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Numbers chapter 26 is the second 
census in Israel. We're not going to read the whole 
thing. The focus of our time tonight will be primarily on 
chapter 27. Remember that the title in the 
Hebrew canon, the book is called In the Wilderness. And that's 
based on the first few words in chapter 1. But in the Septuagint 
and Vulgate, it's called Numbers. And the reason it's called Numbers 
is because of the censuses, the one in chapters 1 to 4, and then 
again here in chapter 26. And chapter 26 is the census 
of the second generation, the first generation, save Caleb 
and Joshua. and at least Moses initially 
has been wiped out. And so what we have are the people 
of Israel camped on the plains of Moab getting ready to go into 
the Promised Land. So they'll be here until the 
end of Numbers, all throughout the book of Deuteronomy, and 
then of course Joshua will take them into the Promised Land for 
the conquest. So I want to read beginning in 
chapter 26 at verse 63, we'll read through chapter 27. So Numbers 26 beginning in verse 
63. These are those who were numbered 
by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of 
Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho. But among these there was not 
a man of those who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest 
when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of 
Sinai. For the Lord had said of them, they shall surely die 
in the wilderness. So there was not left a man of 
them, except Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, the son 
of Nun. Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, 
the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the 
son of Manasseh, from the families of Manasseh, the son of Joseph. 
And these were the names of his daughters, Melah, Noah, Haglah, 
Milcah, and Terzah. And they stood before Moses, 
before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders and all the 
congregation, by the doorway of the tabernacle of meeting, 
saying, Our father died in the wilderness, but he was not in 
the company of those who gathered together against the Lord, in 
company with Korah, but he died in his own sin, and he had no 
sons. Why should the name of our father 
be removed from among his family because he had no son? Give us 
a possession among our father's brothers. So Moses brought their 
case before the Lord. And the Lord spoke to Moses saying, 
the daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right. You shall surely 
give them a possession of inheritance among their father's brothers 
and cause the inheritance of their father's father to pass 
to them. And you shall speak to the children 
of Israel saying, if a man dies and has no son, then you shall 
cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. If he has no 
daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 
If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to 
his father's brothers. And if his father has no brothers, 
then you shall give his inheritance to the relative closest to him 
in his family, and he shall possess it. And it shall be to the children 
of Israel a statute of judgment, just as the Lord commanded Moses. 
Now the Lord said to Moses, Go up into this Mount Abirim and 
see the land which I have given to the children of Israel. And 
when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, 
as Aaron your brother was gathered. 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. Then Moses 
spoke to the Lord, saying, Let the Lord, the God of the spirits 
of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, 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. 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. Set him before Eleazar the priest 
and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight. 
And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the 
congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. 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. So Moses 
did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before 
Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. And he 
laid his hands on him and inaugurated him, just as the Lord commanded 
by the hand of Moses. Amen. Well, as I said, the second 
census is given to us here in chapter 26. It's pretty straightforward. You've got the heads of the tribes, 
the sons of Jacob named, and then the various people. One 
interesting point in chapter 26, specifically at verse 33, 
it gives the background for what we see here in terms of the inheritance 
laws in chapter 27. So in 2633, we are tipped off 
that Zelophehad, the son of Hefer, had no sons but daughters. And 
then it gives the names of those daughters. So we'll see that 
in just a moment. But with reference to this second 
census, the timing of the census is absolutely crucial for our 
understanding of the book. If you go back to chapter 14, 
you see God tell them that this is in fact going to happen. So 
in Numbers 14, this is the aftermath of the failed reconnaissance 
mission. Not a failed mission, but an unfortunate mission where 
you had the 12 spies sent out. The two spies, Joshua and Caleb, 
were faithful. They responded, let us go up 
at once and take the land. But of course, the 10 spies said, 
no, it's not a good land. There's giants in the land. We're 
not going to be able to conquer them. So therefore, let's not 
even try. So, of course, the children of 
Israel, or the congregation, listen to the ten faithless spies, 
and then they want to stone Joshua and Caleb, they want to stone 
Moses and Aaron. So in the aftermath, Moses intercedes 
on behalf of the children of Israel, and then God says to 
Moses in chapter 14 at verse 26, The Lord spoke to Moses and 
Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation 
who complain against me? I have heard the complaints which 
the children of Israel make against me. Say to them, As I live, says 
the Lord, just as you have spoken in my hearing, so I will do to 
you. The carcasses of you who have 
complained against me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you 
who are numbered, according to your entire number from twenty 
years old and above. "'Except for Caleb the son of 
Jephunneh, "'and Joshua the son of Nun, "'you shall by no means 
enter the land "'which I swore I would make you dwell in. "'But 
your little ones, whom you said would be victims, "'I will bring 
in, and they shall know the land "'which you have despised. "'But 
as for you, your carcasses shall fall "'in this wilderness, and 
your sons shall be shepherds "'in the wilderness forty years, 
"'and bear the brunt of your infidelity, "'or your whoredoms,' 
literally, or in the King James, version, until your carcasses 
are consumed in the wilderness. According to the number of the 
days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day 
you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and 
you shall know my rejection. I, the Lord, have spoken this, 
I will surely do so to all this evil congregation who are gathered 
together against me. In this wilderness they shall 
be consumed, and there they shall die." So God promises what we 
find as we move through this book of Numbers. And all along 
the way since then, and even prior to then, we see a thinning 
of the herd by the judgment of God. You see it here in chapter 
14, as well in the rebellion of Korah and Dathan and Abiram 
against Moses and Aaron. You see God send fire out and 
open the earth to swallow up the rebel sinners. As well, you've 
got that instance where the wrath of God falls upon the people 
at the end of chapter 16. You've got the death of Moses 
in chapter 20 announced because of his rebellion there at Meribah. 
