2. Moses and Joshua
Question 1:
Who was a big influence on you growing up?
THE POINT
Mentor and disciple those who come after you.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
Who influenced you as you were growing up? For me, it was Wally, who was my youth minister, but he became more than just a youth minister to me. Wally became a mentor and a life-long friend. Who I am today comes from the impact Wally had on my life. His greatest gift to me was time—time spent with him as I formed my faith and outlook on life.
That sharing of time didn’t stop when I left for college or entered full-time ministry. Wally became my go-to guy when I had questions about ministry, marriage, and life. He was always excited to hear from me. A few years before his death, Wally came to Nevada and spent five weeks doing counseling ministry in the church I pastored. During those weeks, we made memories driving my Jeep® through the mountains of northeastern Nevada. As a life-time friend, Wally poured into me from his experiences and wisdom. I am a product of his mentorship.
Likewise, God used Moses to mentor Joshua, who became a strong leader under God’s direction, and was a product of Moses’s mentorship.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Numbers 27:12-17
12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range and see the land that I have given the Israelites. 13 After you have seen it, you will also be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was. 14 When the community quarreled in the Wilderness of Zin, both of you rebelled against my command to demonstrate my holiness in their sight at the waters.” Those were the Waters of Meribah-kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin. 15 So Moses appealed to the Lord, 16 “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all, appoint a man over the community 17 who will go out before them and come back in before them, and who will bring them out and bring them in, so that the Lord’s community won’t be like sheep without a shepherd.”
In this passage, God announced Moses’s impending death and Moses received a glimpse of the future that awaited the nation of Israel. God instructed him to climb to the top of the mountain range to view the land the nation would enter. This place was the future location prepared for the Israelites.
At the same time, Moses also received from God a reminder of a regretful scene from his past: his failure to obey God. Because of that disobedience, Moses was forbidden to enter the promised land (Num. 20:2-13). Despite any regret such a remembrance might have produced, Moses focused his thoughts on the future of the people of Israel. He was acutely aware of the waywardness of the people and their need for strong leadership in the future. Instead of complaining to God about the fact that he wouldn’t be allowed into the promised land, Moses spoke with God about the next leader of the nation.
Question 2: What might keep us from passing the torch to the next generation?
This is the mark of a great leader: being more concerned about others than about self. That is also a mark of a great mentor. Like Moses, mentors need an understanding of the brevity of life and the need to pass on wisdom to others. There will also be a willingness to put aside personal needs and preferences to help another grow and develop.
Moses didn’t try to dictate to God who the next leader should be. Moses had done his due diligence in mentoring the younger man, Joshua. In fact, Joshua had served under Moses from the earliest days of their time in the wilderness (Ex. 17:8-14). Nevertheless, Moses recognized it wasn’t his place to arbitrarily appoint Joshua as his successor. He would leave that to God’s directive.
Moses spoke directly with God about somebody to take over his leadership role. Most likely, that will not be the case with us. We won’t find ourselves in a position to replace ourselves, but that doesn’t excuse us from advising, encouraging, and investing time with someone we are mentoring. Our mentoring should certainly include spiritual growth formation—helping them grow in their relationship with Christ.
Moses saw the need and issued a petition to God to install a new leader over the nation to shepherd the people. Moses’s description of sheep without a shepherd was appropriate considering the history of waywardness of Israel. This new leader would have responsibility to lead the nation in war and in peace, in times of need and in times of plenty.
Numbers 27:18-20
18 The Lord replied to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. 19 Have him stand before the priest Eleazar and the whole community, and commission him in their sight. 20 Confer some of your authority on him so that the entire Israelite community will obey him.”
We might agree that Joshua was the natural choice for the replacement for Moses. He had been the servant of Moses from the days of the exodus event. Joshua served as Israel’s general in the battle with the Amalekites (Ex. 17:8-9). He had accompanied Moses when Moses received the tablets of stone on Mount Sinai (Ex. 24:12-13). He served as one of the twelve spies who went into the promised land to bring back a report on the land (Num. 13–14). Joshua and Caleb were the only spies to express absolute trust in God’s power to give victory to Israel.
