The Pulpit Commentary — Numbers — Section 385

Jesus of the decease (l(ooo,,) which he should accomplish at Jerusalem (Luke ix. -31, &c.). And note, that in Mosee and Joshua we may clearly see the distinction between the Divine treatment of men as types and a.e individuals. Moses, e. g.,was ,made in hie own time to yield to Joshua, to die in exile while Joshua led on to victory and home; and that obviouely because Moses represented the weakness of the law, Joshua the power of the gospel. We, however, with the New Testament in our hands, have no difficulty in seeing that as individual servants of God, Moses is more honoured and more greatly rewarded than Joshua; for God is not extreme to ·mark what is done amiss by those who in the main serve him nobly, unselfishly, and patiently; nor is it in truth a righteous thing with God for one sin of temper to confiscate the rewards of many years of devotion. As a type Joshua stands higher because he was unblamed: as a man Moses is more dear to God, because his work was far more hard, hie position more discouraging, and his lot less happy, than that -of Joshua, and he himself not Iese faithful. III. THAT MosEs DID NOT COMPLAIN OB BEBEL. We know indeed from his own mouth (Deut. iii. 24), that he privately besought the Lord to let him go over; but when the Lord refused him (for the time present) he submitted without a word of -complaint. Here was Moses' meekness ( eh, xii. 3) ; not that he was not sometimes provoked so that he forgot himself; but that he habitually humbled himself to bear meekly even what seemed most hard. IV. ·THAT HIS HABITUAL UNSELFISHNESS SHOWED ITSELF IN CONCERN FOB HIS PEOPLE WHEN HE WAS GONE. He did not harp upon hie own fate, or brood upon his own sorrow, but thought only of the people, what should become of them. V. THAT IN HIS UNSELFISH CONCERN FOR THEM HE WAS WILLING AND ANXIOUS THAT ANOTHER SHOULD BE PLACED OVER THEM IN HIS STEAD. .And this showed th& highest generosity of mind, because even very noble and otherwise unselfish people -constantly betray jealouey and displeasure at the thought of others taking their place. To one who had wielded absolute power for forty years, it might well hav& :eeerned impossible to ask for a successor. VI. THAT IN HIS LOYALTY TO THE KING OF ISRAEL HE GLADLY DEVOLVED HIS OWH t>IGNITY UPON ·ONE WHO HAD BEEN HIS OWN SERVANT, AND OF ANOTHER TBI11E. Moses made no effort to advance his sons, a.e even Samuel did (1 Sam. viii. 1), nor had they any name or pre-eminence in Israel ; nor did he show the least jealousy of ,Joshua, although he had been his own minister and (humanly speaking) owed ,everything to him. Consider, again, with respect to Joshua a,s a.figure of our Lo1·d- I. THAT HE WAS TO SUPERSEDE MOSES. (See ubove 1 and cf. Matt. v. 17 i Acts vi. 14 i Heh. iii. 3.) II. THAT HE WAS APPOINTED IN ANSWER TO THE PRAYER THAT Goo WOULD Cl SE'l' A MAN OVER THE CONGREGATION." E,·en so the Lord is that Son of man whom God hath ordailted to be the Head of the Church, the human arbiter of human destinies, the human pattern and guide of all believers (Acts ii. 36 ; x. 42 ; Heb. ii. 16-18 ; Eph. i. 22, 23). III. THAT BE WAS TO GO OUT AND TO GO IN BEFORE HIS PEOPLE i i. e. he was to lead an active and busy life in their sight and in their behalf. Even so our Lord fulfilled his ministry before the eyes of all the people, not in solitary meditation nor in calm retirement, but in a ceaseless activity of labour for the bodies and soiile of men (Luke ii. 49; John iv. 34; ix. 4; xviii. 20; Acts x. 38). IV. THAT llE WAS TO LEAD HIS PEOPLE OUT, AND TO DRING THEM IN, as a shepherd ·does his flock. Even so our Lord goes before his own in all things whether in lifo -0r in death, leading them out of the uncertain wilderness of this world, bringing them in to the unchangeable rest of the world to come (Ps. xxiii. 4; John x. 3, sq.; 1 Pet. ii. 21; Rev. i. 18). V. '!'HAT HE WAS TO DE A SllEPHERD TO THEM THAT HAD OTHERWISE BEEN SHEPHERD- iLESB (Ezek. xxxiv. 23; Matt. ix. 36; Heh. xiii. 20; 1 Peter v. 4; Rev. vii. 17). But note, whereas Joshua was to stand before Eleazar, and seek counsel and command through him, our Saviour is both Captain and Priest of his people, and knoweth of 11imself the will of the Futher (Matt. x1. 27; John i. 18; x. 15), and is the Shepherd .and Overseer of souls as well as bodies (1 Pet. ii. 25 ). BB2  872 THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. [ea. xxvu. 12-2&