Numbers 11–14; 20–24; 27
And Moses did as the Lord commanded him: and he took Joshua . . . And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses. Numbers 27:22–23
Introduction
Standing on the banks of the Jordan River, the Israelites witnessed one of the most significant leadership transitions in history: the passing of the mantle from Moses to Joshua. While this moment is a pivotal historical event, it also serves as a profound typological pattern—a historical “mold” or “template” designed by God to foreshadow a greater spiritual reality. In scriptural typology, persons and events (the “type”) point forward to a fulfillment (the “antitype”). The Book of Mormon teaches that all things given of God from the beginning, including people, events, and symbols, serve as types (symbols or shadows) of Jesus Christ to point souls toward His Atonement and mission (2 Nephi 11:4).
The transition from Moses to Joshua is not merely a change in administration; it represents the shift from the Law of Moses to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Consider the following typological meanings embedded in this transition:
- The Limitation of the Law: Moses, the great lawgiver, led Israel out of Egyptian bondage and through the wilderness, but he could not bring them into the Promised Land himself. This illustrates that while the Law can lead us to the edge of the promise by identifying sin, it cannot deliver us into eternal rest.
- The Successor of Promise: Joshua was the “law-fulfiller” who achieved what was promised to Moses by finally shepherding the covenant people into Canaan. In the same way that Joshua finished what Moses started, Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law to bring us into the Kingdom of God.
- The Significance of the Names: The names of Moses and Joshua serve as significant types by highlighting the different phases of God’s plan of redemption.
- A Transition of Rest: Moses’ leadership was defined by the wandering of a nation of nomads; Joshua’s leadership was defined by victory and rest in the land. This foreshadows the “true and better Joshua”—Jesus—who provides a permanent rest from our wanderings through His atoning sacrifice.
By reading the story of Joshua through the lens of Christ, we see that the Old Testament is not just a moral encyclopedia, but a great drama where Jesus is the leading figure. This post explores how the transition at the Jordan River foreshadows where the “schoolmaster” of the Law gives way to the Savior who brings us home.
Names
The names of Moses and Joshua serve as significant types by highlighting the different phases of God’s plan of redemption, specifically marking the transition from the requirements of the Law of Moses to the covenants of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Moses: In Hebrew, the name Moses (משה- Moshe) means “drawn out” or “one who pulls out”. It is derived from the Hebrew verb mashah (to draw out), referencing the biblical account in Exodus 2:10, where Pharaoh’s daughter rescues him from the Nile River, saying, “I drew him out of the water”. While the princess named him based on her action (saving him), the Hebrew form Moshe is actually active, meaning “he draws out,” indicating his future role in drawing out covenant Israel from Egyptian captivity.
Joshua: The name Joshua is the Hebrew name Yeshua (יהושע) which means “YHWH (Jehovah) saves”. When translated into the Greek of the New Testament, this name becomes Iesous, which is rendered as “Jesus” in English. Thus, Joshua is quite literally a “type” of Jesus. Just as Joshua finished the work Moses started, the New Testament Jesus (the greater Joshua) fulfilled the work of his forerunners—specifically Moses and the prophets.
Crossing the Red Sea and the Jordan River
The crossing of the Red Sea is a type of baptism representing a formal covenant to leave the world (Egypt/sin) behind for a new life in Christ. The Israelites were “baptized into Moses” in the cloud and sea (1 Cor 10:1-2). The waters of the Red Sea acted as a barrier, cutting off their past life in Egypt. The destruction of Pharaoh’s army could represent the destruction of sins through baptismal water.
Then, the people leave the wilderness, this time through the veil, the Jordan River, with the Ark of the Covenant sitting in the middle of it. The water separated just as the Red Sea had done. Who leads them into the promised land? Joshua or Jesus, they follow Jesus through the veil, back into the Celestial or Promised Land. They have set aside the telestial and become new creatures.
Remarkably, the Israelites were instructed to erect a stone monument to remember the miracle of crossing the Jordan. Each tribe was to bring one stone and create a memorial to the miracle. Could it be that the action foreshadowed the Twelve holding the keys for crossing the Jordan, the veil?
“Recall how the Israelites came to the river Jordan and were promised the waters would part, and they would be able to cross over on dry ground. Interestingly, the waters did not part as the children of Israel stood on the banks of the river waiting for something to happen; rather, the soles of their feet were wet before the water parted. The faith of the Israelites was manifested in the fact that they walked into the water before it parted. They walked into the river Jordan with a future-facing assurance of things hoped for. As the Israelites moved forward, the water parted, and as they crossed over on dry land, they looked back and beheld the evidence of things not seen. In this episode, faith as assurance led to action and produced the evidence of things not seen that were true”
Elder David A. Bednar
Summary
The transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua is far more than a historical passing of the torch; it is a profound typological shift. In biblical typology, Moses serves as a “type” of the Law, functioning as a schoolmaster whose role was to lead the people to the edge of the promise but who ultimately could not bring them into their final rest. Joshua, his successor, who emerged as the “law-fulfiller” achieved what was promised to Moses by successfully shepherding the covenant people into the Land of Promise.