You've got the death of Aaron recorded in chapter 20, verses 
22 to 29. You've got the instance where 
the Israelites were grumbling against God, and he sent those 
fiery serpents to bite them. Well, a lot of them died in that 
particular exchange. And then, of course, what we 
saw last week when the children of Israel played the harlot with 
the daughters of Moab in chapter 25. So what you see is God holding 
true to His promise that that first generation would be cut 
off. And so it necessitates a second 
census. And when we look at the purpose 
for the census, we see two specific things. If you look at chapter 
26 in verse 2, It says, take a census of all the congregation 
of the children of Israel from 20 years old and above by their 
father's houses, all who are able to go to war in Israel. 
The same sort of emphasis that you see in the first census in 
the beginning chapters of the book of Numbers. Well, why is 
that? We need to know who the fighting men are because the 
Canaanites aren't going to kill themselves when Israel enters 
into the promised land. They must be men who are capable 
and competent and able to do harm to the Canaanites as they 
go in to the conquest and dispossess the land of the Canaanites. So 
one of the purposes, one of the only purposes for a census is 
usually to number troops for war. There is another purpose 
we'll look at in just a moment. But with reference to censuses, 
it is one of those things that you get this thing in the mail 
every so often, and you wonder, should I fill this out or not? 
Well, they're not numbering you for war, so I wouldn't feel any 
biblical necessity. I'm not telling you to break 
the law, necessarily. It's not numbering you for war in the 
conquest of the Canaanites. The other purpose for this census 
in chapter 26 is found in verses 52 to 56. Notice in 26 at verse 52, then 
the Lord spoke to Moses saying, to these the land shall be divided 
as an inheritance according to the number of names. So the census 
functions to number the able-bodied men to go into battle against 
the Canaanites. As well, the census gives that 
land portion to the various tribes that make up the body of Israel. And that is precisely how the 
Book of Joshua proceeds. So they enter the land, they 
take the land, they divide the land, and then the latter chapters 
exhort how they are to retain the land. So in verse 54 it says, According to the law, their inheritance 
shall be divided between the larger and the smaller." So census 
for military service, census for the division of the land. 
And then the summary statement is where we began the reading 
tonight in verses 63, or 62 actually, and following. So you've got 
the number of the children of Israel given in verses 62 and 
64, and then the exceptions to that particular number in verse 
65. So notice in verse 65, For the 
LORD had said to of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. 
So there was not left a man of them, except Caleb the son of 
Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. So here it's good to 
point out God's faithfulness to His promise. He had spoken 
these things very specifically and very particularly with reference 
to the situation that Israel faced. They were whining, they 
were grumbling. In fact, if you look back to 
chapter 11, no sooner do they depart with the pillar of cloud 
and fire that they're already yearning to go back to Egypt. 
Notice in 11, 1, Now when the people complained, it displeased 
the Lord. For the Lord heard it, and His 
anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned 
among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. 
