Lord open our eyes, that we may behold wondrous things out of your word. Amen.
Hello and welcome to this weeks bible study. This study will discuss a lot of about leaders and leadership. This is a lesson I taught some 13 years ago and it is as applicable today as it was then. God's lessons are timeless. It is also applicable as we enter into a time when we start to think about selecting new political leaders for our local, state and national arena. Leaders and leadership is a subject I could spend weeks discussing the meaning and application of as well as examples of good and not so good leaders. It is a subject that is near and dear to my heart as I have spent my entire life in leadership roles. It is a subject that has tremendous application to our families, communities, schools, churches, the business world and certainly the political arena. There is general confusion about the difference between managers and leaders. Managers try to solve problems while leaders try to create momentum. Leaders develop leaders regardless of the field of endeavor whether it be in business, church, sports or the home. Yes, parents turn out strong leaders, politicians and church leaders. Now lets jump into this weeks study. This week we will be looking in the Old Testament books of Numbers and Joshua.
We saw in a previous study that the Israelites were not allowed to cross the Jordan River and enter into Canaan ( The Promised Land ) because of doubt, grumbling and disobedience. This generation was made to turn and enter the dessert and wander around in the wilderness for 40 years. Moses continued to lead the people through this long period and God continued to guide them and protect and provide for them. Boy you talk about having a leadership problem on your hands think about Moses. Both he and the people knew they had to wander around for 40 years just waiting for everyone ( the older people to die ). Just think about that. Do you suppose as they approached the end of the 40 year-year period they said we only have 200 more to go. What about it? Do you think anyone was keeping tract. Personally I think they were.
Moses for one knew that he was not going to be allowed to enter the promised land so who was to to be the new leader? Where and how would the new leader be picked? What qualifications should he have? These are questions we would be interested in right? In just a moment we will look and see what Moses did and what he asked for.
What is the secular world - view of a leader? Look for leaders who follow the world's standards for success, who are popular, and who follow the world's way of thinking. For the most part a leaders character is unimportant. What about some examples? I am sure you can think of dozens. Political personalities, corrupt business people, out of step religious leaders and average citizens who do not lead honest and moral lives. Now lets look and see what God might say about the leaders he wants. Also, we talk about wanting leaders who reflect God's character. Lets try to figure out just what that means as we look at Numbers chapter 27, verses 12 - 20.
Verse 12: And the Lord said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel.
Verse 13: And when thou hast seen it, thou shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.
Verse 14: For ye rebelled against my commandment in the dessert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.
Verse 15: And Moses spake unto the Lord saying,
Verse 16: Let the Lord, the God of the spirit of all flesh, set a man over the congregation.
Verse 17: Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd.
Verse 18: And the Lord said unto Moses, Take the Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him;
Verse 19: And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.
Verse 20 : And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.
I suppose you might be wondering why is Moses not being allowed to Go into the promised land. That is a good question. In verse 14 above it reads that Moses rebelled against God's command in the wilderness of Zin. This was a situation where God instructed Moses to speak to " the rock " but Moses struck the rock twice in producing water. God considered the action of Moses as rebellion against his command. You see God takes very seriously his commands. And for this rebellion Moses is only allowed to look over into Canaan and not enter it.
So what did Moses ask for in a leader? The first part of verse 17 is referring to a military leader who will lead them out and conquer Canaan. A man to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in so they won't be without a shepherd. The second part is talking about His people as sheep who need a shepherd. The shepherd is to take care of the sheep. He is to lead, feed and defend the flock. I don't know if you know anything about sheep but they are not the cute cuddle things you see pictured. They are the dumbest of all animals. You can't leave them alone. They will wander off and get lost. Cattle will come back in at night to eat but not sheep.You literally have to take them out and bring them back in. You have to protect them. As a child on the farm that was one of my jobs to go out in the evening and find the sheep and bring them back into the barn. Generally they were in a field of 30 to 40 acres so it was not so bad but oh the problem if some one left a gate open and they wandered into the woods because we had several acres of wooded area. Fortunately we did not have many sheep.
Here in this passage we see the Spiritual authority for leadership as opposed to the world view for leadership. God selected, appointed and directed how the new leader should be prepared and announced to the people. So Moses made no attempt to appoint a new leader himself. He prayed for God to appoint a new leader and God answered his prayer. God said of Joshua " a man in whom is the spirit " a phrase indicating his divine endowment for leadership.
