Numbers 27:18: “And the LORD said to Moses: ‘Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.'”

February 6th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Moses was coming to the end of his leadership. They had reached the Promised Land, and because of Moses’ disobedience he would not be allowed to enter. The second half of Numbers 27 marks the beginning of the transfer of Moses’ leadership to someone else. God told Moses to take Joshua because he was already empowered by the Holy Spirit, and lay his hand on him.

God instructed Moses to publicly place his hands on Joshua to signify the transfer of his leadership to Joshua. Before this, the laying on of hands had signified a transfer of the people’s sin to a sacrifice. Moses and Joshua mark the first time God commanded it to convey a transfer of spiritual service. In the New Testament when deacons were chosen in Acts 6:6, they were presented to the apostles, who prayed and laid hands on them. The idea both in the Old and New Testament is the same; the Holy Spirit was at work in these men and the laying on of human hands simply pointed to the fact that God’s hand was already on them.

This is an important concept for us to grasp. Peter tells us to surrender to God’s hand. “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6). The Greek word here for humble means to have an attitude of lowly mindedness. We need to adopt a “serving is not beneath us” attitude. Peter is saying we should submit to God’s will even when we don’t understand it. We might have questions about God and what He’s doing, but Peter says, “Don’t worry, go ahead and submit to Him anyway, and eventually it will all make sense. In the mean time, cast all your anxieties on Him.” Peter says to submit “under the mighty hand” because he understands that God exalts the humble as well as casts down the proud; therefore, humble yourselves that “He may exalt you.” Finally it says, “in due time,” meaning in God’s time, not ours. Joshua served God by faithfully serving Moses in small things for many years, and then in due time, he was ready to serve the Lord in big things. It isn’t the bigness or smallness of our duties that is important, but the submitted attitude of our hearts.

“LORD, we surrender anew to You this day, in Jesus’ name.”

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Numbers 27 KJV

¹ Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph: and these are the names of his daughters; Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. ² And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, ³ Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah; but died in his own sin, and had no sons. ⁴ Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.  ⁵ And Moses brought their cause before the LORD. ⁶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, ⁷ The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them. ⁸ And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter. ⁹ And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren. ¹⁰ And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father’s brethren. ¹¹And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the LORD commanded Moses. 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. ¹⁴For 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 LORDcommanded 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.