Then the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed 
to the Lord, the fire was quenched. So he called the name of the 
place Tabra, because the fire of the Lord had burned among 
them. Now the mixed multitude, remember in Exodus chapter 12, 
it wasn't just Israelites that departed in the Exodus when God 
brought judgment to bear upon the Egyptians. There were other 
people groups in Egypt, no doubt subject to the slave masters. So they went out with the children 
of Israel. So verse 4, the mixed multitude 
who were among them yielded to intense craving. So the children 
of Israel also wept again and said, who will give us meat to 
eat? They're looking for a who that's 
going to give them precisely what they wanted to have. Notice, 
we remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, 
the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now our whole 
being is dried up. There is nothing at all except 
this manna before our eyes. Now at this point in their journey, 
they had not been far. They had not gone a long way. 
Remember, they're gathered together, they're assembled together. Chapter 
9, God says, I'm going to guide you by pillar of fire and cloud. 
Chapter 10, we have some things that sort of summarize everything. 
And then they depart. They leave from that place to 
move on toward the promised land. So they hadn't been that long, 
and they weren't completely without food. They just didn't like the 
food that they had. So after they make that gripe 
about the manna in verse 6, The author Moses gives us all of 
the various uses for manna in verses 7 to 9. This isn't a cookbook 
that Moses is compiling for the mothers in Israel. It is rather 
to exacerbate the reality that they're whining for no good reason. 
They have food, they just don't want that food. So in verse 7, 
now the manna was like coriander seed and its color like the color 
of bdellium. The people went about and gathered it, ground 
it on millstones, or beat it in the mortar, cooked it in pans, 
made cakes of it, and its taste was like the taste of pastry 
prepared with oil. And when the dew fell on the 
camp in the night, the manna fell on it." The point is, is 
that they're yearning in their hearts to go back to Egypt. And 
you can't miss the irony in verse 5. We remember the fish which 
we ate freely in Egypt. The cucumbers, the melons, the 
leeks, the onions, and the garlic. They were slaves. They were subject. They got the lash. They were 
beaten. They were abused. They were ruled over. And yet, 
their desire for other types of food puts it in their heart, 
or rather in their heart, they want to go back to Egypt. And that's what you see throughout 
these wilderness wanderings. This heart that is still back 
in Egypt, still worshiping the gods of Egypt. They want a god 
who is going to give them precisely what they want. Well, God promised 
to get them from point A to point B. He didn't say you're going 
to eat steak and lobster every step of the way in the wilderness. 
You're going to a land that flows with milk and honey. That doesn't 
necessarily mean you're going to have milk and honey all the 
way through the wilderness wandering. So the children of Israel reaped 
what they had sown, the judgment of God had come upon them, with 
the exception of Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh. And again, that's connected to 
their faithfulness in Numbers 13 and 14. So we have the census, 
the second census, that brings us then to the inheritance laws. 
in chapter 27 verses 1 to 11. I've already given you the background. 
Verse 33 in the genealogy tells us that this man Zelophehad did 
not have sons. And note the request of these 
girls. Note the request of the daughters. 
In verse 2, they stood before Moses before Eleazar the priest 
and before the leaders and all the congregation by the doorway 
of the tabernacle of meeting. That would be the place where 
one would do business. That would be the place where 
you would go to fetch adjudication with reference to your need. 
Our father died in the wilderness, but he was not in the company 
of those who gathered together against the Lord. In company 
with Korah, but he died in his own sin and he had no sons. So 
they distance their father from the rebellion of Korah. They're 
not suggesting that he was a perfect man, he had his own sins. They're 
not suggesting that he was an altogether righteous man, but 
they are suggesting that he ought not to be counted amongst the 
rebels who were cut off physically, and by way of implication, their 
descendants would be cut off from tribal possession. As Robert 
Alter says, the daughters assume that the act of conspirators 
against the Lord in the Korah rebellion are to be punished 
more severely by death and by denial of inheritance to their 
descendants. It seems to be an assumption 
on their part. He's not numbered amongst the 
sons or the rebels in Korah's time, so therefore he ought to 
be given, or we ought to be given in his stead, this land possession. And so the request, the withdrawal 
of his relatively good name, they did not want that to happen. 
Notice in verse 4, why should the name of our father be removed 
from among his family because he had no son? And then their 
specific ask, give us a possession among our father's brothers. 
There seems to be the implication that this wasn't commonplace 
in Old Covenant Israel. We notice that as well because 
Moses brought their case before the Lord according to verse 5. 
