“And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him;”
My Notes
What Does Numbers 27:18 Mean?
God instructs Moses to commission his successor: "Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit." The qualification for leading Israel into the promised land is internal, not external: Joshua has the spirit (ruach — the Spirit of God, a spirit of wisdom and courage). The leadership credential is spiritual, not political.
The command to "take" (laqach — to receive, to choose, to bring near) means Moses personally selects and installs Joshua. The transfer of leadership is a hands-on process: Moses will lay hands on Joshua before the priest and the congregation (verse 19), publicly transferring authority. The commissioning is both spiritual (the Spirit is already in Joshua) and institutional (Moses publicly confers the role).
The phrase "a man in whom is the spirit" distinguishes Joshua from other candidates. The Spirit's presence isn't assumed for all leaders — it's specified as Joshua's particular qualification. The Spirit was already there before the appointment; the appointment recognizes what the Spirit already established.
Reflection Questions
- 1.How does 'a man in whom is the spirit' challenge how your community selects leaders?
- 2.What does the Spirit being in Joshua before the appointment teach about the relationship between calling and commissioning?
- 3.How does Moses obeying God's choice (not his own preference) for a successor model healthy leadership transitions?
- 4.Where might you be prioritizing credentials over Spirit-presence in evaluating potential leaders?
Devotional
"A man in whom is the spirit." That's Joshua's qualification. Not military experience (though he had it). Not administrative skill (though he demonstrated it). Not seniority (though he'd been with Moses for decades). The spirit. The one credential no human institution can confer.
God doesn't tell Moses to find the most experienced officer or the most popular leader. He says: take Joshua. Why Joshua? Because the Spirit is already in him. The qualification preceded the appointment. God's selection recognizes what God's Spirit already established. The commissioning doesn't create the leader; it validates what the Spirit already produced.
The hands-on transfer — Moses laying hands on Joshua before the congregation — makes the transition visible. Everyone sees it. Everyone knows it. The authority passing from one generation to the next isn't a backroom deal; it's a public ceremony. The congregation witnesses the moment their leader changes, and both the outgoing and incoming leaders participate in the transfer.
Moses doesn't choose his own successor. God does. The man who led Israel for forty years doesn't get to handpick who comes next. He receives the instruction ("take Joshua") and executes it. Even the greatest leader's final act is obedience to God's choice, not assertion of his own preference.
The Spirit-first credential should recalibrate how every community selects its leaders. Not charisma first. Not credentials first. Not experience first. Is the Spirit in them? That's the question God asks before anything else. Everything else is secondary to the internal reality that only God can see and only God can confirm.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation,.... Declaring before them all that he was his…
In whom is the spirit Compare Gen 41:38. Joshua was endowed by God with the requisite spiritual qualifications for the…
Here, I. Moses prays for a successor. When God had told him that he must die, though it appears elsewhere that he…
a man in whom is(om. -the") spirit An influence proceeding from God already dwells in him. This was not the frenzied…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture