Numbers 27 - Joshua's Rise

"Moses did as the Lord had commanded. And when he had taken Josue, he set him before Eleazar the priest, and all the assembly of the people,
And laying his hands on his head, he repeated all things that the Lord had commanded." (Numbers 27:22-23)

"These they set before the apostles: and they, praying, imposed hands upon them." (Acts of the Apostles 6:6)

"Neglect not the grace which is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the imposition of the hands of the priesthood." (1 Timothy 4:14)

In this chapter we see the transference of leadership from Moses to Joshua (spelled Josue in the Douay-Rheims). I bring up the other verses above because they show the significance of external ceremonies, e.g., the laying on of hands. It wasn't enough for Moses just to tell Joshua he was now in charge; as instructed by God, Moses had to physically lay his hands upon him as well as bring in the witness Eleazar. So it is still when priests are ordained (as well as with other ceremonies). The laying on of hands is a necessary and significant part of the ordination process.

With Joshua's accession we come to a critical point in the history of the Israelites. Moses has reached his end. God has told him that he will not enter the Promised Land, which must have come as quite a devastating shock. But did Moses throw a tantrum or rebel against God because of this? Of course not! He meekly accepted his fate and immediately turned his attention to making sure his people were left with a worthy leader. I think it is also significant that Moses chose Joshua who is not a direct relation to him. Moses made his choice based on merit, not heredity. I think we can take this as a model. Hereditary succession (though perhaps permissible at times) is not the ideal way to choose a leader. Much like the pope is chosen by careful deliberation using a criteria of character and holiness, Moses demonstrates to us that the responsible thing to do is pass on authority to the one most wise and worthy. And so the Israelites are handed over to Joshua just before making their grand entrance into the Promised Land.