Moses didn't have a handy answer. He didn't flip out his pocket 
Old Testament and say, well, here's the particular ruling 
on that subject. Timothy Ashley says, it seems 
that the normal practice in Israel was that daughters inherit property, 
that daughters not inherit property, but join the clan of their husbands 
after being given a dowry by their fathers. As the Jubilee 
legislation showed, the principle was that land was to be kept 
in the family, clan, and tribe. And that, in essence, the families, 
clans, and tribes assigned to the land were only sojourners 
on it. The land ultimately belonged to God. Leviticus 25, 23 deals 
with that Jubilee law, and that's what the Lord says. And so this 
is a real question that demands a real answer, and it's a real 
situation. He had no sons, were his daughters, 
and we don't think it's right that his name be removed from 
among his family, and we don't think it's right that his land 
be given to another tribe. So they make their appeal to 
Moses, and obviously it's a difficulty. Moses doesn't have a ready answer, 
so he brings it to the Lord. Notice the response to the request 
in verses 6 and following. The Lord spoke to Moses saying, 
the daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right. They're on the 
ball. They're on the money. This is 
case law. There wasn't an already existing statute that spoke particularly 
to this instance. So God, through Moses, is giving 
case law. It will serve as precedent down 
the road. In fact, in chapter 36, the book 
ends where it kind of is here with reference to inheritance 
laws for the daughters of Zelophehad. And I'll point out why that's 
important in just a moment. But notice, God says they're 
right. And then he says, you shall surely 
give them a possession of inheritance among their father's brothers 
and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. 
They were bang on. They shouldn't be destitute. 
A woman with no husband and no land would have little chance 
in an environment such as that. He says in verse 8, And you shall 
speak to the children of Israel, saying, If a man dies and has 
no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his 
daughter. Again, this is precedence for the future in terms of a 
particular case law application relative to inheritance. If he 
has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 
If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to 
his father's brothers. And if his father has no brothers, 
then you shall give his inheritance to the relative closest to him 
and his family, and he shall possess it. And it shall be to 
the children of Israel a statute of judgment, just as the Lord 
commanded Moses." We've seen that along the way where there 
are issues or instances where there hadn't been previous legislation. So Moses goes to Yahweh and he 
asks for a particular ruling. God gives him that ruling and 
then it functions the way verse 11 indicates there, it shall 
be to the children of Israel a statute of judgment just as 
the Lord commanded Moses. Now the importance of this, if 
you're familiar with the Old Testament and the Old Covenant 
nation of Israel, land was central. Land was absolutely crucial, 
not only because they needed a place to live, not only because 
they needed a place to farm, but because God had promised 
to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that he was going to give them 
this land. It was going to be their own special possession, 
they were going to be shining as a light to the nations around 
them. Deuteronomy 4 indicates that. 
Verse 7 tells us, For what great nation is there that has God 
so near it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason 
we may call upon Him? And what great nation is there 
that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this 
law which I set before you this day? So the children of Israel, 
functioning in their land, were to mediate the blessings of Yahweh 
to the nations around them. Now, of course, they don't do 
that, but Jesus, the true Israel, does precisely that. But land 
looms large in the Old Covenant. Again, not just simply for life 
and sustenance and all that sort of a thing, but it's central 
to God's promise to them in terms of blessing. Remember, we have 
seen that convention used with reference to God's judgment upon 
Old Covenant Israel. Specifically, Leviticus chapter 
18 speaks of sexual sin, sexual immortality, gross immortality. And God threatens that the land 
would vomit the inhabitants out of its mouth. Jesus uses that 
same language with the Laodiceans in Revelation chapter 3. Because 
you're neither hot nor cold, what's he going to do? He's going 
to vomit you out of his mouth. And so that link or that connection 
shows us something about land in terms of theology with reference 
to Old Covenant Israel. Now, as well, specifically the 
emphasis in chapter 26, verse 53, and the division of the land 
for the various tribes and clans and families would have been 
crucial for these ladies so that they could function. And then 
another place that we see the centrality of land is in 1 Kings 
chapter 21. 1 Kings chapter 21, you can turn 
there, it's a bit of a practical illustration of the necessity 
of land or the importance of land for Old Covenant Israelites. 1 Kings 21, it came to pass after 
these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which 
was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. So Ahab 
spoke to Naboth, saying, Give me your vineyard, that I may 
have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my 
house, and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. 
Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in 
money. But Naboth said to Ahab, the Lord forbid that I should 
give the inheritance of my fathers to you. He's not going to capitulate. He's not going to soften. He's 
not going to negotiate. He has to be terminated in order 
for Naboth or rather Ahab to get his land under the prodding 
of Jezebel. And so we see the importance 
of land, not just generally in terms of covenant theology or 
old covenant theology, but we see it specifically in the case 
of these girls or these young ladies with reference to now 
having no father and being possibly disenfranchised from the very 
land that they're marching to conquer with the children of 
Israel. And then that brings us to the 
successor to Moses in chapter 27, verses 12 to 23. Now in terms 
of background, we've met Joshua before. Joshua is not just in 
the book of Numbers, but we see him in the book of Exodus as 
well. We see him as a faithful assistant and attendant with 
Moses. Just about everywhere Moses is, 
Joshua is there. You meet Joshua in Exodus 17, 
Exodus 24, Exodus 32, Exodus 33. Thus far in Numbers, you 
see him in Numbers chapter 11, and then of course in the case 
of the spies in Numbers 13 and 14. And I think that What you 
appreciate with reference to Joshua, he's filled with the 
Spirit, we see that here in this particular section, but he's 
a man of faith and faithfulness and a man with courage. The courage 
that it took for him and Caleb to speak the truth to the congregation 
of Israel, notwithstanding the ten whining spies, is something 
to be modeled, something to be emulated. And of course, Joshua 
chapter 1, we see God charge him to be of good courage, to 
be a man given to the study of God's Word. And then Joshua in 
turn comes to encourage the children of Israel to be full of courage. Don't fear, let's go into the 
land. It's ours. God has promised, so therefore 
let us go. So a faithful and courageous 
spy who had the spirit and who walked with God, he was a faithful 
man. As well, his succession of Moses, 
you see it all throughout the book of Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy 
1, 3, but specifically in chapters 31 and 34, and then of course 
in Joshua chapter one, we have in the first couple of verses, 
after the death of Moses, Joshua is now the main man relative 
to the leadership in Israel, at least in terms of the military 
campaign. Now note, verses 12 to 14 actually 
happen a lot later than this particular instance, and some 
have questioned why verses 12 to 14 are here. Then we have 
the rest of the book of Numbers, and then we have all of the book 
of Deuteronomy, until we get to about chapter 29.1. So after 
29.1 in Deuteronomy, Moses delivers the law, It's basically a summation of 
the covenant. And then Moses does as God commanded 
him in chapter 31. Then again, it's recorded in 
chapter 34 that he goes, he views the promised land, and then he 
dies at the end of chapter 34 in the book of Deuteronomy. So 
why here? It's probably proleptic. Others 
have this big concocted theory that there's all these competing 
sources. I don't think we need to go that 
route. It's an announcement, it's a statement, and it shows 
the necessity of picking Joshua in order to lead the children 
of Israel. But it is intriguing. Notice 
what we find here. In verses 12 to 14, the Lord 
said to Moses, Go up into this Mount, Abiram, and see the land 
which I have given to the children of Israel. And when you have 
seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your 
brother was gathered." So in Aaron's case, it was chapter 
20. Moses' case is going to be Deuteronomy 34. 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. Moses was not a perfect man. 
Moses sinned against God in that instance, and God condemned him 
to not enter into the promised land. Didn't condemn him to hell. 
He wasn't reprobate. He's not lost. He's not going 
to be damned. But he was stopped from proceeding into the promised 
land. Which we might say, well, he's 
still in heaven. I don't know. He's a man made in the image 
of God. Men like to accomplish their tasks. His particular task 
was to move from point A to point B. Probably getting to point 
B was pretty important to him. I think that every man at the 
end of his life wants to fulfill or accomplish those things he 
has set out to do. So, you know, the text doesn't 
tell us Moses was hurt, he was deeply affected, or anything 
like that. But men in general, if they're not able to accomplish 
that, which is their hope and their purpose, there's got to 
be some sting to that. As well, I want you to turn back 
for just a moment to Numbers chapter 11. I want to set the 
stage with reference to Moses in terms of the fact that he 
was not a perfect man. I think he was a great man. I 
think he was an awesome man. He was a much more perfect man 
than I. I'm not picking on Moses here. I just want to set the 
stage a little bit for what we find in the following verses 
there in chapter 27. But after that situation in Numbers 
11, after they whine, after they complain, after they long to 
go back to Egypt, after the description of the manna, we have Moses' 
prayer. Verse 10, then Moses heard the 
people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door 
of his tent, and the anger of the Lord was greatly aroused. 
