“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.”
Numbers 27:21 (NIV)
I love Moses’ response to the LORD telling him that he would die outside of the promised land!
No whining or whinging for Moses - he had his eyes on God (who gives breath to all living things) and his eyes on God’s people (so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd) - so he asks God to appoint a leader over God’s people.
It is amazing how a focus on God and His people keeps us from whining - may God keep our eyes on Him and on His people.
For us as we prepare to experience the message of Micah 5, I picked Numbers 27 to expose us to one of the biblical definitions of a shepherd. Psalm 23 gives us a wonderful picture of the pastoral role of a shepherd, and Numbers 27 gives us a governmental picture of a shepherd.
In Numbers 27, in answer to Moses’ concern about God’s people not having a shepherd - God directs Moses to ensure that Joshua receives the spirit of leadership from Moses in a public ceremony so that the people will obey him, and that Joshua is to be the one who goes before the priests to seek direction from God, so that He would know what to command the people.
Joshua's shepherd role for Israel is one of direction and government
My Baptist understanding of the role of pastor is formed primarily through the instructions given to Peter to feed God’s sheep and care for them. I don’t believe a pastor in a local church has any authority apart from the Word of God, and that there is no place for a pastor to direct a person in their life decisions. Though I have pastoral brothers who try to 'enlighten' me into taking on the mantle of authority over God's people.
It is Jesus who was given this mantle of authority - it was given to Him publicly at the Jordan in His baptism, again at the cross in His death and again in His tomb at His resurrection and again in a public heavenly ceremony at His ascension. Being an undershepherd in a local church does not place this mantle of authority over people's lives on my shoulders.
It is the Lord Jesus who is the One we are to obey, and it is the Lord Jesus who gives us the commands to go in and to go out.
You can put a man in our Lord’s place if you want - millions do it.
Why would you?
Why would you settle for a human giving you direction when the Lord Jesus Himself stands and shepherds you?
Seek His face. Seek His direction.
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