Moses Asks For A Successor
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
10/2/2011 PM
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Text:
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Numbers 27:15-23
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Psalters: |
263, 400, 292, 407 |
- Moses' concern and request.
- Moses' zeal and concern for the welfare of God's people is as a paternal affection for them.
- He has a concern for God's peoples' provision in the future.
- Moses compares the people to sheep (cf. Matt. 9:36).
- They need one to go before them in war and to lead them in civil government (cf. II Chron. 1:10).
- Notice Moses' humility for he does not take the right of appointment to himself.
- God appoints their leader, and thus the supreme power always remains in Him.
- Moses addresses God as "the God of the spirits of all flesh" (also in 16:22).
- This identifies God as the Maker of each and every man in his whole being (personality, gifts, and talents).
- God is the best judge of each man's ability and aptitude and He penetrates the inmost recesses of every heart.
- Also God fashions each man and re-fashions, supplying them with the sufficient faculties to bear their burden.
- God show His care of His beloved sheep by immediately answering Moses' prayer by telling him to take Joshua.
- Joshua had been a servant of Moses for 40 years (Ex. 24:13; 33:11).
- Joshua is a "man in whom is the spirit" (18).
- Joshua had the necessary gifts (cf. Deut. 34:9).
- And that he had the Spirit of God to qualify him when needed - each time.
- Next God commands Moses to "lay thine hand upon him" (18).
- This is the way the patriarchs blessed their sons and the apostles appointed pastors (I Tim. 4:14; 5:22).
- It publicly testified that Joshua is no longer a private individual, but was called by God to this position.
- Notice that Joshua had to "stand before Eleazar the priest."
- This indicates that Joshua was subordinated to the priest in certain matters (Urim and Thummim)
- It is fitting that this was done before all the people, that all might willingly receive him as presented to them by God.
- "Moses did as the Lord commanded him" (22).