Moses also was displeased. So Moses said to the Lord, why 
have you afflicted your servant? And why have I not found favor 
in your sight that you have laid the burden of all these people 
on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them that 
you should say to me, carry them in your bosom as a guardian carries 
a nursing child to the land which you swore to their fathers? Where 
am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all 
over me, saying, Give us meat, that we may eat. I am not able 
to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy 
for me. If you treat me like this, please kill me here and 
now, if I have found favor in your sight, and do not let me 
see my wretchedness. Now as we look at that particular 
prayer, it might rise up in us, hopefully if you were here it 
doesn't, but if it does, that's kind of arrogant, kind of bold, 
pretty outside the lines in terms of 
coloring. But I would suggest it portrays 
for us a real man. You speak of the true humanity 
of our Lord Jesus. I think sometimes we can lionize 
a particular Old Testament figure and forget they were sinners 
saved by grace. And in fact, there's a contrast or a difference 
here between Moses and Jesus. Moses is basically saying, I 
don't want anything to do with these people, whereas Jesus in 
Matthew 11 says, come to me and I will give you rest. Come to 
me and I will heal you of your iniquities. But I would say as 
well, God didn't upbraid Moses for this particular prayer. Rather, 
God answered the prayer. Moses says specifically, I am 
not, verse 14, able to bear all these people alone because the 
burden is too heavy for me. Well, in the rest of the chapters, 
starting at verse 16, God says, go pick 70 men to help you in 
this particular task. So what may appear to be a bold 
or brazen prayer is nevertheless heard by God and answered by 
God specifically. But as we look at the career 
of Moses, it wasn't blemish-free, it wasn't absolute perfection. Neither was David, neither was 
Aaron, neither was any of the men of God in the Old Testament. 
Jesus is the only hero that the Bible sets forth. Jesus is the 
one that we all look to. But now going back to chapter 
27, look at the heart of Moses. Look at the heart of Moses in 
the next section. with reference to the importance 
of a successor. Okay, so God tells him he's gonna 
die in verses 12 to 14. So Moses responds in verses 15 
and following. He says, then Moses spoke to 
the Lord saying, let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all 
flesh, set a man over the congregation. 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." That's a great prayer. That really evidences 
a man whose heart is filled with love for God and love for God's 
people. As Robert Alter says in this 
final dialogue between Moses and God, it is noteworthy that 
Moses, far from demurring about the fate of imminent death that 
has just been pronounced upon him, expresses his concern about 
the continuity of leadership and the future of the people 
he has led. He's not saying, you know, God, can't we renegotiate 
this whole Maribeth thing? I had a bad moment. I shouldn't 
have yelled at the rock. I shouldn't have struck the rock, 
rather. I should have just obeyed. He doesn't do that. He's told 
he's going to die. He's going to die prior to accomplishing 
his purpose in terms of bringing the children of Israel safely 
into the land of promise. And yet, his concern is for the 
people. He's got what we might call today 
a pastor's heart. He loves the people of God, and 
he uses that very imagery about shepherding, and about leading, 
and about going out, and about going out before them. So Moses 
has a necessity for the children of Israel to have good leadership. But as well, the children of 
Israel have the necessity for good leadership in Israel as 
well. as good a leader as Moses was, and he was probably one 
of the best ever in the history of the world. I mean, who's had 
to do what Moses had to do? I mean, come on, I get his prayer 
in chapter 11. Honestly, brethren, I can resonate 
with that, not because I'm surrounded by the children of Israel who 
grumble and whine and complain all the time, but if you just 
put yourself into that particular situation, that was a huge, enormous 
task for the brother. So are there going to be times 
of frustration along the way? Yeah. We can be frustrated at a red 
light that lasts an extra 30 seconds. I get that Moses has 
that in him. But with reference to the children 
of Israel, they needed good leadership. Even with great leadership, they 
were still prone to wander and still prone to leave the God 
that they loved. I mean, all the good leadership 
in the world, they would have still tested, they would have 
still prodded, they would have still provoked. And nevertheless, 
this is what Moses prays. And it's a specific type of leadership. Notice again in verse 17, who 
may go out before them and go in before them. That's not necessarily 
military language. But it's appropriate here in 
terms of military language. What we're doing is we're moving 
point A to point B, and once we get to point B, there's going 
to be a period of military engagement. There is going to be battle after 
battle to take the land from the Canaanites. And so what he 
is suggesting, or what he is saying, is that they need a man 
who's competent and able to lead. So that brings us then to the 
direction concerning Joshua. Notice the qualification of Joshua 
according to verse 18. The Lord said to Moses, take 
Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit. A man in whom is the Spirit. 
We've already seen him as a faithful man. We've already seen him as 
a courageous man. We know that he's going to need 
all that he can get in terms of leadership with reference 
to the book of Joshua. Now Moses, on the one hand, had 
a difficult task in leading them from point A to point B. But 
I can't imagine Joshua's task, leading them into battle, killing 
people and breaking things, was necessarily a walk in the park. 
