Numbers 27:12-23

Numbers 27:12-23

[12] And the LORD  said  unto Moses,  Get thee up  into this mount  Abarim,  and see  the land  which I have given  unto the children  of Israel.  [13] And when thou hast seen  it, thou also shalt be gathered  unto thy people,  as Aaron  thy brother  was gathered.  [14] For ye rebelled  against my commandment  in the desert  of Zin,  in the strife  of the congregation,  to sanctify  me at the water  before their eyes:  that is the water  of Meribah  in Kadesh  in the wilderness  of Zin.  [15] And Moses  spake  unto the LORD,  saying,  [16] Let the LORD,  the God  of the spirits  of all flesh,  set  a man  over the congregation,  [17] Which may go out  before  them, and which may go in  before  them, and which may lead them out,  and which may bring them in;  that the congregation  of the LORD  be not as sheep  which have no shepherd.  [18] And the LORD  said  unto Moses,  Take  thee Joshua  the son  of Nun,  a man  in whom is the spirit,  and lay  thine hand  upon him; [19] And set  him before  Eleazar  the priest,  and before  all the congregation;  and give him a charge  in their sight.  [20] And thou shalt put  some of thine honour  upon him, that all the congregation  of the children  of Israel  may be obedient.  [21] And he shall stand  before  Eleazar  the priest,  who shall ask  counsel for him after the judgment  of Urim  before  the LORD:  at his word  shall they go out,  and at his word  they shall come in,  both he, and all the children  of Israel  with him, even all the congregation.  [22] And Moses  did  as the LORD  commanded  him: and he took  Joshua,  and set  him before  Eleazar  the priest,  and before  all the congregation:  [23] And he laid  his hands  upon him, and gave him a charge,  as the LORD  commanded  by the hand  of Moses. 

What does Numbers 27:12-23 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Another preparation for entering Canaan involved appointing a new leader to take Moses" place.
God foretold that Moses would die without entering the land (cf. Numbers 20:1-13). Graciously He allowed His servant to see the Promised Land from Mt. Nebo ( Deuteronomy 32:48-52). Nebo was one of the mountains of the Abarim range that runs north and south just east of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea in Moab"s territory. Pisgah ( Numbers 21:20; Deuteronomy 3:27; Deuteronomy 34:1) is the name of the northern part of this mountain range. The plains of Moab sloped down from the Abarim mountains toward the Jordan River.
Moses" reaction to God"s announcement of his death was admirable. He did not panic like King Saul ( 1 Samuel 28:20) or even pray for a few more years like King Hezekiah ( 2 Kings 20:1-3). Instead he prayed for the welfare of Israel, the nation that had caused him so much grief. Many leaders prefer to select their successor, but Moses asked God to make this crucial choice. In so doing he gave practical testimony to his acceptance of Yahweh"s sovereignty over Israel.
Joshua was a likely choice since he had served Moses and worked closely with him for years. Most importantly, as one of the two loyal spies, he was a man of faith. Moses laid his hands on him ( Numbers 27:18) symbolically imputing his authority to him.
"This spirit was not something that now came upon Joshua , or was temporary (such as the coming of the spirit on the elders in Numbers 11:17; Numbers 11:25-26); it already existed in Joshua and was the basis of God"s choice of him. Deuteronomy 34:9 applies the phrase "full of the spirit of Wisdom" to Joshua , confirming the thought here." [1]
Joshua served as an associate leader of Israel with and under Moses from this time until Moses died ( Numbers 27:20). When Joshua began sole leadership he functioned differently from Moses. Whereas God had given Moses directions for Israel "face to face," Joshua would normally receive his divine guidance through the high priest who would obtain this by using the Urim and Thummim. Only rarely did the Lord speak to Joshua directly.
Conflict for the leadership of Israel occurred frequently in the later history of the Northern Kingdom following the split between Judah and Israel. Moses wisely anticipated the problems that might arise if God removed him before the Lord had identified his successor. Therefore he interceded again, and again God granted his request by identifying Joshua at this time. This action by Moses was extremely important because it precluded countless problems for Israel that might have arisen when Moses died.
"The portrayal of Moses" passing his authority (splendor or majesty) over to Joshua and Joshua"s reception of the Spirit is noticeably similar to the transition of prophetic office from Elijah to Elisha in 2 Kings 2:7-15. It appears that the writer of the book of Kings has intentionally worked some of these themes into his narrative to draw out the comparison.... The type of leadership exhibited by Moses and Joshua is the same as that of Elijah and Elisha. It is a leadership that is guided by the Spirit of God." [2]
Moses secured the Israelites" commitment to Yahweh at Mt. Sinai, and Elijah revived it during Israel"s worst apostasy. Both men and their immediate successors, Joshua and Elisha, also had the gift of performing miracles.