Moses' Final Accolade (Deuteronomy 34:9-12).
Analysis using the words of the scribe:
a And Joshua, the son of Nun, was full of the spirit of wisdom. For Moses had laid his hands on him. And the children of Israel listened to him, and did as Yahweh commanded Moses (Deuteronomy 34:9).
b And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like to Moses, whom Yahweh knew face to face (Deuteronomy 34:10).
b In all the signs and the wonders, which Yahweh sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land (Deuteronomy 34:11).
a And in all the mighty hand, and in all the great terror, which Moses wrought in the sight of all Israel (Deuteronomy 34:12).
Note in ‘a' that Moses' first great act was the passing on of the Spirit of Yahweh to Joshua by laying his ‘hands' on him so that the people would listen to him and do as Yahweh commanded Moses (it was wrought in the sight of all Israel), and in the parallel he used his mighty ‘hand' and produced great terror in all that he wrought in the sight of all Israel. In ‘b' his second greatness lay in the fact that he was a prophet of unusual ability and inspiration, and in the parallel he had revealed signs and wonders which Yahweh had sent him to do to Pharaoh, his executive ministers and his land.
‘ And Joshua, the son of Nun, was full of the spirit of wisdom. For Moses had laid his hands on him. And the children of Israel listened to him, and did as Yahweh commanded Moses.'
And for the moving on there was only one man, Joshua the son of Nun, for Moses had appointed him and laid his hands on him. At this time of bereavement that would have carried much force. He was Yahweh's and Moses' choice. And as a result he was filled with the Spirit of wisdom. Compare Numbers 27:18-23 where he is described as ‘a man in whom is the spirit' (see Numbers 11:16-17). He was a man prepared. Yahweh's work never loses through the death of even so great a man as Moses. No human being is ever indispensable. Yet note what is said about him. Israel listened to him and did what Moses commanded. Even after Moses' death he was Moses' mouthpiece. Thus the might that lay behind Joshua was seen as a might passed on by Moses.
‘ And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like to Moses, whom Yahweh knew face to face,'
Nevertheless no prophet had arisen to replace him who was of his quality, at the time of writing, no prophet who could be seen as strictly fulfilling Deuteronomy 18:18 There is no time limit either short or long to this statement. For the point is not that a prophet had not arisen, (in fact Moses designated the men on whom the Spirit came in Numbers 11:26-29 as prophets) but that such a prophet had not spoken face to face with Yahweh like Moses did (compare Exodus 33:11), and had not performed the signs and wonders that Moses had (Deuteronomy 34:11). Moses was unique.
Certainly we get the impression that Joshua so spoke with Yahweh, but clearly it was to a lesser degree than Moses. Possibly what the writer means is that no one was God's close friend like Moses was.
‘ In all the signs and the wonders, which Yahweh sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land, and in all the mighty hand, and in all the great terror, which Moses wrought in the sight of all Israel.'
And this uniqueness came out in what was accomplished through his life. In the signs and wonders that Yahweh sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, his servants and his land. Compare for this Deuteronomy 4:34 where it was Yahweh Who did the signs and wonders and Deuteronomy 29:2 where it was Yahweh who outfaced Pharaoh, his servants and all the land of Egypt. Moses took on the whole of Egypt singlehanded in Yahweh's name, and won. And then it was revealed again in God's mighty hand revealed throughout the wilderness journey, including all the terrible judgments that took place through his ministrations, producing within Israel the fear of Yahweh, so that all Israel feared Him. It was through such that they were now here waiting to cross the Jordan, confident in Yahweh.