The God of the Spirits of all Flesh

Numbers 27:15–17 (ESV) Moses spoke to the LORD, saying, 16 “Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation 17 who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.”

When Moses is reminded that he will not enter the land according to the Lord's word concerning his disobedience to God at the waters of Meribah, his first inclination is not to beg for God to reconsider but for God to find the right man to shepherd the people.

At the end of his ministry to God's people and in God's purpose, Moses was a shepherd at heart. He became a shepherd when he chose to identify with his people rather than enjoy the momentary pleasures of Egypt. He lived in Midian for 40 years as a shepherd understanding the tremendous amount of work required to lead flocks properly. Moses may have been raised in the luxury of a palace, but his mission was always to lead and feed those God gave him. 

What do you do when you know you aren't going to live forever? You take what God has put in your heart and developed through experiences of challenge, trial and success and you pass it on to someone who will come after you. Moses' request is for a shepherding successor who will know how to fight. That is the meaning of the terms, "who shall lead them out and bring them in"... a euphemism for war. 

Moses understands that God gave him - as reluctantly as he was in the beginning - to be shepherd of God's people. What do we need? We need a shepherd. What were the ancient Hebrews? Shepherds. What disgusted the Egyptians? The Hebrew shepherds. But what is our Lord? The Good Shepherd. He is the one who knows how to lead us, feed us, and when necessary - fight for us! 

The world looks for leaders. The world looks for men of talent to praise and stature to admire. God looks for a shepherd. God knows only a shepherd truly cares about those in his care and not his own glory. Moses exemplifies that with his quick response and Jesus fulfills that for us as the cross. 

If there is one thing we see so far in the narrative of God's people it is that no human shepherd can complete the job. Abraham died with a burial plot in his possession - hardly a testament to success when it came to occupying Canaan. Jacob followed his sons to Egypt. Joseph was more a dignitary and statesman than a shepherd. Here Moses is so far Israel's most successful shepherd but he too will go by the way of the grave not completing the mission. We start to pick up a theme - only the Lord can do this for His people. And he does not lead us into a geographical location on Earth - He leads us straight into the good dwelling of heaven. 

Hebrews 9:24 (ESV) For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

Joshua succeeds Moses in Numbers 27 to point us to Christ. His name is the Hebrew name of Jesus and has been changed from Hosea (salvation) to Joshua (the Lord saves). How utterly clear the scriptures present the truth of the Gospel. Only God saves and truly shepherds His people. Only the Lord fights for and wins their battles to occupy the places God gives them. Only Jesus brings us from slavery to sonship. 

We see the failures of Moses, but we see the heart of God developed deep within him and longing for Jesus to come to us. He has come and we are saved. 

Amen.

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