While we may believe Joshua showed all the qualifications for being the successor to Moses, in the long run our opinion matters little. It was God’s assessment of Joshua that was essential. To God the essential thing about Joshua was that he was “a man who has the Spirit in him.” In other words, Joshua was deeply committed to following God and His directions. He was a man who was filled with the Spirit of God and who was obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Joshua may have been Moses’s choice, but more importantly he was God’s choice to succeed Moses.
Verses 19-20 begins the transition of leadership. Moses was instructed to reveal God’s call on Joshua’s life to the people. Up to this point, Moses was the only leader the people had known. Because of that, it was critically important for Moses to endorse Joshua and lead the people to see God’s hand in the transition. Even more important was the passing on of authority to Joshua. The people would need to understand that they were to follow Joshua’s leadership in the same way they did with Moses.
Moses was instructed to commission Joshua in front of the people. A part of that public commissioning was the laying on of hands. This was an important practice of passing on blessing to another person. Examples of this are found throughout the Old and New Testaments. In Joshua’s case, the laying on of hands was a public recognition that Joshua was well qualified to take the lead in the years ahead. It would be viewed by the people as a divine affirmation that God was with Joshua.
Question 3: What are some ways others have helped you follow Jesus?
Numbers 27:21-23
21 “He will stand before the priest Eleazar who will consult the Lord for him with the decision of the Urim. He and all the Israelites with him, even the entire community, will go out and come back in at his command.” 22 Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua, had him stand before the priest Eleazar and the entire community, 23 laid his hands on him, and commissioned him, as the Lord had spoken through Moses.
As God continued His instructions to Moses, He included details concerning the commissioning ceremony for Joshua. This would involve the services of the high priest Eleazar. When Aaron died, his son, Eleazar, succeeded his father in the position of high priest (Num. 20:22-29). The high priest represented God before the people and the people before God.
Question 4: Why do you think public affirmation of a person is important?
Eleazar would also play another role in the leadership of Joshua. He would use the Urim and Thummim to help Joshua determine the will of God. These two objects were kept in a pouch attached to the sacred breastplate worn by the high priest. This breastplate was viewed as the breastplate of judgment or decision (Ex. 28:15-30). What the Urim and Thummim looked like and how they were used is unclear, but they were associated with decision-making and seeking the will of God. They may have been used like the casting of lots, which is seen throughout Scripture.
The biblical record gives little detail on the length of the time between the commissioning ceremony and the death of Moses. Whatever time remained with Moses, it’s possible Joshua took on increased leadership responsibilities. He had watched Moses lead over the years, and now he began to share the leadership with Moses. Soon, Moses would be gone, and Joshua would assume the load of leadership for years to come.
Every church is just one generation away from extinction. If we don’t disciple others, mentor them, and walk alongside them in service, what will happen when we are gone? It is a joyous experience to mentor and disciple those who come after us, so let’s spend our precious time doing that.
Question 5: What can we learn from the relationship between Moses and Joshua?
Engage
PASSING THE BATON
Imagine your life as a relay race as you answer the following questions:
Write the name of a person who “passed the baton” of leadership to you:
Write the name of a person to whom you might “pass the baton” for future leadership:
Identify areas of training this next person might need to succeed:
1.
2.
3.
How could you help others see this person’s potential and accept your endorsement of his or her leadership?
“One generation will declare your works to the next and will proclaim your mighty acts.”
PSALM 145:4
LIVE IT OUT
We should mentor and disciple those who come after us. Choose one of the following applications:
Seek. Pray and seek God’s direction regarding someone you might help and encourage.
Affirm. Everyone needs encouragement. Write a note to someone you see who is beginning to grow and serve others in some capacity. Thank this person, encourage this individual, and offer to help as needed.
Equip. With whatever role you carry out in the service of the church and kingdom of God, create a list of things you would want to pass on about that service to someone else. Using the list, begin informally training someone else for a potential role.
