Numbers 27:12-23 - The Outward Failure And Inward Victory Of Moses

I. THAT MOSES MUST NOT LEAD THE PEOPLE INTO THE PROMISED LAND BECAUSE OF THE PROVED IMPERFECTION OF HIS CHARACTER . It can hardly indeed be supposed that Joshua was in himself more perfect, or on the whole more dear to God, than Moses: but Joshua was not known to have failed distinctly and publicly as Moses was at Meribah; therefore he seemed to answer to the Divine ideal, to the requirement of perfect holiness, better than Moses. Even so the law made nothing per-feet, accomplished nothing fully, because it was known and felt to be imperfect. As applied to the guidance and training of human life for a better world it broke down. Therefore it must be set aside in favour of something more perfect: its glory must be done away before the glory that excelleth ( 2 Corinthians 3:10 ; Hebrews 7:18 , Hebrews 7:19 ; Hebrews 10:1 , &c.;).

II. THAT MOSES WAS NOT PERMITTED TO CROSS THE JORDAN : SO much of the inheritance of Israel as lay on the wilderness side of Jordan, he might enter and settle, but he must not cross the river. Even so it was not possible for the law to enter in any wise upon the life to come, the land which is very far off, beyond the stream of Death. This was its limitation imposed upon it by God, by reason of its weakness, that it dealt only with this life, and with such religious sanctions, joys, and consolations, as lie upon this side the grave exclusively. Immortal life was without the province of the law, and could only be entered in Jesus ( John 1:17 ; John 11:25 ; 2 Timothy 1:10 ).

III. THAT MOSES WAS PERMITTED TO SEE THE LAND ERE HE DEPARTED . Even so the law, which brought men to the very confines of the kingdom of heaven, but could not bring them in (cf. Matthew 11:11 ), had yet within itself a clear vision of the fulfillment of its own hopes. The Song of Simeon and the Voice of the Baptist are the dying testimony of the law, seeing the salvation of God to which it had led through many a weary year, and so content to pass away without enjoying it ( Luke 2:29 , Luke 2:30 ; John 3:29-31 , and cf. Hebrews 11:13 ; John 8:56 ).

IV. THAT MOSES CRAVED OF GOD A SUCCESSOR TO HIMSELF WHO SHOULD DO WHAT HE COULD NOT DO . Even so the law through all its voices craved for one, and demanded one of God, who should really save, who should indeed open that kingdom of heaven to which itself pointed, yet was too feeble to enter.

V. THAT GOD DESIGNATED JOSHUA ( ιησοῦς ) TO TAKE UP AND TO FULFIL THE WORK OF MOSES . Even so, what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, that hath God accomplished by his holy servant Jesus ( Acts 13:39 ; Romans 8:3 ).

VI. THAT MOSES INSTITUTED JOSHUA TO HIS OFFICE BEFORE THE PEOPLE , AND DECLARED HIS WORK TO HIM . Even so was Jesus proclaimed beforehand to all the faithful by the law which pointed him out as the Captain of our salvation; and our Lord himself, in his human nature, learnt from the law what himself should be and do and suffer ( Luke 24:26 , Luke 24:27 ; John 19:28 ; cf. Matthew 26:54 ; Acts 13:27 ; Acts 17:3 ; Acts 26:23 ; Acts 28:22 ).

Consider again, with respect to the conduct of Moses at this time, wherein he is not a foil to one greater, but a pattern to all the servants of God—

I. THAT HIS PUNISHMENT SEEMED VERY BITTER AT THIS TIME : much more so surely than when first announced, because then the land was far off, now it was very nigh; then there was yet hope that the Lord would repent him of his sternness, now the decree was palpably final and irrevocable. After so many additional toils, and after so many happy anticipations of victory, to find that the sentence of exclusion still held good must have been bitter indeed!