Does this passage have any meaning for us today? Lets look at a church situation. Number 1 we should pray for help in selecting leaders. We should ask God to reveal to us the people we should have as pastor, deacons, teachers, workers in general in the church and we should pray that God would at the same time be stirring the spirit of the person to be selected..
OK lets look at the political arena. Should we involve God in this selection process? I think so! But how do we do that? First of all pray for God to raise up Godly candidates who support Christian ideas. This means we should start praying about this months if not years in advance of election cycles. Then at election time we should spend some time in prayer asking God to help us in selecting which candidate to vote for and which proposition to vote for or against. We have to realize that the best candidate might just be in the political party that is not the one we normally support. This is of great importance because the top elected officials appoint numerous judges and cabinet officials so if they are not godly they will have no inclination in appointing godly people to fill these important positions. You say, what difference does it make? I can only look at our country today and see the answer.
So we see that God selected Joshua to be the new leader of the Israelites. Now what did he tell Moses to do? First - Lay hands on him and this signifies divine choice and the Spirit on the person. Let me make it clear at this point that the laying on of hands does not make him spirit filled nor does it give Joshua any special powers. It simply indicates a succession of leadership or partnership in an enterprise. The laying on of hands is still done today in various ordination services. Second - Set Joshua before Eleazar the priest, ( Eleazar replaced Aaron upon his death ). This further gave emphasis to the fact that Joshua was God's chosen man. Third - Moses was to set Joshua before the entire congregation and to give him a charge in their sight. The requirement to " give him a charge " ( command ) again is still practiced in ordination services in our churches today. It simply means to tell " charge " the individual to trust in God and to take all decision before God to help in determining the proper course of action and to be courageous.
It is interesting to me that before the Israelites went into Canaan they sent 12 spies over to check out the land. If you recall the story 10 of the spies came back with a negative report about how big and cruel the people were and they would surely defeat Israel. But 2 spies came back with very positive and glowing reports about the land. These two spies were Joshua and Caleb. Now Joshua is selected to lead the nation. Also, Caleb was one of the older generation that got to go into the promised land. Joshua was Moses aide for years. He was mentored by Moses and prepared to be a leader. This brings up an interesting point - Are you mentoring anyone? If not why not?
Why do you suppose that Moses was to place Joshua before the entire congregation? These actions were to ensure that everyone understood that God had named Joshua to be their new leader and they were to be obedient to the Lord and Joshua. Most churches do this when ordaining new deacons, pastors and key positions in the church.
It is important to realize that this was going to be a new experience for the children of Israel. A new leader. His style would be different. He would react to situations differently than Moses did. I am sure you have worked at places where you had a new boss. Or the company may have a new CEO at the top. You immediately wonder how things are going to chance. They surely will change but will the change be for the better or worse in your eyes. A new leader is not called to replace the former leader but to use his God given talents and abilities to fulfil God's call. When Thomas Jefferson presented his credentials as the United States Minister to France, the French premier said, " I see you have come to replace Benjamin Franklin " who had been very popular with the French people. Jefferson wisely replied, " I have come to succeed him. No one can replace him. "
I have been on both sides of the change in leadership and I always enjoyed being the new leader rather than wondering what the new leader was going to be like. I especially enjoyed evaluating the situation to see what was working and what needed to be improved upon. I never liked the idea of coming in and totally changing things. That only disrupts people and creates strife. However, I have seen situations where new leaders have come in and totally revamped everything pointing out how bad the operation was before as they instituted their way of doing business. Folks that is now leadership that is change for change sake and personal glorification at the expense of the former leader.
Now lets look at another item that is a character of God- servant hood and we will now turn to the Book of Joshua, Chapter 1: verses 1 - 3.
Verse 1: Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses minister, saying,
Verse 2: Moses my servant is dead: now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
Verse 3: Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
When you think about all that the people of Israel had been through you can readily see that the death of Moses was a very traumatic time for the people. They had grumbled against him but he was the only leader they had known. Moses was uniquely qualified to lead them out of Egypt. Now Joshua had this unique qualities to lead them into Canaan. I can just imagine all the activity of organizing the people and getting them ready to go over the river into Jordan. They had been traveling for 40 years. Making camp for a few days. Breaking camp and move on to another place. But this breaking of camp and getting ready to travel was different. This move had the prospect of getting them " home " Sure it may take a few more days but the end is in sight now. The excitement must have been tremendous.
In the passage we just looked at what did God promise Joshua? ( Verse 3 ). Isn't this the same thing God promised Moses? Yes. Both Moses and Joshua were servants of God. They were different yet they had one thing in common and that was the desire to serve God. And this also made them servant - leaders of God's people. A servant leader points not to himself but to God.