Most of us can look back at an individual like Wally who played a critical role in our development. Hopefully that person was able to see some of their investment in us come to fruition. Let’s try to be that person in someone else’s life!
Teacher Notes:
How does one
generation typically pass down knowledge to the next generation?
Training the next
generation comes naturally to parents and those with young children. Many
people have grown into adults having learned good life skills from their
parents, but they lack the guidance to follow Christ well. While pastors,
church leaders, and Bible study leaders can play a key role in discipleship,
every believer has a role to play in guiding someone younger to grow
spiritually.
The naming of a
successor to Moses. Passing leadership on to the next generation.
With God’s Word as
a roadmap, transitioning from leadership can be a blessing to all.
God used Moses to
mentor Joshua, who became a strong leader under God’s direction, and was a
product of Moses’ mentorship.
Setting: The Book
of Numbers derives its name from the “numbering” or census lists that comprise
chapters 1 and 26. The Hebrew title of the book translates as “in the Desert”
(1:1). The book presents an account of Israel’s forty-year wandering in the
desert wilderness. While the book is independent it also supplements some of
the accounts of the exodus and the journey toward the land of promise found in
Exodus and Deuteronomy. A major point of the book is that God judged His people
for their rebellion against Him but He reaffirms His plan to bring them into
the Promised Land as a people in covenant relationship with Him. God has always
been a God of grace.
The principle of co-leadership had been established
in Israel since the nation’s time in Sinai, so when Moses adopted the
suggestion of Jethro, his father-in-law and the priest of Midian, and enlisted
capable people to assist in the administration of justice in settling disputes
it was not a new idea (Ex. 18:13-27). The passage for this session focuses on
another shift in leadership, concluding the tenure of Moses and beginning the
tenure of Joshua as the primary leader of the people.
Transitional times
are critical in most any organization. They may represent a fresh start, but
they also can be an uncomfortable time, especially if new leadership also means
new ways of doing things. Israel would face these challenges in its leadership
change. “Preparing for a new life in a new land required stable transition
between changing leadership roles, together with the effort to maintain as
leader one whose response to the Lord had been exemplary.” 1 Such is the story
in the account in Numbers 27:12-23 of the naming of a successor to Moses.
Identifying who that leader would be early on would allow Moses to serve as a
valued mentor to the one who would come after him—Joshua, the son of Nun.
Numbers
27:12-17
Then the Lord said
to Moses, “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range and see the land that I have
given the Israelites. After you have seen it, you will also be gathered to your
people, as Aaron your brother was. When the community quarreled in the
Wilderness of Zin, both of you rebelled against my command to demonstrate my
holiness in their sight at the waters.” Those were the Waters of Meribah-kadesh
in the Wilderness of Zin. So Moses appealed to the Lord, “May the Lord, the God
who gives breath to all, appoint a man over the community who will go out
before them and come back in before them, and who will bring them out and bring
them in, so that the Lord’s community won’t be like sheep without a shepherd.”
What are some ways
one generation typically passages down knowledge to the next generation?
What are some
attitudes that might keep someone from “passing the torch” to the next
generation?
Seek
God’s direction in choosing new leaders.
There is a future
for which we are to prepare even though we may not live to see it. We are to do
all we can to live as people who acclaim the holiness of the Lord God. Our sins
against the Lord do not negate our saving relationship to Him, but they may
deny us opportunities to serve Him. God’s people need effective, god-appointed
leaders.
There is no other
way to explain it, Moses made a mistake. God told Moses in Numbers 20:8 to
speak to the rock and fulfill the thirst of the children of Israel, but Moses
struck the rock, and his disobedient obedience prevented him from entering the
promised land. God reminded Moses of this failure in Numbers 23:14. However,
grace is extended to Moses, and despite being unable to go into the promised
land, God granted him an opportunity to see the promised land. Moses’ reality
reminds us of the seriousness associated with following God. However, at a
closer glance, we see God extending unmerited grace to Moses despite the
seemingly unfair judgment. Having the opportunity to see the promised land,
Moses can visualize it as a testament to God's faithfulness to His people. May
we embrace the reality that despite our disobedience, God is good, His mercy is
everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations (Psalm 100:5).