II. THAT HIS PUNISHMENT WAS IN FACT INEXPLICABLE TO HIMSELF , AND TO ALL , AT THAT TIME — FOR THE EXPLANATION WAS NOT TO COME FOR MANY CENTURIES . It is only in the glory of the Mount of Transfiguration that we can understand or justify the apparent severity with which Moses was treated. His sentence was "exemplary,'' for the sake of the people, in order to show in the most striking instance that God requireth a perfect holiness, and a sinless Mediator. But for himself, as (on the whole) a most faithful servant, the sentence was in fact reversed; the wrath was swallowed up in mercy. Moses died outside the promised land, but his body was preserved from corruption by the power of God (cf. Deuteronomy 34:6 with Jud Deuteronomy 1:9 ), and in that body he did actually stand within the inheritance of Israel and talk with Jesus of the decease ( ἔξοδον ) which he should accomplish at Jerusalem ( Luke 9:31 , &c.;). And note, that in Moses and Joshua we may clearly see the distinction between the Divine treatment of men as types and as individuals. Moses, e.g; was made in his own time to yield to Joshua, to die in exile while Joshua led on to victory and home; and that obviously because Moses represented the weakness of the law, Joshua the power of the gospel. We, however, with the New Testament in our hands, have no difficulty in seeing that as individual servants of God, Moses is more honoured and more greatly rewarded than Joshua; for God is not extreme to mark what is done amiss by those who in the main serve him nobly, unselfishly, and patiently; nor is it in truth a righteous thing with God for one sin of temper to confiscate the rewards of many years of devotion. As a type Joshua stands higher because he was unblamed: as a man Moses is more dear to God, because his work was far more hard, his position more discouraging, and his lot less happy, than that of Joshua, and he himself not less faithful.

III. THAT MOSES DID NOT COMPLAIN OR REBEL . We know indeed from his own mouth ( Deuteronomy 3:24 ), that he privately besought the Lord to let him go over; but when the Lord refused him (for the time present) he submitted without a word of complaint. Here was Moses' meekness ( Numbers 12:3 ); not that he was not sometimes provoked so that he forgot himself; but that he habitually humbled himself to bear meekly even what seemed most hard.

IV. THAT HIS HABITUAL UNSELFISHNESS SHOWED ITSELF IN CONCERN FOR HIS PEOPLE WHEN HE WAS GONE . He did not harp upon his own fate, or brood upon his own sorrow, but thought only of the people, what should become of them.

V. THAT IN HIS UNSELFISH CONCERN FOR THEM HE WAS WILLING AND ANXIOUS THAT ANOTHER SHOULD BE PLACED OVER THEM IN HIS STEAD . And this showed the highest generosity of mind, because even very noble and otherwise unselfish people constantly betray jealousy and displeasure at the thought of others taking their place. To one who had wielded absolute power for forty years, it might well have seemed impossible to ask for a successor.

VI. THAT IN HIS LOYALTY TO THE KING OF ISRAEL HE GLADLY DEVOLVED HIS OWN DIGNITY UPON ONE WHO HAD BEEN HIS OWN SERVANT , AND OF ANOTHER TRIBE . Moses made no effort to advance his sons, as even Samuel did ( 1 Samuel 8:1 ), nor had they any name or pre-eminence in Israel; nor did he show the least jealousy of Joshua, although he had been his own minister and (humanly speaking) owed everything to him.

Consider, again, with respect to Joshua as a figure of our Lord—

I. THAT HE WAS TO SUPERSEDE MOSES . (See above, and cf. Matthew 5:17 ; Acts 6:14 ; Hebrews 3:3 .)

II. THAT HE WAS APPOINTED IN ANSWER TO THE PRAYER THAT GOD WOULD " SET A MAN OVER THE CONGREGATION ." Even so the Lord is that Son of man whom God hath ordained to be the Head of the Church, the human arbiter of human destinies, the human pattern and guide of all believers ( Acts 2:36 ; Acts 10:42 ; Hebrews 2:16-18 ; Ephesians 1:22 , Ephesians 1:23 ).

III. THAT HE WAS TO GO OUT AND TO GO IN BEFORE HIS PEOPLE ; i.e; he was to lead an active and busy life in their sight and in their behalf. Even so our Lord fulfilled his ministry before the eyes of all the people, not in solitary meditation nor in calm retirement, but in a ceaseless activity of labour for the bodies and souls of men ( Luke 2:49 ; John 4:34 ; John 9:4 ; John 18:20 ; Acts 10:38 ).

IV. THAT HE WAS TO LEAD HIS PEOPLE OUT , AND TO BRING THEM IN , as a shepherd does his flock. Even so our Lord goes before his own in all things whether in life or in death, leading them out of the uncertain wilderness of this world, bringing them in to the unchangeable rest of the world to come ( Psalms 23:4 ; John 10:3 , sq.; 1 Peter 2:21 ; Revelation 1:18 ).

V. THAT HE WAS TO BE A SHEPHERD TO THEM THAT HAD OTHERWISE BEEN SHEPHERD - LESS ( Ezekiel 34:23 ; Matthew 9:36 ; Hebrews 13:20 ; 1 Peter 5:4 ; Revelation 7:17 ). But note, whereas Joshua was to stand before Eleazar, and seek counsel and command through him, our Saviour is both Captain and Priest of his people, and knoweth of himself the will of the Father ( Matthew 11:27 ; John 1:18 ; John 10:15 ), and is the Shepherd and Overseer of souls as well as bodies ( 1 Peter 2:25 ).