Back in the April 2022 issue of The Christian, we considered what it meant to “pass the torch” and to allow others who were younger to take over responsibilities from those of us who are growing older. We see a good example of this in the lives of Eleazar, Caleb and Joshua. All these men were a generation younger than Moses and Aaron, although Caleb was likely somewhat older than Joshua. All of these three had been in Egypt and had come out of Egypt when Israel came through the Red Sea. All had seen the wonderful works of the Lord in delivering them from the power of Pharaoh, and all had enjoyed the prospect of going into the land of Canaan.
Eleazar
Eleazar was one of Aaron’s four sons, and he was probably the third one, since Nadab and Abihu are always named first. But we know that Nadab and Abihu were careless about where they got the hot coals to put in the censer for offering incense, and it is recorded that “there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord” (Lev. 10:22And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. (Leviticus 10:2)). This was very sad, but it left Eleazar and his brother Ithamar to carry on the priesthood after Aaron. As the older of the two, Eleazar took the more prominent place, and both he and Ithamar served as priests along with Aaron their father. Eleazar proved to be a faithful man, and he also had a very faithful son named Phinehas, who had a real heart for the Lord’s glory too.
When it became time for Aaron to die, Moses was commanded to take Aaron and Eleazar up into Mount Hor, where Moses took Aaron’s priestly garments and put them upon Eleazar. Then Aaron died up in the mount, and Moses and Eleazar came down. From that time on, Eleazar took the foremost responsibility as a priest; later his son Phinehas followed his father in taking over those sacred duties. Also, it had been clearly set out that “the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons’ after him” (Ex. 29:2929And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons' after him, to be anointed therein, and to be consecrated in them. (Exodus 29:29)). In this connection, with “passing the torch” from one priest to another, someone has written a very touching poem:
What shall he leave his son? Silver nor gold
Nor heritage has he, nor herd nor fold;
Not these can he bequeath, but this he can —
The holy raiment of a saintly man.
The fair example of a life well spent;
Of daily tendance at the sacred tent;
Of ever-praiseful heart and reverent mind;
What nobler gift could father leave behind?
That son who, drawing near the throne of grace,
Can say, “How well my father knew this place!
How oft I’ve heard his voice in fervent prayer!”
Happy that son, that richly-dowered heir!
Caleb
Caleb is first introduced to us when Moses sent the spies out to search the land of Canaan. He was from the tribe of Judah and was 40 years old at the time. He too was a faithful man who, along with Joshua, stood up against the other ten spies and argued strongly that Israel was well able to go up and conquer the land. He valued the land of Canaan, and Moses could say of him, along with Joshua, that “they have wholly followed the Lord” (Num. 32:1212Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the Lord. (Numbers 32:12)).
More than this, it is evident that when he was searching out the land with the other spies, he saw a place that specially appealed to him. But it was Hebron, exactly where some of the giants lived. Yet Caleb was not afraid of them, and he was ready to go in and take his inheritance. But as we have already mentioned, he and Joshua were outnumbered, and they were compelled to spend 40 years in the wilderness, with the rest of Israel. However, the Lord had promised him that piece of the land and had said, “To him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children” (Deut. 1:3636Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the Lord. (Deuteronomy 1:36)).
After the wilderness journey was complete and the land of Canaan conquered, Caleb reminded Joshua of this promise, and asked for that land. He could say, “I am this day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. Now therefore give me this mountain” (Josh. 14:10-1210And now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the Lord spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. 11As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. 12Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said. (Joshua 14:10‑12)). He was able to drive out the giants and take possession of Hebron.
The Lord also blessed Caleb’s family, and especially his daughter Achsah, who also valued the land of Canaan. She married Othniel, who had gone out and conquered a place called Kirjathsepher, for he also valued the land of Canaan. Later, when Israel needed a deliverer, Othniel was ready to take that responsibility and act for the Lord.
Joshua
Joshua too had learned a great deal from his long years spent with Moses, and when it came time for Moses to die, he was ready to step up and lead Israel into the land of Canaan. Although he learned much, no doubt, directly from the Lord, yet he also learned much from Moses and from his experiences in the wilderness. As Moses had had to spend 40 years in “the backside of the desert” before he was ready to lead God’s people, so the Lord ordered it that Joshua spent 40 years in the wilderness, learning God’s ways.
Neither Moses nor Aaron were perfect examples, for both had failure connected with them. There is only One perfect example for us, and that is Christ Himself. However, Moses and Aaron were faithful men, in the main, and walked before the Lord. Their steadiness stabilized Israel throughout the wilderness years. We do not know the exact place of the burial of either of them, for both went up into a mountain and never came down again. God did not want their tombs to become an object of veneration.
Because of their example, Moses and Aaron passed on a “good torch” to those who followed them, and particularly to the three men whom we have considered. All three men followed the Lord and were used in blessing to God’s people. In the cases of Caleb and Eleazar, their families also went on well for the Lord, for they had passed on a good torch. It is interesting that in the case of Joshua, we do not read anything either of his being married or having any children. If he had a wife and children, Scripture does not mention them. The closest we come to any mention of Joshua’s family is found in Joshua 24:1515And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15): “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” We are not told any details of his house. This is in keeping with his being a type of Christ. It could be said of the Lord Jesus, “Who shall declare His generation?” (Isa. 53:88He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. (Isaiah 53:8)), yet it could also be said, “A seed shall serve Him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation” (Psa. 22:3030A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. (Psalm 22:30)). The Lord Jesus had no natural children, but many spiritual children. So it was with Joshua. He was a faithful man, and his influence was felt long after he had died. His children were those who saw his faith and felt the effect of his godly walk.
W. J. Prost