- Joshua knew what many did not know.
Why did Moses give leadership of Israel to Joshua?
Let's look at Joshua's journey
till he became a leader of the nation of Israel.
Number one.
The first time we see Joshua demonstrate
leadership potential and skill is in the book
of Exodus 17:8-14, where Moses gave him specific tasks
to select the men he would need to fight
against the Amalekites.
This means that Moses must have seen his potential
and how he conducted himself.
Even though they had not had confrontations
as a nation besides what they faced
in the Egyptian army when God fought their battle
and gave them victory without swords being lifted,
Joshua could still be spotted as a man ready
to serve his people.
Exodus 17:8-14 says.
"Then Amalek and his people came and fought
with Israel at Rephidim.
So Moses said to Joshua,
"Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek
and his people.
Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill
with the staff of God in my hand."
So Joshua did as Moses said, and fought with Amalek;
and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the hilltop.
Now when Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed,
and when he lowered his hand due to fatigue,
Amalek prevailed.
But Moses' hands were heavy and he grew tired.
So they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it.
Then Aaron and Hur held up his hands,
one on one side and one on the other side;
so it was that his hands were steady until the sun set.
So Joshua overwhelmed and defeated Amalek
and his people with the edge of the sword.
Then the Lord said to Moses,
"Write this in the book as a memorial and recite it
to Joshua, that I will utterly wipe out the memory
of Amalek and his people from under heaven."
Moses gave Joshua the instruction
to organize a strong group of people
that would be able to fight off
and confront any potential enemy.
Joshua led this team boldly into battle,
and with the spiritual oversight of Moses, they won the war.
This group later became a solid
full-fledged Israeli army with Joshua's help.
To be selected from a large pool of millions
of people speaks volumes about his capacity as a person.
To be chosen means one's courage, wisdom,
people management skills, and tenacity are hard to ignore.
Number two.
At another time, when it was time to send men
to spy out the promised land, and God asked Moses
to send 12 spies representing each of the tribes
of Israel, Joshua's name featured prominently
amongst them in Numbers 13:1-21.
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
"Send men to spy out the land of Canaan,
which I am going to give to the sons of Israel.
From each of their fathers' tribes you shall send a man,
every one a leader among them."
So Moses sent spies from the Wilderness of Paran
at the command of the Lord, all of them men
who were heads of the Israelites.
These were their names: from the tribe of Reuben,
Shammua the son of Zaccur;
from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori;
from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh;
from the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph;
from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea that is,
Joshua the son of Nun; from the tribe of Benjamin,
Palti the son of Raphu; from the tribe of Zebulun,
Gaddiel the son of Sodi; from the tribe of Joseph,
that is, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi;
from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli;
from the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael;
from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi;
from the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
These are the names of the men whom Moses sent
to spy out the land; but Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun,
Joshua, the Lord is salvation.
Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan,
and said to them, "Go up this way into the Negev,
the South country; then go up into the hill country.
See what the land is like and whether the people
who live there are strong or weak, few or many,
and whether the land in which they live is good or bad,
and whether the cities in which they live are open camps
or fortifications, and what the land is,
whether it is fat, productive or lean,
whether there is timber on it or not.
Make an effort to get some of the fruit of the land."
Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes.
So they went up and spied out the land from the Wilderness
of Zin to Rehob a town in Lebanon,
at Lebo-hamath in the far north.
Joshua demonstrated courage and unusual audacity
with Caleb by his side, while others were jittery
after they returned.
As they reported their findings to Moses and other leaders,
only two men remained confident
about the victory God had spoken of.
Wanting to be in the spotlight, leading others,
and succeeding in mighty feats
is a genuine desire for many people.
But In God's kingdom, nobody just rises
and shoots to the top without first passing the test
of preparation or stewardship.
Even in the smallest community,
before anyone can be appointed to lead a group or a project,
that person must have proved himself over some time.
Therefore no process in life is ever wasted.
So investing time, energy, resources,
and expertise into our journey is essential.
Numbers 14:1-10.
Then all the congregation of Israel raised their voices
and cried out, and the people wept that night.
All the Israelites murmured in discontent against Moses
and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them,
"Oh that we had died in the land of Egypt!
Or that we had died in this wilderness!
Why is the Lord bringing us to this land of Canaan,
to fall by the sword?
Our wives and children will become plunder.
Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?"
So they said one to another,
"Let us appoint a new leader and return to Egypt."
Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces
before all the assembly of the congregation
of the Israelites.
Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh,
who were among those who had spied out the land,
tore their clothes as a sign of grief,
and they spoke to all the congregation
of the sons of Israel, saying,
"The land through which we passed as spies
is an exceedingly good land.
If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us
into this land and give it to us,
a land which flows with milk and honey.
