SERMON OUTLINE:
Moses and the Land (vs 12-14).
Moses and Joshua (vs 15-23).
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
George was 28 years old, single, and still living with his parents.
• One Sunday morning, George told his mother he wasn’t going to church.
• "First," he said, "I’m tired. Second, the people there don’t like me.
• And third, the sermons are dull."
But George’s mother wouldn’t take no for an answer. "George," she said, "you have to go.:
• First, we always worship on Sunday.
• Second, it doesn’t matter whether they like us or not.
• And third, you are the pastor!"
• God has always had some rather reluctant leaders.
• And Joshua who will takes over from Moses as the new leader was no exception!
We pick up the story when Moses is 120 years old:
Ill:
You know that you are getting old when:
• When everything that works hurts, and what doesn’t hurt doesn’t work.
• Your try to straighten out the wrinkles in your socks and discover you aren’t wearing any.
• You look forward to a dull evening.
• Your knees buckle and your belt won’t.
• When your idea of a night out is sitting on the patio.
• You sit in a rocking chair and can’t get it going.
• You sink your teeth into a good steak and they stay there.
• You finally get your head together and your body starts falling apart.
• Not only is Moses 120 but he is still physically strong;
• No complaints with his health – as far as we know - not even arthritis!
• But Moses learns in this chapter that his time is up!
• God has decided that it is time for Moses to move on:
• Moses will soon be ‘Promoted to Glory’.
• That is a great term used by The Salvation Army to describe the death of a Salvationist.
Ill:
• Shortly before his death, ’Mahatma’ Gandhi wrote,
• "All about me is darkness; I am praying for light."
• Contrast this with 18th century American evangelist D. L. Moody;
• His last recorded words: "This is my triumph; this is my coronation day! It is glorious!"
• Well as you will discover next week when Moses physically dies;
• Death for him will be a: "…triumph; …coronation day! …glorious!"
(1). MOSES AND THE LAND (VS 12-14).
“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go up this mountain in the Abarim Range and see the land I have given the Israelites. 13 After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, 14 for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command to honour me as holy before their eyes.” (These were the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.)”.
• As we have noted in previous studies (Numbers 20:1-13);
• Because Moses and Aaron had not honoured the Lord at Meribah;
• They were not permitted to enter the Promised Land with the new generation of people.
If you were not here for that study, let me remind you of Moses sin;
• First: Moses sinned in striking the rock instead of speaking to it as commanded:
• It was the sin of disobedience.
• Second: Moses himself took the credit for providing the water:
• It was the sin of pride and he was taking for himself some of God’s glory!
• As a result of Moses & Aaron’s foolish actions:
• God allowed Moses to see the Promised Land;
• But told him he would not enter it!
Note: God was NOT being cruel to Moses:
Ill:
• Cruel would be showing a hungry dog a huge T-bone steak;
• Then giving it to another dog to eat while he watches longingly!
Ill:
• Cruel would be a young man falling in love with beautiful woman;
• Only to be told she is going to marry someone else!
I do not believe that is what God is doing here! God is not cruel and he does not mock us:
• That is why although Moses is disappointed not to enter the Promised Land;
• Moses is not submerged in self-pity.
• He is not angrily shaking his fist at God and a arguing with him.
• I believe God is showing Moses that although he will not be around to see it;
• All his toils and hardships have not been in vain,
• And it is a final reminder that God always, always keeps his word!
Ill:
• When Sir Winston Churchill resigned as prime minister of Great Britain on April 5, 1955,
• Many believed it was because of his age;
• And the desire to permit Sir Anthony Eden greater opportunity in the forthcoming elections.
• They were both factors but there was one more important ingredient.
• The 81-year-old statesman had made a promise.
• The promise was to Clementine Hozier, his wife since 1908,
• Sir Winston was persuaded to give his remaining years in companionship and affection.
• The late, great man commented about the companionship,
• “I was married and lived happily ever afterward.”
In a far greater way God always, always keeps his word!
• For forty years God had been telling Moses that these people will inherit the land;
• And Moses would get to see this land that the people would soon enter in to.
• And that promise was being fulfilled.
Ill:
• When it comes to the promises of God;
• It is worth remembering God always keeps his promises…but:
• (a). On his terms.
• (b). To his intended audience.
• (c). By his methods.
• (d). In his time.
Ill:
• When the Native American Indian Chief Crowfoot, of the Blackfoot confederacy;
• First gave the Canadian Pacific Railroad permission to cross the Blackfoot land;
• (From Medicine Hat to Calgary).
• He was given in return a lifetime railroad pass.
• Crowfoot put it in a leather case and carried it around his neck for the rest of his life.
• There is no record, however,
• That he ever availed himself of the right to travel anywhere on the CPR trains.
Sadly too many people treat the promises of God in the same way.
• As Christians we are supposed to be ‘Standing on the promises’;
• Not just sitting on the premises!
• And if you are not yet a Christian God offers you this morning a three-fold promise.
• (a). Sins forgiven – 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 18a.
• "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God."
• (b). Holy Spirit to help you – Ephesians chapter 1 verse 13:
• “…Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
• (c). Assurance of heaven in the future – John chapter 14 verses 1-6:
• “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am”
(2). MOSES AND JOSHUA (VS 15-23).
(A). MOSES’ REQUEST (VS 15-18):
“Moses said to the LORD, 16 “May the LORD, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community 17 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.”
Notice in these verses that Moses great concern is not his own death:
• Moses knew his God!
• Therefore he was happy to trust that his purposes are always best.
• But Moses was concerned for the Hebrew people and their future.
• He did not want them to be like a ‘sheep without a shepherd’.
