and Og, so would He do with the nations of the land of Canaan (vs.4-5). Let Israel therefore be strong and courageous, depending on God's faithfulness, not intimidated by enemies who were totally inferior to God (v.6).

Moses then called Joshua, announcing him before all Israel as God's newly appointed leader, urging him to be strong and courageous, for he "must go with this people to the land." This was God's imperative decision, from which Joshua would have no way of escape. But Joshua is assured that the Lord will go before him, never leaving or forsaking him. Therefore there was no reason to fear (vs.7-8).

We meet him again in Num. 11:27-29. In Num. 13:8, 16 we find him as one of the spies sent to Canaan. With Caleb he had confidence in God and His promises, and bravely exhorted the people to trust the Lord and go forward. His name, however, is not given at all during the thirty-eight years' wandering in the wilderness. In Deuteronomy he is divinely pointed out as Moses' successor. Moses and Joshua presented themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation, and after the Lord had announced the approaching death of Moses, Joshua hears the charge from the lips of the passing leader of God's people. "Be strong and of a good courage; for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land, which I sware unto them; and I will be with thee" (Deut. 31:23). In the analysis and annotations of the book itself we shall have abundant occasion to study the character of Joshua more fully.

Joshua (his name means "Jehovah is salvation") was well qualified for becoming Moses' successor in the land of Canaan. When still a young man Joshua stood by the side of Moses, fought with Amalek (Ex. 17:9), went up to Mount Horeb with Moses (Ex. 24:13), went to Canaan as one of the twelve spies (Num. 13) and was finally called to be Moses' successor by Divine appointment (Num. 27:18ff; Deut. 31:1-8).

Num. 26; Num. 27: The people are again numbered, with a view to inheriting the land, but all the men of war included in the first numbering, save Caleb and Joshua, had died. Details are given as to the distribution of the inheritance. Moses, being told of his approaching death, pleads with God to appoint a leader for the people, and Joshua is put in that place.

But also, Moses said, the Lord was angry with him for Israel's sake and told him he would not enter the land (v.37). The reason is seen in Numbers 20:7-13. But Joshua would not only enter the land: he would become the leader to bring Israel in (v.38). So the Lord told Moses to encourage Joshua.

Moses' departure is announced by Jehovah. He cannot go over Jordan on account of his sin. But the Lord graciously permits him to go upon the mountain and view the land of promise in all its glory. Beautiful is Moses' answer to Jehovah. He does not speak of himself, nor does he think of his own interest. The people of God and their need are upon his heart. If they are taken care of he is satisfied and content with his own lot. What a blessed spirit of unselfishness he manifested! Joshua is the appointed successor, who is to lead the people into the land as Moses had led them out of Egypt . Moses and Joshua are both the types of Christ. Verse 21 is the key to understand the typical significance. "And he (Joshua) shall stand before Eleazar, the priest, who shall ask counsel for him." Aaron's priesthood, as we learned in Exodus and Leviticus, is the type of Christ in His sacrificial work on the cross. Eleazar, his successor, typifies the resurrection--heavenly priesthood of Christ. Moses is in different ways the type of Christ, as we have seen in his official and personal character; Joshua is the type of Christ in Spirit, who acts in His people by the Holy Spirit. Therefore Joshua has to stand before Eleazar the priest. He had, so to speak, to depend upon Eleazar, as the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer is dependent on the priesthood of Christ in glory.

Since Moses had passed off the scene, the Lord now speaks directly to Joshua. Joshua had been prepared for leadership by his close association with Moses for many years. Never is there any indication that he aspired to this place of honor, but in God's time he was able to fit into this place because he was God's choice for it.

At the end of the book of Deuteronomy (Deut. 31, Deut. 34), Joshua is named as the successor to Moses, who should bring in the people to possess the land of Canaan. Moses went near to the Jordan, figure of death: it is Joshua that leads the people into the enjoyment of their privileges.