The Life of Moses 16 Passing On the Mantle of Leadership

Passing On The Mantle of Leadership To Joshua

Summary: Principles about making a successful transition in leadership drawn from Moses passing the mantle to Joshua.

Date: 06, September 2015

Series: The Life of Moses

Scripture: Numbers 27:12-22, Deuteronomy 34:1-34:10

Scripture Reading

Let us Rise to our feet and together read Numbers 27:12-22, Deuteronomy 34:1-34:10.

Numbers 27:12-22

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.13 And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.14 For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert 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.15 And Moses spake unto the Lord, saying,16 Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,17 Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of theLord be not as sheep which have no shepherd.18 And the Lord said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him;19 And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.20 And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.22 And Moses did as the Lord commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation:

Deuteronomy 34:1-10

34 And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the Lord shewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan,

2 And all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the utmost sea,

3 And the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zoar.

4 And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.

5 So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord.

6 And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.

7 And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.

8 And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.

9 And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the Lord commanded Moses.

10 And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face,

This is the word of God. Thanks be to the LORD. May the sweet Holy Spirit add His manifold blessings to our text this morning... in our hearing. Amen! You may be seated in God's Presence.

Introduction

Moses’ life is full of revelations of how he learned to walk with God. Moses up there on Mt. Pisgah, with his sore feet and aching back serves as a good example of the fact that God had not only brought him a long way, but God brought Moses all the way! And though, Moses still had work to do with Jesus on the Mt of Transfiguration and as a witness in the book of Revelation, God was about to write the finishing chapter on Moses’s work with the children of Israel. If one could but "look back” and see where the Lord has brought them from, and brought them through, one might be tempted to say that it seems like when God puts his finger on people, their troubles have just begun! Born in a time when his very life had to be protected from annihilation, hidden in basket only to be found by the very family that threatened his existence, raised like royalty only to be hunted like a murderer; humbled but not humiliated in his self-imposed exile in the wilderness of preparation as a shepherd for God’s purposes; and then broken only to be blessed. Moses is an imposing figure of what faith can do in the life of a believer Though he was there to ‘view’ the Promised Land… look at all that he had faithfully endured to get there. All too often, there are those who want the rewards without the responsibility of working of them. But God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. What did Moses have to overcome to get there? What do you and I have to overcome to “get there”… to that place of God’s purpose? I believe that there are several principles that can be drawn from this closing chapter of the life of Moses. Today we come to the close of our study of the life of Moses as we see him “Passing on the Mantle of Leadership to Joshua".

Sermon

1. Your Never too Old to Make a Terrible Mistake 

It seems that anger was something that Moses always struggled with in his life. This could be encouraging to us today for two reasons. First it gives us some hope that if a man like Moses struggled with anger, we need not feel so bad that we struggle with it too. But it also shock to realize the ramifications of uncontrolled anger. 

Remember from Exodus 2:10-12 that is Moses unrestrained anger that resulted in the death of an Egyptian and his own 20 years on the backside of the desert. At about the age of 40 Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew and in a rage he killed the Egyptian taskmaster. This was not a mistake of youth he was a grown man nor it because he was ignorant and uneducated for the Book of Acts (7:22) says that he “was educated with all the learning of the Egyptians.” Because of his anger he spent 40 years learning patience shepherding sheep in the desert.

Sadly this was not the last time we see his anger displayed. When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments he found that the people had became restless and made an idol to worship. When Moses saw the people dancing before the idol, his anger flared according to Exodus 32:19, “So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses’ anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.”

Was his anger justified? Of course it was. The problem is in how he expressed that anger. Moses took these precious tablet written by the very hand of God and in a moment of white hot fury he, “he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.”

According to Numbers chapter 14, when the Israelites arrived at the border of the Promised Land they sent in spies to check out the land. When the spies returned they all agreed that it was a land of plenty but ten of them said “But forget about conquering this land. There are giants in there. As a result the people refused to go in because of unbelief. God was so displeased with this disobedience that he said, “None of this generation will go into the land of promise except Caleb and Joshua.”

Now fast forward many years. The children of Israel have been wandering in the desert for some 39 years. In Number 20 in verses one and two, we find Moses seething with rage again. “Then the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam died there and was buried there. (2)Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron.”

It is that same old problem the Israelites are unhappy and murmuring again. It is the same old problem in verses three to five  “And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: “If only we had died when our brethren died before the LORD! (4) Why have you brought up the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here? (5) And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink.”

Moses then takes their complaints to the Lord and in verses six to eight, the LORD gave him very clear instructions, “Take your rod, go out to the rock, speak to the rock and get out of the way.” But instead we are told in verse ten, that Moses took his rod and gathered the people and said, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” (11) Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.” Is that what God told him to do? NO! and therein lies the problem. God did not overlook or excuse Moses temper tantrum. Verse 12 reveals the consequences, “Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” God told Moses because of your sin you will not be allowed to personally guide the children of Israel into the promised land.