Only do not rebel against the Lord;
and do not fear the people of the land,
for they will be our prey.
Their protection has been removed from them,
and the Lord is with us.
Do not fear them."
But all the congregation said to stone Joshua
and Caleb with stones.
But the glory and brilliance of the Lord appeared
at the Tent of Meeting, tabernacle
before all the sons of Israel."
When Moses became 120 years old,
his natural strength could no longer cope
with the daily tasks of managing the people
or giving counsel.
God wanted someone to fill the leadership void,
and who else but Joshua was picked?
He had served Moses faithfully for almost 40 years
as a loyal assistant
who never disrespected God's prophet for his people.
Therefore, Joshua was God's choice
to lead his people forward
because He saw him as fit and prepared
for all the tasks ahead.
If Joshua had not gone through the right processes
and built capacity when there was no opportunity,
there's no way he would have excelled
at those opportunities when they finally came.
Deuteronomy 31:1-8, 14, and 23.
So Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel.
And he said to them, "I am 120 years old today;
I am no longer able to come in and go out
as your spiritual and military leader,
and the Lord has said to me,
'You shall not cross this Jordan.'
It is the Lord your God who will cross ahead of you;
He will destroy these nations before you,
and you shall dispossess them.
Joshua is the one who will go across before you to lead you,
just as the Lord has said.
The Lord will do to them just as He did to Sihon and Og,
the kings of the Amorites, and to their land,
when He destroyed them.
The Lord will hand them over to you,
and you shall do to them in accordance
with all the commandments which I have commanded you.
Be strong and courageous,
do not be afraid or tremble in dread before them,
for it is the Lord your God who goes with you.
He will not fail you or abandon you."
Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him
in the sight of all the people of Israel,
"Be strong and courageous, for you will go
with this people into the land which the Lord
has sworn to their fathers to give them,
and you will give it to them as an inheritance.
It is the Lord who goes before you;
He will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you.
Do not fear or be dismayed."
Then the Lord said to Moses,
"Behold, the time for you to die is near;
call Joshua, and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting,
so that I may commission him."
So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves
at the Tent of Meeting.
Then He commanded and commissioned Joshua,
the son of Nun, and said, "Be strong and courageous,
for you will bring the sons of Israel into the land
which I have sworn to give them, and I will be with you."
Joshua never felt entitled to take over the reign
of Moses even though he was close to him,
but he chose to focus on whatever assignment
his master asked him to undertake.
If like Joshua, many will keep on putting in the work
and doing their best to ensure productivity,
the world will be a better place.
All we have to do is wait, knowing that in due season,
God will open doors of opportunity
so that we can influence so many people positively.
God longs to find his children faithful
in the things he has committed into their hands.
Joshua's life teaches us loyalty, focus, faithfulness,
skill fullness, and courage,
all critical elements in a leader.
Finally, God gave him the marching order
to step up and take the place of Moses.
Joshua 1:1-11 says;
"Now it happened after the death of Moses the servant
of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun,
Moses' servant, attendant, saying,
"Moses My servant is dead;
now therefore arise to take his place,
cross over this Jordan, you and all this people,
into the land which I am giving to them,
to the sons of Israel.
I have given you every place on which the sole
of your foot treads, just as I promised to Moses.
From the wilderness of Arabia in the south
and this Lebanon in the north,
even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates
in the east, all the land of the Hittites, Canaan,
and as far as the Great Mediterranean Sea
toward the west shall be your territory.
No man will be able to stand before you
to oppose you as long as you live.
Just as I was present with Moses,
so will I be with you; I will not fail you or abandon you.
Be strong and confident and courageous,
for you will give this people as an inheritance the land
which I swore to their fathers, ancestors to give them.
Only be strong and very courageous;
be careful to do everything in accordance
with the entire law which Moses My servant commanded you;
do not turn from it to the right or to the left,
so that you may prosper and be successful wherever you go.
This Book of the Law shall not depart
from your mouth, but you shall read and meditate
on it day and night, so that you may be careful
to do everything in accordance with all
that is written in it;
for then you will make your way prosperous,
and then you will be successful.
Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous!
Do not be terrified or dismayed, intimidated,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
"Go throughout the camp and command the people,
saying, 'Prepare your provisions,
for within three days you are to cross the river Jordan,
to go in to take possession of the land
which the Lord your God is giving you
to possess as an inheritance.'"
No matter how great our dreams are,
it is essential to remember that preparation
and faithfulness are the building blocks we step on
if we want to rise.
Let us pray.
Father, I am grateful for every opportunity to prepare,
plan and get ready for the positions you have for me.
Thank you for showing me how important loyalty
and faithfulness are throughout Joshua's life.
I ask for greater wisdom so I can grow
into the image you have for me
and fulfill your plans for my life.
Amen.