Despite the
devastating news delivered to Moses, he never wavered in his commitment to his
role as a leader. Remaining unselfish, he thought more about others than he did
himself when he could have exited to the sideline and pouted. In verse 15,
Moses appealed to the Lord out of love for the community he served. He
understood that entering the promised land was not his reality, but he
continued to serve on behalf of the people in his care. Despite his mistake,
God used a willing Moses to engage in the succession plan. In the text, Moses
has the responsibility of laying his hands on Joshua (v.18), standing him
before the priest and the whole community (v.19), and confirming his authority
on him so that the entire community will obey him (v.20). Joshua received the
greatest gift from his successor, his support. May that be so with us. When it
is time for our transition, we would be willing participants in the successful
transfer from one pastor to the next pastor, from one ministry leader to the
next ministry leader. May we be honorable in our succession plan.
This is the mark of
a great leader: being more concerned about others than about self. That is also
a mark of a great mentor. Like Moses, mentors need an understanding of the
brevity of life and the need to pass on wisdom to others. There will also be a
willingness to put aside personal needs and preferences to help another grow
and develop.
Moses spoke
directly with God about somebody to take over his leadership role. Most likely,
that will not be the case with us. We won’t find ourselves in a position to
replace ourselves, but that doesn’t excuse us from advising, encouraging, and
investing time with someone we are mentoring. Our mentoring should certainly
include spiritual growth formation—helping them grow in their relationship with
Christ.
Numbers
27:18-20
The Lord replied to
Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man who has the Spirit in him, and lay your
hands on him. Have him stand before the priest Eleazar and the whole community,
and commission him in their sight. Confer some of your authority on him so that
the entire Israelite community will obey him.”
What important
quality did the Lord identify in him?
What important role
was Moses to take in this transition of leadership?
Empower
the one you mentor.
God continues to
call out people to lead His people in their service to Him. An effective leader
needs the Spirit of God and the ability of leadership — in that order — to
serve well. Mentoring includes giving affirmation, expressing trust, and
empowering the one being mentored. Those who are to be led are to honor and
respect those who lead.
Moses received the
succession plan from the Lord. Joshua, slated to take his position as leader of
the children of Israel and will escort them into the promised land, is in
place. Will Moses obey God or disobey? Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, Samson
disobeyed, Judas betrayed, and Thomas doubted. All these individuals represent
the actions of those surrounded by God’s divine presence but decided to go
their own way. Despite Moses having the succession plan, the decision to obey
the voice of the Lord is still in his hands. In verse 22, Moses followed
precisely the Lord’s request and established Joshua before the priest Eleazar.
In verse 23, Moses submitted to the will of God by establishing Joshua in front
of the people. Of all the things Moses accomplished, obeying the Lord’s voice
is paramount to his ministry. May that be said of our ministries as well.
We might agree that
Joshua was the natural choice for the replacement for Moses. He had been the
servant of Moses from the days of the exodus event. Joshua served as Israel’s
general in the battle with the Amalekites (Ex. 17:8-9). He had accompanied
Moses when Moses received the tablets of stone on Mount Sinai (Ex. 24:12-13).
He served as one of the twelve spies who went into the promised land to bring
back a report on the land (Num. 13–14). Joshua and Caleb were the only spies to
express absolute trust in God’s power to give victory to Israel.
Numbers
27:21-23
“He will stand
before the priest Eleazar who will consult the Lord for him with the decision
of the Urim. He and all the Israelites with him, even the entire community,
will go out and come back in at his command.” Moses did as the Lord commanded
him. He took Joshua, had him stand before the priest Eleazar and the entire
community, laid his hands on him, and commissioned him, as the Lord had spoken
through Moses.
Why is it important
that others see your affirmation of next gen leaders?
Publicly
affirm God’s work.
