Chapter 42—God Teaches His Law to a New
Generation
This chapter is based on
Deuteronomy 3
to 6; 28.
The Lord announced to Moses that the appointed time for the
possession of Canaan was at hand. As the aged prophet stood upon
the heights overlooking the Promised Land, with deep earnestness he
pleaded, “O Lord God, Thou hast begun to show Thy servant Thy
greatness, and Thy mighty hand: for what god is there in heaven or
in earth, that can do according to Thy works, and according to Thy
might? I pray Thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is
beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon.”
The answer was, “Speak no more unto Me of this matter. Get
thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and
northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes:
for thou shalt not go over this Jordan.”
Without a murmur Moses submitted to the decree of God. And
now his great anxiety was for Israel. From a full heart he poured
forth the prayer, “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set
a man over the congregation ... which may bring them in; that the
congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd.”
Numbers 27:16, 17
.
The answer came, “Take thee Joshua, the son of Nun, a man in
whom is the Spirit, and lay thine hand upon him; and set him before
Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a
charge in their sight. And thou shalt put some of thine honor upon
him, that all the congregation of the people of Israel may be obedient.”
Verses 18-20.
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Joshua, a man of wisdom, ability, and faith, was chosen to succeed
him. He was solemnly set apart as the leader of Israel. The words of
the Lord concerning Joshua came through Moses to the congregation,
“At his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both
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