Numbers 27:15

"And Moses spake unto Jehovah, saying, Let Jehovah, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in; and the congregation of Jehovah be not as sheep which have no shepherd. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay thy hand upon him; and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight. And thou shalt put of thine honor upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may obey. And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before Jehovah: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation. And Moses did as Jehovah commanded him; and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation: and he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as Jehovah spake by Moses."

"And thou shalt put of thine honor upon him ..." Joshua was not to have the same place in Israel's history as Moses had. The word here rendered "honor" has the meaning of "authority,"[19] and in some of the affairs of the Chosen People, Joshua was subordinate to the High Priest. In the whole conception of the Theocracy, this was an essential element.

"In whom is the Spirit ..." The American Standard Version departs from precious versions in capitalizing Spirit, whereas in the KJV, for example, it is written "spirit." The ASV follows the Douay in this. It does not appear that God guided all of His people with the Holy Spirit during that dispensation of his grace, but it cannot be denied that he did so in the instance of Joshua, and of Moses, and of all the holy prophets. Peter tells us categorically that "holy men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:20). Also see 1 Peter 1:11. Therefore, we believe the ASV is certainly correct in making this passage a reference to the blessed Holy Spirit himself. This is very important, because it means that Joshua, who in all probability is the so-called "editor" to whom a few passages in the Pentateuch are usually assigned was INSPIRED of God no less than Moses.

Whereas God spake directly with Moses, Joshua sought to know the will of God through the high priest who consulted the "Urim" (Numbers 27:21). This is apparently an abbreviation from "the Urim and the Thummin,"[20] those mysterious articles carried in the breastplate of the High Priest (Exodus 28:30), which in some unknown manner were consulted with regard to God's will on certain matters. Little is known about them or their use.

It should be noted that Moses offered no complaint when God told him of his impending death. He did not protest, or plead for any change or delay in the sentence. His only thoughts appear to have been concerned with the safety, the leadership, and the continued progress of Israel. What a noble and self-effacing attitude.

"Go out before them ... come in before them ... lead them out ... bring them in ..." (Numbers 27:17). These are the metaphors of a shepherd. God Himself was the Shepherd of Israel, and when Jesus said, "I am the Good Shepherd," no bolder claim to absolute Divinity on our Lord's part could have been stated.