Num 27:12-18 And YHWH said to Mosheh, “Go up into this Mount Aḇarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Yisra’ĕl. “And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people as Aharon your brother was gathered, because you rebelled against My mouth in the Wilderness of Tsin, in the strife of the congregation, to set Me apart at the waters before their eyes.” These were the waters of Meriḇah, at Qaḏĕsh in the Wilderness of Tsin. And Mosheh spoke to YHWH, saying, “Let YHWH, the Elohim of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, who goes out before them and comes in before them, who leads them out and brings them in, so that the congregation of YHWH be not like sheep without a shepherd.” And YHWH said to Mosheh, “Take Yehoshua son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit.” :21“And he is to stand before El‛azar the priest, who shall inquire before YHWH for him by the right-ruling of the Urim. At his word they go out, and at his word they come in, both he and all the children of Yisra’ĕl with him, all the congregation.”

Num 27:21 “who shall inquire before YHWH for him by the right-ruling of the Urim“.  We have seen this Urim before, in Exodus 28:29-30 “And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart,when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before YHWH continually. And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim;”. The word Urim in Hebrew is URIM H224 – ‘ûrîm, and means lights. Like the brilliant lights of the 12 gem stones that were kept in a pouch on the high-priest’s breastplate, used in determining YHWH’s decision in certain questions and issues. For a picture of the 12 Gem Stones – see our post from Exodus 39-40 here. The other word Thummim in Hebrew is also TUMMIM H8550 – tummîm, and means perfection. It references to ask the will of YHWH to be revealed.

Many times Moses didn’t know the answer to some problems, and then he would say, “Let me find the answer from YHWH“. Even in this chapter 27 with the 5 daughters, in verse 5 “Mosheh then brought their case before YHWH”. That was the purpose/symbol of the breastplate of Urim and Thummim – to carry the tribes interest on your heart, and stand before the Almighty and ask for His Divine Guidance and Perfect Will.

Here in Numbers 27:12-21 YHWH says to let Yehoshua take over from Moses, so the Israelites will have a shepherd. He will take over the role of getting guidance from YHWH by the “right-ruling of the Urim”. This is clearly a prophecy of Yeshua the Messiah. Yeshua said in John 8:26 “I have much to say and to judge concerning you. But He who sent Me is true, and what I heard from Him, these Words I speak to the world.” He has the right to JUDGE, with TRUTH, what The Father YHWH SAYS. Again in John 16:13 Yeshua says to His Disciples about the Set-Apart Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh), “But when He comes, the Spirit of the Truth, He shall guide you into all the truth. For He shall not speak from Himself, but whatever He hears He shall speak, and He shall announce to you what is to come.” Again in John 12:49-50 “Because I spoke not from Myself, but the Father who sent Me has given Me a command,a what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, as the Father has said to Me, so I speak.”