(Num 27:12 NKJV)  Now the LORD said to Moses: "Go up into this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel. (Deu 32:49 NKJV)  "Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, across from Jericho; view the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel as a possession;

 

(Num 27:13} "And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered. {14} "For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes." (These are the waters of Meribah, at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.)

 

(Deu 32:50 NKJV)  "and die on the mountain which you ascend, and be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people;

 

(Deu 32:51) "because you trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, because you did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel. {52} "Yet you shall see the land before you, though you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving to the children of Israel."

 

(Num 27:15) Then Moses spoke to the LORD, saying: {16} "Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, {17} "who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be like sheep which have no shepherd."

 

 

(Num 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;

 

 

Abraham was told "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; (Gen 22:12 NKJV) 

But that was with the intent of killing him.

 

(Gen 37:22 NKJV)  “And Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him"; that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.”

This is similar to the case above— “do not lay a hand on him” to do violence to him.

 

Again, the priests were to lay their hands on the sacrifice . . .

(Lev 3:2 NKJV)  'And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of meeting; and Aaron's sons, the priests, shall sprinkle the blood all around on the altar.

 

(Num 27:19) "set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight. {20} "And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.

 

(Num 27:19 KJV)  And set him before Eleazar . . . and give him a charge in their sight.

 

(Num 27:19 NASB)  and commission him in their sight.

 

 

With respect to receiving the Holy Spirit:

(Acts 8:17 NKJV)  Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

 

 

(1 Tim 4:14 NKJV)  Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.

 

Paul told Timothy to be careful about laying his hands on others:   (1 Tim 5:22 NKJV)  Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people's sins; keep yourself pure.

 

There is even reference to the doctrine of the laying on of hands.

 

(Heb 6:1-2 NKJV)  Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, {2} of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

 

 

(Num 27:21) "He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the LORD for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him; all the congregation."

 

God wanted His leaders to be guided by His direction.  In this case: “by the judgment of the Urim.”  Which is still a bit mysterious.  There are two previous cases, and four follow.  It seems to relate to God’s guidance and direction for Israel.

Moses carries out what God has said to him about changing the leadership.

 

(Num 27:22) So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. {23} And he laid his hands on him and inaugurated him, just as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.

 

 

(Deu 3:21-29 NKJV)  "And I commanded Joshua at that time, [apparently at the time he was turning the leadership over to him] saying, 'Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings; so will the LORD do to all the kingdoms through which you pass. {22} 'You must not fear them, for the LORD your God Himself fights for you.'

 

(Deu 3:23) "Then I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying: {24} 'O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds? {25} 'I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon.' {26} "But the LORD was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me. So the LORD said to me: 'Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter. {27} 'Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the east; behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. {28} 'But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see.' {29} "So we stayed in the valley opposite Beth Peor.

 

(Acts 12:21-23 NKJV)  So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. {22} And the people kept shouting, "The voice of a god and not of a man!" {23} Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.

 

 

(Deu 34:5) So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. {6} And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day. {7} Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished.

 

God—the greatest mathematician of all time—loved the number 40,

and sometimes He loved three of 40’s in a row.

For Moses:

40 years	in Egypt and he fled.
40 years	in the school of humility and he returned to Egypt to deliver God’s people.
40 years	of wandering with the faithless, and it cost him his own entrance into the Promised land.

 

What’s next?

We have not covered all details that remain in the book of Numbers.

Deuteronomy has some interesting passages that we might cover.

We can go on to the book of Joshua and begin the entrance into the promised land.

 

We can change and study a different book. 

I probably should have had a formal survey available, but if you will let me know, I’ll try to put it all together for next time.

 

{The Decision after church--Joshua as our next lesson}

 

Scripture quotations marked "NKJV™" are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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