Another one of the items of God's character is courage. Now lets look at the next passage. Joshua chapter 1: verses 5 - 8.
Verse 5: There shall not be any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life; as I was with Moses , so I will be with thee; I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Verse: 6. Be strong and of good courage; for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
Verse 7: Only be strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whither soever thou goest.
Verse 8: This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
If these word sound familiar they are because they convey the same thought Moses used in his charge to Joshua. Also note that there are three main themes that run through these verses. ( 1. be strong and of good courage. (2. The Assurance of God's presence and power in Joshua's life and (3. that victory will come as a result of the first two. These same promises are available to us today. As we discussed earlier in our study of promises there are conditions placed on the promises. These same conditions apply to us today as they did to Moses and Joshua and that condition is obedience to the Scriptures. Joshua had been Moses aide for years so he was certainly familiar with the law and what was required. We have to be careful when we try to apply these words today because we almost always aspire them to mean material prosperity and worldly success. And of course that could apply however; these words in the Old Testament almost never were used to mean financial success. They spoke of success in life's proper endeavor. In our materialistic society today we seem to think that we can't be happy and successful unless we have a very large bank account big cars and houses.
The point is that godly leaders know and do what God says in his Word. They meditate on God's Word day and night. They live by it and they teach others to do the same. Living a Christian life today is not easy in our sinful world. It never has been but it is more difficult today than ever before. Just think a number of years ago you had to watch where you went and perhaps who you were with but today every evil influence is right in your home. It is the television and the computer. You and your children can participate visually in the vilest of activities and never have to worry about your neighbors or church members knowing about it. And with liberal court rulings it is getting worse. Leaders must set the right example. To do that they must live in the Word of God. All Christians should do the same. In this way, the people follow God as he reveals Himself in His Word. I know what you are thinking this just isn't possible to walk around all day with the bible in one hand and working with the other. That isn't what is suggested. Daily read the Word of God. You might have a few scriptures memorized and as you go through the day you bring them to mind as you confront difficult situations. The same thing apply to prayer. We can't spend all day in prayer but we can call on God when needed. The prayer does not have to be formal or lengthy. In a confrontation just say in your mind " God help me respond " or in a time of danger " God save me " , or " Protect " me. You get the idea? Now we come to another item we identify as a character of God - Trustworthiness. Lets check this out in Joshua Chapter 1: verses 16 and 17.
Verse 16: And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and wither soever thou sendest us, we will go.
Verse 17: According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee; only the Lord thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.
What group of people is talking here? Obviously Joshua has given the people some instruction or directions because they are answering him. These were the Israelites who had chosen to stay and settle on the east side of the Jordan river and not cross over into Canaan. This group represented 2 1/2 tribes of the Israelites. Moses had told them they could stay on the east side but when the rest of the people crossed over the fighting men of the 2 1/2 tribes must go with them to help in any fighting that ensued and they could return when the Promised land was secured. The Tribe of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh were the ones who chose to settle on the east side of the Jordan and not cross over into Canaan.
The obvious question that comes to mind is why might they not be so inclined to follow through with their commitment? Well think about it. Actually they were home. Moses told them they could stay on the east side. I am sure many if not most of them had started putting down roots and this was home. I have this land to develop. Crops to raise. Flocks to take care of. They could easily used them and many more excuses but they keep their word and their commitment to help the other tribes of Israel. Their word to Joshua indicate they recognized him as a trustworthy leader as was Moses. Leaders must be trustworthy or else one will follow them. John Maxwell in his leadership courses makes the statement that I dearly love. He says that as a leader if you look behind you and no one is there you are just out talking a walk.
In all lessons from the Word of God there are many applications that we can make but for this study lets consider the following about Godly Leaders:
1. When a new leader is needed, pray that the Lord will reveal him.
2. When a new leader is called, present him as the one whom God called.
3. A godly leader is a servant - leader who serves God and the people.
4. The courage and strength of a godly leader comes from God's presence and power.
5. A godly leader lives by the word of God.
6. A godly leader is trustworthy and should be trusted.
In closing I love the lives of Moses and Joshua because when you look at them you learn they were just common ordinary men who accepted God's call to do extraordinary accomplishment
by trusting and following God. I see great encouragement in this as there is great hope for all of us common ordinary people.
So until the next time as I always say remember God loves you and so do I.
Grandpa Bill
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