His boss had been
under fire often. Although he was as much a servant to the people as he
was their leader, many of them were jealous of the leader's power and tried to
undermine his authority. They rebelled against his orders and complained
about everything he did. Moreover, they also complained about the owner of the
company. This hurt the manager because
he and the owner were good friends.
Through
the years he came to understand just how much his boss cared about all the
people under his authority. His manager
was often “caught” between the owner and the people within the company. When they
grumbled and complained or tried to rebel in any way, the owner would become
angry. Every time the owner became angry
his boss interceded for the people.
Now
the boss was about to die. And the owner
had appointed him (the once young man) to be the leader. It was the promotion of a lifetime. He was overwhelmed not only with grief at the
thought of losing a dear friend, but also the prospect of becoming the leader
of such a great company of people.
I’m sure this
weighed heavily on Joshua’s mind. I’m
sure he loved Moses and mourned the thought of his passing. Yet Moses assured him he had nothing to
fear. God would be with him every step
of the way. Yes, Moses is the “leader”
in my little story. Joshua is the “young
man” and God is the “owner” of the company.
Can you
imagine how Joshua felt when he was told that God was going to “gather Moses to
his people?” I’m sure all kinds of
thoughts ran through his mind. To become
the leader of an entire nation was truly the promotion of a lifetime! Perhaps he had been preparing for this moment
for years; but what a daunting task he was about to undertake!!
I
may be projecting my feelings onto Joshua.
He may not have been as apprehensive as I think I would be in the same
situation. Regardless, Joshua received
ample reassurance. In his address to
Israel naming Joshua as his successor, Moses tells him to “Be strong and
courageous,” and not to “fear or be dismayed.”
Moses further promises Joshua that the Lord “will never leave him or
forsake him.” (Deuteronomy 31:7-8)
Our Lord God
Himself further encourages the future leader in Joshua Chapter 1. If anyone ever needs reassurance of God’s
care for those who follow Him, I would encourage them to read this
chapter. God tells Joshua to be strong
and courageous at least three times. The
Lord promises to be with him as He was with Moses. God says, “I will never leave you or forsake
you.” (Verse 5)
However,
there are conditions to the Lord’s promises.
In verses 7-8, God commands Joshua to obey the law Moses gave him; “do
not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful
wherever you go. Keep this Book of the
Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be
careful to do everything written in it.
Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
It
is wonderful to know that God will take care of those who follow Him. These verses offer that comfort. However, they also confirm the fact that God still
expects us to obey Him. If Joshua had
failed God in any way, God would not have blessed him as he did. This is still true today and for our soul’s
sake we need to understand this very basic principle. As forgiven Christians, our lives should
belong to God. It’s just that simple.
God
continues in verse 9: “Have I not commanded
you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for
the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” It is interesting to note God reminds Joshua
this is a command. It wasn’t just a pep
talk to help Joshua’s feelings. This was
a commandment from God. It was important
to the Father for Joshua to obey Him.
The Lord had many things for Joshua to do as leader of Israel.
Moses encouraged Joshua to be strong. God commanded him to be strong. Finally, at the end of Joshua Chapter One, we
see the Israelites – the people he has been called to lead – also encourage
him. They give their loyalty to Joshua promising
to obey him as they obeyed Moses. “Only
may the Lord your God be with you, as He was with Moses…….
Only be strong and courageous.”
(Joshua 1:17b-18)
Joshua
always had a tremendous faith in God. He
and Caleb were the only two out of twelve spies with enough faith to take the
land of Canaan. Forty years later they
were the only two over twenty years old whom God allowed into the Promised
Land. Armed with his great faith, Moses’
reassurances, God’s command and promises, and the people behind him, Joshua
became a great leader.
Joshua
remained faithful to the Lord just as Moses had done. God blessed Joshua and the Israelites. They gained the land they were promised. At the end of his life, he challenged the people
to continue to serve the one true God.
It is a tribute to his leadership and influence that Israel remained
faithful to God “all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders that
outlived Joshua.” (Joshua 24:31)
Now,
we may never be called on to lead a nation of people into a new land; but we
are called to be faithful to Christ. As
we live for Him we must also be strong and courageous. Remember these verses?
“Be
on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” (I
Corinthians 16:13 NIV)
“Finally,
be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” (Ephesians 6:10 ESV)
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give
to you. Not as the world gives do I give
to you. Let not your hearts be troubled,
neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27
ESV)
If we choose to serve the Lord, as
Joshua did so long ago, God will reward us mightily. Consider the inspired words of Paul in
Colossians 1:11-14 (ESV):
“May you be strengthened
with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience
with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the
inheritance of the saints in light. He
has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom
of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
That sounds to me like the promotion of
a lifetime! How about you?
Christ above
all things,
Robin
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