Numbers 27 is the wrap up for Moses. This chapter begins with the daughters of Zelophehad showing up to ask for their inheritance. There were no brothers in their family, so the line was going to die out in terms of ownership. So they go to Moses and ask for their land and he immediately seeks God for direction. “God ruled…..give them land as an inheritance” and then goes on to set the standard for how it should be handled going forward. It had not been the tradition for property to be owned by anyone other than the sons in a family. But that changes here as a series of instructions are given on how to divide inheritance. Moses continues to show us how to live – when questions come – he seeks God. He does it quickly – not after trying to figure it out on his own. Request comes – he seeks – God answers. It really is a pretty simple formula. When we are faced with a decision, we need to ask God to give us direction. It is His desire to do just that. But we need to listen so when He responds we are paying attention. Sometimes my tendency is to ask and then do what I think I should without ever giving God the opportunity to respond. How about you?
God instructs Moses to climb up the mountains and look over the Promised Land. Then the reality of the past sinks in when God says “when you have had a good look you will be joined to your ancestors in the grave”. In other words – Moses isn’t going to enter the Promised Land. It all goes back to the way he obeyed at Kadesh when he failed to obey God’s command. Back in chapter 20 God had told Moses to speak to the rock and bring forth water but Moses struck the rock instead. That failure to obey is now coming home to roost. Moses is not going to enter the land he has led the people to for the last 40+ years beginning back in Egypt. That would tend to make one bitter, wouldn’t it? Not Moses. He immediately asks God who he should pass leadership on to. Did you catch that? God tells him that he is not entering the Promised Land and his response – who should take over in my place. No pouting, whining, complaining, scheming, tantrums – just continued leadership and concern for the people. What an example of staying focused on the mission. He certainly didn’t want to be this close and have his people fail to cross the finish line. God instructs him to pass the torch to Joshua, and to “stand him in front of the entire community….lay hands on and commission him”. Can you imagine the bitter sweet feeling. Moses let the people to the edge of greatness and then has to hand off. It was like running 99.9 yards but handing the ball to someone else to cross the goal line. What a struggle he has led the people through and yet he humbly obeys God and passes things to Joshua to bring it home. We need to learn much from the leadership of Moses. He is a pillar of consistent leadership and an example of how we need to lead. Lord help me be focused on the end like he was.