A godly mentor
hears and heeds the instructions of the Lord concerning those whom he mentors
and who will take up the responsibilities of leadership after him. All we do — our
going out and coming in — is to be in accordance to what the Lord desires and
makes known. The Lord works in our lives to make Himself and His purpose,
plans, and will manifest. Leadership and “followership” call for a cooperative
spirit.
Why do you think
public affirmation of a person is important?
Every church is
just one generation away from extinction. If we don’t disciple others, mentor
them, and walk alongside them in service, what will happen when we are gone? It
is a joyous experience to mentor and disciple those who come after us, so let’s
spend our precious time doing that.
“One generation
will declare your works to the next and will proclaim your mighty acts.”
PSALM 145:4
Conclusion
May we all be
reminded that the completion of God's work may begin with us but may not always
end with us. Everyone is responsible for playing their role in the plan
ordained by God. As a reminder, let us walk with Him and see each other as
companions, not competitors.
Mentor and disciple
those who come after you.
Learning
From Those Younger Than Us
Mentoring is a word
more associated with the workplace than the church, but I’d like us to consider
the significance and impact mentoring can have in the life of the church. If
mentoring is one person walking alongside others to train them, isn’t that what
one Christian should do for another?
It’s called
discipleship. It’s something every believer should be doing—and it’s something
every believer should be doing in service to others. When we invest in the life
of someone else, we’re not just touching their life and encouraging their
growth in Christ, but we are investing in those whom that person will disciple!
Mentoring does not
simply need to be “from the top down.” Consider what someone younger (or less
experienced) might teach you. In the business world, some companies are delving
into what is called “reverse mentoring.” According to the BBC, reverse
mentoring was a technique developed in the 1990s to share technology skills.
The Internet was coming into our mainstream culture, and Jack Welch, the CEO of
General Electric, charged younger staff members to teach the older employees
about the technology.
Companies are
encouraging millennials to teach older employees about work trends and cultural
issues. This has significant relevance to the church. With so many churches
simply getting grayer with fewer and fewer young adults, we would do well to
listen to the voices of the young adults in the church. Even as we have
opportunities to disciple them in God’s Word and spiritual disciplines, they can teach us about their generation, how the culture
has changed the way we communicate, and what is needed to build relationships
with younger adults.
Reverse mentoring
can dip into how we do Bible study and what we need to focus on in the
Christian life. A few years ago, I led a group of young professionals,
twentysomethings who were primarily graduate students. We were in the latter
part of Ephesians, where Paul addressed relationships within both the family
and the workforce (slaves/masters). This was a sharp group, and I was prepped
and ready to discuss the issue of submission and love in the marriage
relationship. (The group consisted of both single and married adults.) What I was not prepared for was their
interest and focus on what Paul said about slaves and masters!
From my Baby Boomer
perspective, the bigger issue was how couples relate to each other. Work was
work. What was there to discuss? Employees (i.e., slaves) were to be obedient
and Christ-honoring toward their employers (i.e., masters). Period.
From their
Millennial perspective, the more important matter was what Paul (and the other
New Testament writers) had to say about the ethics and practice of slavery. Why
didn’t Paul address the dehumanizing nature of slavery? What can we do about
modern-day slavery and people who are oppressed?
Biblically, both
marriage and the slavery/workplace issues are important, but with some
unexpected reverse mentoring, I learned that the more pressing matter for me
was not the same pressing matter for them.
We do not change
the gospel. We do not change the teaching and doctrine of Scripture simply to
fit the ever-changing cultural norms or the interests of a younger generation.
But how we communicate God’s truth can change. How we seek to live out biblical
truth can vary. Therefore, it behooves us older adults to learn from the
younger adults.
Companies that
practice reverse mentoring have also discovered that employee retention is
greater. In companies where younger employees feel they are welcomed and listened
to; those employees are less likely to search for greener pastures.
What would our
churches look like if we started listening to the younger adults in our midst?
Welcomed their input … and followed up by giving them opportunities to lead?
They are not the church of the future. They are the church of today. Mentor
them … and let them mentor you.
