Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership

Numbers 27:12-23

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain in the Abarim Range and see the land I have given the Israelites. After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy before their eyes.”

Moses said to the Lord, “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”

So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership, and lay your hand on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.”

Why?

The Lord chose Joshua as the leader of Israelites because in him has the spirit of leadership.

Lay your hand on him means the authority transfer from Moses to Joshua in the Spirit. The priest Eleazar is the leader of the priests.

Moses did the work of the Lord in anger, knocking the stone twice, so he could not allowed to enter the promised land.

This means the Lord let Moses rest and not work hard to manage these people. Sometimes this is a good thing.

----------------

這段是講繼承責任。摩西的事奉不僅40年，辛苦多年，卻很可惜無法進入應許之地，因為領袖所以神對要求也嚴格。我們很容易在乎最後結果，神在乎我們是否對神真心?進迦南地不是看誰是否有資格? 進迦南地是神的恩典。若是只看成果，我們很容易因此驕傲。我們不必如此看事情。摩西也順服了神的安排！神要我們是否為主做見證，不是看我們拉幾個人信主。摩西想到的是以色列百姓，不是想到自己。約書亞心中有神的靈，因為他預備了很久！我們要預備自己，建立好與神的關係。

求問的是以利亞撒，執行的是約書亞，摩西則是求問與執行兼具。

約書亞沒有取代摩西，沒有一個人可以取代某人，各有不同託付與恩典。此時祭司制度已經建立起來了，所以有這樣的分工。

如果摩西還在，約書亞也沒有辦法完全承擔責任！摩西會變成大老，超級英雄！神真的用心良苦！教會中交棒者要完全離開、放手，承接者才能成長。

----------------

How?

Our life is in the hands of the Lord. May the name of the Lord be honored around me.