1. Your Never too Old to Make a Terrible Mistake

2. If the Work is the Lord’s the work will go on

In Numbers  27:12-13 the children of Israel arrive at the border of Canaan. Moses is now told that although he will be allowed to enter the Promised Land he will be allowed to go up on the mountain to see it. “Now the LORD said to Moses: “Go up into this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel. (13) And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered.”

God told his servant, “When you have seen the land, you will die.” We are tempted to think that this sounds cruel. But God is not teasing Moses he is blessing him. He was showing Moses that he keeps His word. 

But in his last recorded acts we see the heart of Moses. In verses 16 and 17 Moses speaking to the LORD says, “Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, (17) who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.” 

Did you notice the two things that Moses’ request for the man who will replace him? He wants him to be chosen by God and He wants him to have a shepherd’s heart. 

God already had just the right man for the job for He says in verse 18, “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him;” God already has a man in place to carry on the work. There is much that can be learned about making a successful transition in leadership left by the model of Moses and Joshua. 

From experience, I know the importance this act of consecration entails for those so consecrated and charged. I have seen ministers absolutely transformed and matured through a consecration ceremony. The reason is that the mantle of God for their particular office comes upon them, giving them a divine enablement to perform their new duties. This thought is confirmed in Ephesians 4:7, “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” 

First, we need to acknowledge that if the work we have been involved in ceases if we are removed then we have not done a very good job as a leader. Way back in the shadows of our mind, our ego, would like to think that this organization could not continue without me! But if that is true it is tragic. If the work is of God, it will continue, even without us. 

Secondly, we need to recognize that if we follow human desires we seek to replace longstanding leaders with someone very much like the person they are replacing. The truth is that individuals that God selects to replace those who may have been leadership for a long time, are often quite different from their predecessors. Frequently God choosing someone who will change the course of that group or organization.

Third, some very costly mistakes could have been avoided in the replacement of spiritual leadership if God had been allowed to do the choosing. Strong leaders often wrestle with the desire to appoint their own successors. I have seen it done many time in the pastorate and usually with disastrous results. Moses was wise enough to see the danger and say, “Lord, let him be your appointment.” Moses was a big enough man that he could get out of the way. When God removes he replaces. 

Finally, we see that Moses supported God’s choice both publicly and privately. In Deut. 31:7-8 we are told how Moses privately strengthened his successor for the job ahead. “Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. (8) And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”

As soon as Moses received his orders, he obeyed them. Moses followed God plan without argument for the text, as we have already examined in Number 27:22-23, “So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. (23) And he laid his hands on him and inaugurated him, just as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.” There was no room in anyone’s mind but that Moses supported Joshua as the man appointed by God to lead the children of Israel into the land of promise.

Choosing of a New Leader

Moses said to the Lord in Numbers 27:16-17, “Let the LORD,the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and 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.” 

It is the God given responsibility of a leader to anoint and appoint a successor who will give continuity of vision and bring the people of God into all that the Lord has promised the founder of the work. The new leader should seek to bring the congregation into God’s promised inheritance for them. Depending on the promises and God’s overall purposes, it can sometimes take several generations, as was the case with Israel. Joshua brought them into the land, but it was left to David to bring them into the rest of God at Mount Zion, subduing all the territory and the enemies in the land.

The change of leadership must be ordained by God. When Moses was 120 years old, God told him that He was going to take him unto Himself. In fact, God Himself buried Moses, because the body of Moses would be required years later for the Mount of Transfiguration appearance (Jude 1:9). Previously, Korah and his followers had tried to overthrow Moses’ leadership and install themselves in his place. They suffered awesome judgment by trying to take the leadership out of the will of God. Under the direction of God, Moses prayed for the new leader.

Qualifications for Leadership

There are two qualifications for leadership found in Numbers 27:17, “Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and 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.”

“Which may go out before them.” When sheep need new pasture, the shepherd leaves them in the corral and goes out to find new pasture for them. Since sheep represent Christians (Isa. 53:6, Jn. 10:14), this speaks to us that pastors and leaders must constantly seek the Lord for new truths, revelation, experiences, and a fresh anointing. Sheep cannot feed on the same pasture land forever. 

In the same way, believers need new truths to feed upon; otherwise they lose the vitality of the Christian life, which is ever ongoing. Shepherds must inspect the pasture to ensure that there are no poisonous weeds that can kill their sheep. In the same way, leaders must ensure that there are no erroneous doctrines that could harm God’s people. “Which may lead them out, and which may bring them in.” After shepherds have found new pasture, they go back to their sheep and lead them into the new pasture. 

Leaders must take their people from old truths to new ones. Leaders must not teach their people doctrines that they have not carefully inspected themselves. There are many erroneous doctrines circulating in the Church today. We must test the fruits of doctrines first (2 Tim. 2:6). We should take counsel with other godly men concerning every new wave of doctrine that comes into the Church.

Psalm 78:71-72 says of David, the shepherd of Israel, “From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.”

