Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20050619.htm

LIFE'S WILDERNESS SHORTAGES AND GOD
Part XI: Trusting God's Provision For Obtaining Good New Leaders
(Numbers 27:12-23)
  1. Introduction
    1. Worldwide, there is an ongoing cry for gaining "good leaders", something we can apply not only to the work of the Church, but to the institutions of home, marriage, business and government.
    2. When Moses noticed he was about to die in the wilderness according to God's will, and he realized the people needed an effective, "good" leader to fill his shoes so they could enter and conquer the Promised Land, God gave him directions on finding and obtaining the sufficient replacement in Joshua (as follows):
  2. Trusting God's Provision For Obtaining Good New Leaders, Numbers 27:12-23.
    1. God told Moses he was about to die, an event that would remove him from leading Israel, Num. 27:12-14.
    2. Moses responded by asking God if Israel could receive a new human overseer as his replacement "that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd," Numbers 27:15-17.
    3. God answered Moses' request in the positive, giving him information on the selection and installation of this man as follows (Numbers 27:15-23 et al.):
      1. The new leader was to be chosen by God, Numbers 27:15-16; God actually named Joshua to be the man who was to replace Moses as Israel's national human leader, Numbers 27:18.
      2. The new leader was experienced in the organization he was to lead:
        1. Joshua had served Moses as his personal slave, cf. Joshua 1:1.
        2. Joshua had also previously led the nation to victory in combat, and that under God's appointment of him to that role under Moses' leadership; the people had thus come to trust his judgment to handle both himself and themselves well in a time of national crisis , Exodus 17:8-10, 13!
      3. The new leader was equipped by the Holy Spirit for his new role, Numbers 27:18c with 11:25.
      4. The new leader was personally right with God: Joshua was one of two men who made it from Egypt to the Promised Land due to his faith, cf. Num. 13:27-28; 14:1-10 and 26:63-65. [Also, Joshua loved to fellowship with God as seen from Exodus 33:7-11 (NIV, ESV) where he habitually tarried in the tent of meeting after witnessing Moses speak with God like a man would speak face to face with a friend!]
      5. The new man was to be installed in his role in a way that properly motivated everyone, Num. 27:19-23:
        1. Joshua was to be presented for ordination to his new role before Israel's High Priest, Num. 27:19a.
        2. He was to be appointed to his position in the full view of a formal congregational gathering, Num. 27:19b,c. Thus, God revealed to the whole congregation His full, candid approval of Joshua!
        3. Joshua was to receive a charge re: his office before the High Priest and nation so that he would be held accountable for a specific direction in his office, Numbers 27:19d.
        4. While Moses was still in the leadership of the nation, Joshua was to have some of Moses' honor placed upon him that the people would get used to following Joshua with the approval and oversight of Moses, Numbers 27:20-21. This would encourage the PEOPLE to accept and not buck Joshua's oversight, something necessary if he was to lead them effectively. [Several key national events occurred under this arrangement: Israel defeated Midian (Num. 31), the 2 tribes were settled in the Transjordan (Num. 32) and Moses gave Israel direction on settling the Promised Land west of the Jordan (Num. 22-Deut. 33) all during this apprenticeship of Joshua's national leadership .
    4. When Moses died, the nation Israel smoothly continued to follow its new leader, Joshua, Deut. 34:5-8, 9.
Lesson: God has a sensible, edifying route to take in acquiring new leaders. We should follow it for the peace of all involved, and to maximize our gaining God's fullest blessing in the matter.

Application: We should select those (1) whom God approves (Scriptural qualifications). (2) They should have experience in the role they will have in the new job. (3) Their abilities should match what the job requires of them! (4) Their lives should be upright! (5) The installation of a new leader should be done in a way best to motivate all involved: his entrance should overlap the former leader's function to make him smoothly accepted by subordinates, and the installation should be done publicly with the job requirements candidly defined before all at the time to motivate him to act responsibly before God!