Though still physically strong, Moses was now 120 years old (Deut. 31:2; 34:7) and the time had come for him to move off the scene. He had led the people of Israel faithfully for forty years (Acts 7:23, 30; Ex. 7:7), bearing their burdens, sharing their victories, and teaching them God’s laws. God and Moses communed with each other as friend with friend, and the Lord didn’t hide anything from His servant.
Moses and the land (vv. 12–14). Because Moses and Aaron had not honored the Lord at Meribah, they weren’t permitted to enter the Promised Land with the new generation (20:2–13). Moses repeatedly asked God for permission to enter the land (Deut. 4:23–29), but the Lord refused to relent. Not only must Moses be disciplined because of his pride and anger at Meribah, but he must not mar the type that would be expounded in the book of Hebrews. It isn’t the law (Moses) that gives us our spiritual inheritance but Jesus (Joshua; Heb. 4:8; and context).
After Moses delivered the messages recorded in Deuteronomy, he was permitted to ascend Mount Nebo (Pisgah), in the Abarim mountain range, and view the land that Israel would inherit (Deut. 32:48–52; 34:1–4). Centuries later, Moses and Elijah would stand in glory on the Mount of Transfiguration when they talked with Jesus about His impending death on the cross (Matt. 17:1–8); so he did finally make it to the Promised Land.
Moses and Joshua (vv. 15–23). Many times during his long ministry, Moses had proved himself a true leader by being more concerned for the people than for himself. Twice God had offered to destroy the Jews and start a new nation with Moses, but Moses had refused (14:11–19; Ex. 32:7–14), and often he had interceded for the people when God’s judgment was about to fall. He had been misunderstood, criticized, and nearly stoned, but he remained a faithful shepherd to his people.
Though he was about to die, Moses didn’t think about himself but about the future of the nation. His great concern was that God provide a spiritual leader for the people, for they were sheep (Num. 27:17; see Ps. 74:1; 79:13; 95:7; 100:3; 2 Sam. 24:7), and sheep must have a shepherd (1 Kings 22:17; Zech. 10:2; Matt. 9:36; Mark 6:34).
It was certainly no surprise that Joshua was the man God chose to take Moses’ place, for Joshua had worked closely with Moses since the nation left Egypt. He led the Jewish army in defeating the Amalekites (Ex. 17:8–16), and he ministered as Moses’ servant (24:13; 33:11; Num. 11:28), even going up Sinai with Moses when God gave the law (v. 13; 32:17). As one of the twelve spies, he joined with Caleb in encouraging the people to enter the land (Num. 14:6–9). He was filled with the Spirit (27:18; Deut. 34:9) and had been disciplined in the rigors of Egyptian slavery and the wilderness march. In every way, he was a perfect successor to Moses.
Moses had received his call and commission in the loneliness of the Midianite wilderness (Ex. 3), but Joshua was commissioned publicly by Moses and Eleazar the high priest. Moses laid his hand on his successor and bestowed on him the authority God had given him, and Eleazar would use the Urim and Thummin to help Joshua determine the will of God (28:30). In the weeks that followed, Moses gradually gave more responsibility to Joshua so that the people learned to respect him and obey him as God’s chosen leader. Part of Moses’ commissioning speech is found in Deuteronomy 31:1–8, and God gave Joshua further encouragement in Joshua 1:1–9.
During his years of service with Moses, Joshua learned some valuable principles of spiritual life and service, principles that still apply today. When you read the book of Joshua, you see that he was concerned for the glory of God and the welfare of the people, and that he was careful to obey the orders God gave him. The two times Joshua didn’t seek God’s will, he brought the nation into shameful defeat (Josh. 7 and 9), but to his credit, he trusted God to make his mistakes work out successfully in the end.
Under Joshua’s leadership, the nation worked together to defeat the pagan nations in Canaan and then establish the nation of Israel. Before he died, he called the leaders and the people together and led them in dedicating themselves and their families to the Lord, affirming to them, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (24:15).
One of the responsibilities of Christian leaders today is to see to it that the next generation is equipped to carry on the work (2 Tim. 2:2). Each local church is just one generation short of extinction, and unless we teach and train new leaders, we jeopardize the future of our homes, churches, and nation.