The responsibilities of a shepherd, which are also the responsibilities of a pastor, are as follows:

1. Feed the sheep with the integrity of his heart

2. Guide the sheep with the skilfulness of his hands

3. Inspect the sheep

4. Cleanse and anoint the wounds of the sheep with

fresh oil from the throne

5. Lead the sheep into new pastures

6. Lay down his life to protect the sheep

A leader should be birthed and brought up in the same spiritual house, alongside the founder of the ministry. Joshua was trained under Moses (Ex. 24:13; 33:11). He had a different spirit and had fully followed the Lord. When Abraham went to war, he took 318 servants who were trained in his own house (Gen. 14:14). Those who have been brought up in the same spiritual house as the founder or leader of a ministry have the same mind, vision, and goals.

Joshua fulfilled all of these requirements:

1. He was Moses’ minister (servant), and he was brought up alongside of him.

2. He fought the battles against the Amalekites; thus he was trained in spiritual warfare.

3. He entered with Moses into the very presence of God, even tarrying there on one occasion, after Moses had left.

4. He was one of the twelve spies, and brought back a favourable report.

5. He was well versed in the Law; thus he made right choices.

The Charge

Joshua stood before the high priest, Eleazar, and the

congregation as Moses laid his hands on him and gave him a charge. Three very important things happened at this ceremony:

1. The whole congregation of Israel recognised Joshua’s authority (Num. 27:22).

2. Joshua received the mantle of grace from God to fulfil his office as the new leader (Num. 27:20).

3. The spirit of wisdom was imparted to Joshua (Deut. 34:9).

I cannot over emphasize the importance of this ceremony of laying on of hands, for it is not merely a scriptural injunction. I have seen men transformed and matured by the impartation they received in a ceremony like this. They received power and ability beyond their years when God’s mantle came upon them.

1. Your Never too Old to Make a Terrible Mistake

2. If the Work is the Lord’s the work will go on

3. There will Come a Time when It is Time to Go

When we get to Deuteronomy 34, God gives us the details of the death of Moses. Verse one says, “Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah,”

Mt Pisgah reaches a height of 4,500 feet. From that height he was able to seen into the Promised Land. Then in verse four God said to him, “… This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.”

Verse five says, “So Moses died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord.” Moses died “according to the word of the Lord.” Everything ended for this old man of faith exactly as God had arranged it. When I acknowledge that God is control of my death I do not have to fear. The great Apostle Paul thought this way, (Phil 1:21-22), “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (22) But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.”

In verse seven we are told his age: “Although Moses was a hundred and twenty years old.” But the verse goes on to say, “ his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated.” You know our problem, we get old before we are old, and we quit before we are through. 

But this was not true of Moses, either physically nor spiritually. “Since then no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face.” v. 10

After death comes a burial, verse 6 says “And He [that is God] buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day.” Did you know that Moses is the only person in the Bible that God personally buried? Why did he do that? Because had the Israelites known where Moses was buried it would have become a shrine. They would have been beating a path up the mountain to worship, and God ensured that did not happen. This was so crucial that it even sparked an angelic confrontation. Jude 9 contains on of the stranger accounts in the Bible, “Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 

Apparently the Devil had his own plans for the body of Moses. But God said no deal. As we mentioned earlier, God buried the body of Moses Himself because it would be needed many years later for Moses’ appearance on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mt. 17:3, Jude 1:9, Lk. 9:30-31).

The proper closure is given in verse 10, “But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,” Death comes to us all. We have no control over where or when. And unless the Lord comes back for his own first, the day of our departure will come.... Maybe sooner maybe later. We have no control over that but we do have control over how we live, right up until the moment that we leave this world. 

Invitation And The Final Challenge

Not only does the new leader need to be encouraged, but also the congregation needs to have confidence in the new leader. Only the former leader can really give the needed assurance, as Moses did concerning Joshua. Deuteronomy 31:3-8

Encouragement of Moses

The Lord instructed Moses to encourage Joshua in Deuteronomy 1:38, “But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.” How necessary it is to understand that the young need help and encouragement as they set forth upon the uncharted courses of leadership. No leader can reproduce the past. Life progresses!

The Church of God is moving on. The Lord said to Joshua, “Ye have not passed this way heretofore” (Josh. 3:4). Every new generation has a fresh task that is different from that of the previous generation. Therefore, we will need to be of good courage and have complete reliance upon God, so that the part of the journey that is entrusted into our hands for any given congregation is successfully completed to God’s satisfaction. Moses said in Deuteronomy 3:21-22, “And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, Thine eyes have seen all that  the LORD your God hath done unto these two kings: so shall the LORD do unto all the kingdoms whither thou passest. Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you.” The Lord told Moses to encourage Joshua again in Deuteronomy 3:28, “But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.” Moses had to transfer the command of the Israelites to Joshua, and so he laid hands on him and imparted his mantle and anointing. We read in Deuteronomy 34:9, “And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened

unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.” 

Joshua was now filled with the Spirit.

Your Never too Old to Make a Terrible Mistake!
If the Work is the Lord’s, It will go on!
There will come a Time when it is time to go!