“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."
Numbers 27:18 (NIV)
As we consider the record in Matthew chapter 10 of our Lord giving authority to His twelve, some consideration of the record of Moses giving some of his authority to Joshua should be beneficial.
The LORD commanded Moses to commission Joshua by having him stand in front of the priest and the assembly of worshipers, then to lay his hand on Joshua and give him some of his authority. The transition of leadership is the issue here, as Moses prepares to die in Moab so that the Israelites can enter the Promised Land, and our God is concerned that His people know who it is God has provided for them to follow.
Moses had God-given authority as the prophet who led the people out of Egypt. He judged them, he punished them, he taught them, he brought them victory through prayer, he stood between them and Pharaoh, he split the Red Sea with his staff, he stood between them and God, and he led them all those years. Even as we read these words, we can see the parallels between the ministry of Moses for God’s people and the ministry of our Lord for us. My heart is filled with gratitude for my Lord who intercedes on my behalf, and who appointed the Twelve to lead us through their teaching. Jesus is preparing to leave earth and so He gives authority to these men so that we would know who to follow. Not only that, but he gave authority to these men so that they would be able to deliver the people around them from Satan’s power as they proclaimed the gospel,
drove out demons and healed.
drove out demons and healed.
May we devote ourselves to the apostles teaching.
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