I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Numbers 27-29.

    The first part of this passage lays out what happens to a man’s property if he dies with no sons. It is a little more complicated than that because the inheritance being referred to was land which was to be given to the man, and his descendants, from land which the people of Israel did not yet control. The situation from a case brought before Moses by the daughters of a man who had no sons. The passage illustrates the importance of having a clear system for how our property and interests will be divided up when we are no longer around to manage them.

    When God declared to Moses that he would soon die, Moses asked God to appoint someone to take his place. Now Moses had a candidate in mind for this role because Joshua had been his assistant since they left Egypt. This does not indicate that Moses’ request of God was perfunctory. God did indeed choose Joshua for the leadership role. However, God did not give Joshua the same authority which He had given Moses. When Moses needed guidance from God, he went directly to God and asked. Joshua, on the other hand, was instructed to go to Eleazar the priest when he needed guidance from God. Eleazar would then consult with God using the Urim (an object which is never clearly described).
    This suggests that Joshua was someone who had a firm grasp of tactics and strategy, and a gift for getting people to follow his lead, but perhaps a limited ability to discern what was the right thing to do in circumstances where there was grey areas. However, it also suggests that while Eleazar was apparently gifted at discerning God’s will in cases where the situation required a judgment call he was limited in his ability to lead people and make tactical and strategic decisions. This division of duties between Joshua and Eleazar is a lesson to those who are in leadership. It is important to know your own strengths and weaknesses, and those of the people around you. Share power with those whose gifts compliment your own. Seek out those who have strengths which compensate for your weaknesses.