Saturday 29 November 2025
Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the Lord had commanded Moses. (v. 9)
Background
So finally, in this chapter we have the death of Moses and Joshua, Moses' successor, becoming the Israelites' leader.
The story of Moses is complete and he is buried in a grave which was never to be found. Yet, it is not the end of the story or the end of Moses’ influence. Because Moses had appointed Joshua to lead and had laid hands on him, Joshua was filled with the spirit of wisdom.
It was because Moses had endorsed Joshua that the Israelites listened to him. In listening to him they followed the instructions that Moses had previously given to them and were written in the book of the Law.
Therefore, it is not just God’s law which has lived on and had influence, it is also the details of Moses' leadership and wisdom.
As I end I have to acknowledge the theological debate around whether Moses actually existed or not. Scholars debate whether he was an actual person or a figure these things were ascribed to. I don’t think for our purposes that actually matters too much. The fact is that somebody wrote the books of the law, and a story was built around them that shaped a society and continues to shape society. Whether Moses was real or an ancient literary construction, God has used the story of this man over the years. Moses' influence does live on.
To Ponder:
- What do you want your influence into the future to be?
- Does it matter to you whether Moses actually existed or not?
Bible notes author: Sally Rush
Sally is a Learning & Development Officer in the Methodist Connexional Team.