• So he asked that God will provide a spiritual leader for the people.
• Notice Moses asked God to choose his successor – “Lord…appoint”.
Ill:
• In the early 1930’s Dorson Trotman was a timber yard worker in California.
• One day he began helping a young sailor in his Christian faith.
• They spent many hours praying and studying the Bible.
• Then one day this sailor turned up with a friend;
• And said: "Teach him what you have taught me."
• Dorson Trotman’s reply was "No, you teach him".
• And that was the beginning of the movement known as the Navigators.
• Today the Navigators is a world-wide organisation;
• Working in more than 100 countries.
• Want to know more then check out their website: www.navigators.co.uk/
One day Dorson Trotman had a premonition of his death;
• So he sat down with his wife;
• And together they planned out his successor and the future of the Navigators,
• Which is sort of like buying the nails and wood for your own coffin!
• Trotman was working on the principle:
• “God buries His workers, but His work goes on."
• The man Trotman and his wife chose to carry on the work of the Navigators;
• Was a man called Lorne Sanny.
• A man markedly different from Trotman in:
• Personality, appearance, physique, style and expression.
• So different but time proved him to be an outstanding choice!
(B). GOD’S REPLY (VS 18-21):
18 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. 19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. 20 Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. 21 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.”
• God’s replacement for Moses was Joshua
• A man vastly different to Moses – but an outstanding choice!
• But notice that when God called Joshua to follow on from Moses as the new leader;
• Please do not think this calling was a ‘bolt out of the blue’.
• Joshua had been in leadership training for a number of years;
• In fact the book of Numbers chapter 11 verse 28:
• Refers to Joshua as Moses’ ‘assistant from youth’,
• He would therefore had accompanied Moses;
• In a whole load of positive and negative situations.
i.e.
• As Moses’ assistant Joshua was allowed to go with Moses part of the way up Mt. Sinai;
• Each time Moses went to get the 10 commandments.
• (Exodus chapter 32 verses 15-21 & Numbers chapter 32 verse 17).
i.e.
• Joshua was Moses’ military commander;
• When the Israelites defeated the Amalekites in Rephidim about 2 months later.
• (Exodus chapter 17 verses 8-16).
i.e.
• Joshua was born as a slave in Egypt, about 40 years before the Exodus took place.
• (1 Chronicles chapter 7 verses 20&27).
• So he had been disciplined in the rigors of Egyptian slavery & the wilderness march.
i.e.
• He was one of the twelve spies of Israel sent by Moses to explore the land of Canaan.
• (Numbers chapter 13 verse 1-16)
• On their return only Joshua and Caleb gave an encouraging report.
So Joshua’s calling to follow on from Moses as the new leader was not a ‘bolt out of the blue’.
• Joshua had been up close and alongside Moses for years;
• And so he had been able to learn many valuable lessons from Moses first-hand.
• He might not have realised it at the time;
• But he had been serving his apprenticeship
• Preparing him for such a time as this!
Quote: How we learn:
• 1% through taste
• 1.5% through touch
• 3.5% through smell
• 11% through hearing
• 83% through sight
Ill:
• Have you ever noticed Jesus never told the disciples to get out their notepads and pens!
• Now I have no problem with people taking notes etc. - I would encourage it!
• (it helps with concentration and assists the memory regarding what was said!)
• Yet Jesus never told the disciples to get out their notepads and pens;
• Because they were primarily learning by watching and by copying!
• i.e. John chapter 13 verses 12 to 15:
“After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you”
Joshua had spent his life learning from Moses:
• Learning lessons that could not be taught in a classroom:
• He was able to watch and learn first-hand from Israel’s greatest teacher – Moses.
• And it was these lessons that he was taking on board;
• That he himself in a totally different context would one day have to put into practice.
(C). JOSHUA’S COMMISSION (VS 22-23):
22 Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. 23 Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD instructed through Moses.”
To Mark Joshua’s appointment three things took place in a simple ceremony:
First: Joshua stood before the people (vs 22)
• Moses had received his call from God into leadership;
• In the loneliness of the Midianite wilderness (Exodus chapter 3)
• In contrast Joshua would receive his call from God into leadership;
• Publicly before Moses, Eleazar the high priest.
Second: Moses laid his hands on Joshua his successor (vs 23).
• In the Bible, when people laid hands on someone else it was done a reason;
• To mark someone out for a specific service & acknowledge God’s calling in their lives.
• It signified the transferal, the passing of some authority from one person to another.
• The Hebrew people needed to know that Moses fully supported Joshua.
Third: Eleazer would use the Urim and the Thummim to help Joshua (vs 21).
“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.”
The Urim ("lights") and Thummim ("perfections");
(a).
• Were gemstones that were carried by the high priest of Israel on the ephod/priestly garments.
• They were used by the high priest to determine God’s will in some situations.
• Some propose that God would cause the Urim and Thummim;
• To light up in varying patterns to reveal His decision.
(b).
• Others propose that the Urim and Thummim were kept in a pouch;
• And were engraved with symbols identifying yes / no and true / false
• And having prayed the priest reached in to the pouch and pulled out an answer.
I think the thing to note is Joshua would know God’s leading and directing in a new way:
• He would know God’s leading in a different way to Moses:
• i.e. No pillar of fire at night or cloud in the day.
• Yet God’s leading would be just as real and just as important.
• Joshua did not and was not expected to copy the ministry of Moses;
• He was to look to the Lord and discover for himself God at work!
• May we too build on the past experiences of previous Christians;
• And not get buried underneath them
• Our God will continue to lead us and guide us as we trust in him;
• And study his word.
