Transferring Leadership

Perhaps Moses best illustrated the substance of his inner person after God informed him to prepare to die (Numbers 27:12-14). Moses did not plead to continue physical life, nor complaint about the Lord's sense of justice, nor cite all the Lord's request he complied with from God's commissioning of him at the burning bush. Characteristic of the Moses, he again was concerned about the welfare of Israel rather than his own welfare.

In Moses' death, there is a powerful example for us. Certainly there are times when those who have the courage to represent God before a complaining people are frustrated. In such moments it is quite tempting to think of self rather than thinking of God. Stated another way, it is quite tempting to become arrogant. When we are tempted to compare our "faithful" leadership to the "faithless" complaining of others, we easily are challenged to feel superior. Unless we deliberately take care in such moments, we will think more about ourselves than we will think about God.

We must realize that we do not control others' mentality and spirituality which produce the anxiety of complaining. We cannot 'fix' the faithlessness of others! However, we always are in control of our own personal choices and are thereby accountable for our personal decisions. Frustration is no excuse for arrogance! To take personal credit for God's work is a horrible insult to God in His holiness. The foundation of humility is found in exalting God's holiness rather than exalting oneself!

Interesting, Moses saw his leadership in terms of a shepherd with Israel as the flock. That image continues to this day as God's leaders in the church are to be shepherds (1 Peter 5:1, 2). Moses invested a lot of himself in Israel--he led them in Egypt, he led them out of Egypt, he led them in the wilderness, he led them at Sinai, he pled for them when they built and worshipped the golden calf, he pled for them when they refused to enter Canaan the first time, and he watched the first generation of accountable men [with the exceptions of Joshua and Caleb] die in the wilderness, never entering Canaan. Moses did not want Israel to become "like sheep which have no shepherd."

Thus God had Moses publicly to confer on Joshua the leadership of Israel as he publicly was appointed to be Moses' successor. He had Eleazar the priest sanction [as God's representative] this transitioning of leadership in front of the congregation of Israel by charging Joshua to provide God's leadership in Israel. Eleazar would inquire of God for Joshua as Joshua provided leadership for the nation. Eleazar would advise Joshua, and Joshua would direct Israel's movements.

Moses publicly laid his hands on Joshua and publicly comissioned Joshua as his successor. In this way leadership was publicly conferred so all Israel understood who their leader was. The one who was to lead publicly understood and acknowledged his responsibility to lead according to God's will.

Godly leadership was never to be a matter of personal arrogance. It was to be an investment in God's people.

For about 4,000 years, that has not changed in leading God's people.