So he needs to be a unique individual, a man with that faith, a man 
with that courage, a man given to the study of Scripture, and 
a man who knows the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit 
such that he can execute that leadership faithfully. So the 
qualifications set forth, and then notice the ordination of 
him. There is this command to lay 
hands on him. It's singular in verse 18, but 
it's plural in verse 23. So God says, lay your hand on 
him. Verse 23, it says, he laid his 
hands on him. I don't think there's a big difference 
in terms of one hand or two hands. Was it a double portion of blessing 
and power? I don't think that's what's in 
view here. But one man says laying a hand or hands on someone can 
accompany a blessing, as in Genesis 48, a sacrificial offering, as 
you see in Exodus, and specifically in Leviticus 1, or a dedication 
to office. And in the New Testament, that's 
obviously picked up. We lay hands on those that we 
set apart for eldership and for the diaconate. And so it is a 
public signal or public signification of this transfer of authority 
one to another. Notice he goes on in verse 19, 
"...set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation." 
This needs to be a visible and public display. The children 
of Israel need to be taught that at least until Moses' death, 
Joshua is going to function in a co-regency, as it were, with 
Moses. But once Moses is dead, Joshua 
is the main man. So it was important to bring 
him before Eleazar and before all the congregation. And then 
it says, and inaugurate him in their sight. In other words, 
make sure everybody knows what's happening in terms of this transfer 
of leadership. And then verse 20, you shall 
give some of your authority to him. Not all of your authority, 
because Moses isn't dead yet. Moses has the rest of the numbers 
and all of Deuteronomy to get through. And in all of Deuteronomy, 
it's basically Moses talking. It's exhortations from Moses 
to the children of Israel, that second generation, to prepare 
them for the conquest when they enter into the promised land. 
So pass some of your authority upon him that all the congregation 
of the children of Israel may be obedient. So the relationship 
of the children to Moses was one of obedience. The relationship 
of the children of Israel to Joshua is to be one of obedience. He has authority. He's the leader. 
He's the one appointed by God for this particular task. Notice 
as well, verse 21. This shows us something unique 
about Moses and that Joshua differs a bit. Verse 21, he shall stand before 
Eleazar the priest who shall inquire before the Lord for him 
by the judgment of the Urim. The Urim is the Urim and the 
Thummim, and that is simply a device used by the priests as speculation 
as to how it worked. Perhaps it was two flat stones 
with colors, and you'd throw the stones, and if the colors 
were the same, then it was a yes. If the colors were different, 
then it was a no. It's a mysterious practice. You see it in Exodus 
chapter 28, and you see references along the way. But it was a device 
by which the priest sought or inquired from the Lord for a 
specific answer. Moses had direct access to God. Moses went right to God. Moses 
was a friend of God. God spoke to Moses face to face. So Joshua will not have that 
same privilege. He will not have that same prerogative. He needs to utilize the priesthood 
of Eleazar. So he shall stand before Eleazar 
the priest who shall inquire before the Lord for him by the 
judgment of the Urim. So it picks up that language 
in verse 17 that frames the way that Moses prays. And again, 
the emphasis is when you're going into battle, you have to obey 
your commander. You don't just run rogue and 
you don't just become a renegade. You follow what General Joshua 
commands you when it comes time to dispossess the land of the 
Canaanites. And then, of course, Moses complies with this according 
to verses 22 and 23. So Moses did as the Lord commanded 
him. He took Joshua and set him before 
Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. And he 
laid his hands on him and inaugurated him just as the Lord commanded 
by the hand of Moses. So in conclusion, just a couple 
of thoughts. I know it's kind of disjointed. You've got census, you've got 
inheritance laws, and then you've got successor to Moses. Well, it all makes sense based 
on the movement in the book. The first generation is gone. 
The second generation is numbered. The inheritance situation is 
being adjudicated. And then a successor for Moses 
in the event or when he comes to die. Joshua will be the man, 
take the reins and take the children of Israel. into the land of promise. So in terms of preparation, the 
census confirms the number of fighting men, able-bodied men 
that are ready to swing the sword and engage in battle and destroy 
the Canaanites. As well, the census to divide 
the promised land. When you get to Joshua, it's 
all just stated. Here's your part, here's your 
part, here's your part. It's not up for grabs, we're 
not raising our hands, we're not having an auction. It's already 
stipulated. And then the successor to lead 
them on the conquest of the promised lands. It's a very key chapter, 
actually, in the movement or flow of the book relative to 
their place on the plains of Moab. As well, the commendation 
of Joshua. Turn to Joshua chapter 1. Joshua 
chapter 1. Again, several of these themes 
come out in that charge or commission given to Joshua by God. Joshua 1 verse 1. Moses my servant is dead, now 
therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, 
to the land which I am giving to them, the children of Israel. 
Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have 
given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this 
Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the 
land of the Hittites, and of the great sea toward the going 
down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able 
to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, 
so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake 
you. Be strong and of good courage, 
for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the 
land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong 
and very courageous that you may observe to do according to 
all the law which Moses, my servant, commanded you. Do not turn from 
it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever 
you go. This book of the law shall not 
depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and 
night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written 
in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then 
you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be 
strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, 
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." He, like 
Moses, was faithful. He, like Moses, was not perfect, 
but he, like Moses, heard the voice of God, and did what God 
called him to do in terms of obedience with reference to leading 
the conquest. And then the final observation 
is the typical significance of the chapter. The typical, how 
does it point us forward to our Lord Jesus? Well, the daughters 
of Zelophehad and redemption in Christ. I stole this from 
Matthew Poole. But if you look at Galatians 
3, it's a familiar passage, 26 to 29, Galatians chapter 3. It says, for you are all sons 
of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as 
were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There's neither 
Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither 
male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And 
if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs 
according to the promise. Poole says, in Hebrew, or I'm 
sorry, he says, give them. That's the statement that's used 
by God to Moses with reference to the daughters of Zelophehad. 
In Hebrew, it is of the masculine gender to show that women in 
this case should enjoy the man's privilege and that the heavenly 
Canaan, whereof this was a type, did belong no less to women than 
to men. Kind of like that. I thought 
that was good. Second, the concern of Moses and the concern of Jesus. If you turn to the Gospel of 
Matthew in Matthew chapter 9. Matthew chapter 9. Remember what 
Moses says in verse 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. Shows Moses' heart shows his 
love for the children of Israel, shows his large-heartedness with 
reference to doing good to the people. We'll notice in Matthew 
9 at verse 35, Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, 
teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, 
and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 
But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion 
for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having 
no shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 
the harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore 
pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his 
harvest." So you see that connection between Moses and Jesus relative 
to their heart with reference to the love of the people who 
needed shepherding. So good things that we have, 
and of course Hebrews 4 makes a link between Joshua in the 
Old Covenant and the Joshua of the New Covenant, which is our 
Lord Jesus Christ. Joshua, Jesus means Yahweh is 
salvation. And the book of Hebrews in chapter 
4 links Joshua and Jesus in a very wonderful way. So I'll pray, 
and if there's any questions or comments, we can take those. 
Father in heaven, thank you for your word. Thank you for the 
way that you led your people. In Old Covenant, Israel, thank 
you for the way you lead us now, by your spirit, according to 
your holy scriptures, by your providence, we rejoice in your 
goodness and your loving kindness to us. We pray for your blessing 
upon the churches in our association, that you'd raise up men and qualify 
them and fit them for service in the kingdom. We pray that 
for all of our sister churches throughout the earth. We know 
that there are multitudes in this world that are weary, that 
are scattered, that are like sheep having no shepherd. So 
we pray that you would cause the gospel to go forth, that 
you would conquer sinners and justify them freely by your grace. 
and establish good and faithful churches that may minister to 
those who have been saved, to those who will hopefully be saved. Bless our brethren in Northern 
Ontario. We thank you for this family that's been visiting. 
We pray for your blessing upon their work there. And may you 
give great grace to Dan and Josh and help them to be faithful 
in the midst of that church plant. And we pray this through Jesus 
Christ, our Lord. Amen. Well, any questions or 
comments? on censuses, inheritances, or 
successors. Yeah. Yeah. I think it's 1,000. 
I think it's 1,000, but it's the Levites specifically. The section 
in chapter 3, probably around verse 26, I think it's... Oh, yeah, yeah, that's yeah about 
the same but the Levites differ by about a thousand positively 
They grew in number in the second generation Yeah, oh, yeah Oh yeah, there's studies that 
show quite the link between Jesus and Moses, for sure. But yeah, 
after that expression, and Jesus says, pray the Lord of the harvest 
to send out laborers into his harvest, and then he picks the 
disciples. Yeah, it's a beautiful, he not 
only feels compassion or moved with compassion, but he takes 
action. I think that's a good observation. All right. I heard it was snowing in Langley.